Front-line workers in the U.S. want more transparency when it comes to artificial intelligence in the hiring process, according to new research from Propeller Insights commissioned by AI company Fountain. Respondents to the recent survey said they weren’t against AI, but wanted companies to be more transparent about when and how they’re using it. Only 1 in 4 said they were opposed to AI in hiring, while nearly 3 in 4 said their trust in an organization was shaped directly by how it explained its AI use.
Workers’ experiences with hiring have been less than ideal, per the report. One out of five applicants over the past year reported a lack of communication or updates, and 62% of applicants said they were ghosted after multiple rounds of interviews. Almost 20% said the most exasperating part of the process was being rejected by automated systems without being given any clear reason why. Another 32% said they never heard back during their most recent interview.
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Human oversight remains a priority
Almost 50% of workers said they’re more comfortable with AI use in hiring when they know there’s a person looking at final decisions, and 42% said they wanted to be able to ask for a person to communicate with at any point in the hiring process, per the report. The survey of more than 1,000 U.S. front-line workers, conducted in June, found that employees are comfortable with AI when it comes to specific hiring duties such as scheduling interviews (40%), communication about roles (38%) or candidate screening (29%).
Front-line workers said they don’t mind AI, but they want clarity on where the technology ends and human judgment begins. Fountain CEO Sean Behr said in a statement that “Frontline workers want respect and honesty. They know AI is part of the process. They’re asking to be kept in the loop. Tell me where I stand. Tell me who decides. Follow through when you say you will. The industry spent years deploying AI and forgot those basics.”
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Almost 4 in 10 U.S. candidates said they have already walked away from a hiring process because it included an AI interview, according to an April report by hiring platform Greenhouse. HR professionals may also end up missing out on “hidden talent” that AI tools overlook, the founder and CEO of a workforce development organization told SHRM26 attendees in June. Fountain CEO Sean Behr said in a statement that “Frontline workers want respect and honesty. They know AI is part of the process. They’re asking to be kept in the loop. Tell me where I stand. Tell me who decides. Follow through when you say you will. The industry spent years deploying AI and forgot those basics.”
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