Ethics Guidelines for Using AI-based Algorithms in Recruiting: Learnings from a Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

To reduce the workload of employees working in Human Resource departments and to avoid bias in pre-selection of applicants, an increasing number of companies deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based algorithms. Some examples such as Amazon’s discriminating recruiting algorithm showed that algorithms are not free of unethical decision making. Although there already exists a variety of ethics principles for AI-based systems, those are usually hardly being applicable to specific use cases such as using AI-based algorithms in recruiting processes. To address this issue and to provide guidance for researchers and practitioners, we conducted a systematic literature review (keyword and backwards search) on existing ethics guidelines and principles for AI and extracted aspects that seemed applicable to guide recruiting processed. Based on 28 relevant papers we derived actionable guidelines for using AI-based algorithms in recruiting processes. We categorized our guidelines into the aspects of fairness, avoidance of discrimination and avoidance of bias.