AI Hiring Must Be Fair, Transparent and Human-Centric: ACCA

Amid a surge in job‑hunting and recruitment activity, over half of respondents expressed confidence in the use of artificial intelligence in hiring but organisations must ensure AI hiring processes are fair and transparent, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants said on Wednesday. The statement from professional accountancy body said 52 per cent of respondents in India are confident about AI algorithms in hiring processes, well above the global figure of 43 per cent.

The trend is mirrored at board level with 40 per cent of leaders trusting their use of AI when selecting talent. Generationally in India, Gen Z is the most positive about the use of AI to support transparency in the recruitment processes, with 54 per cent of the cohort confident that it can support fair and unbiased hiring. Gen Y is more balanced – with 48 per cent showing confidence, while Gen X is wary by comparison – with only 27 per cent feeling the same. Across different seniority levels, the confidence levels around AI-based hiring in India are higher compared to global figures. Respondents in our survey said that using AI in hiring is proving to be a strong recruitment funnel – helping them sift through large applicant pools, but it requires human ownership and intervention, said Sajid Khan, Director – India at ACCA. "However, AI models can have inherent biases and are not automatically objective or fair. Context blindness is another risk - explaining career decisions like career breaks, changes, and growth come with subjectivity and personal stories – something that agentic AI can’t be expected to be mindful about," Khan added.

The accountancy body said that one of the main concern is the lack of human touch in processes – less personal feedback on applications, and the increased anonymity of processes that are less human-centric. The statement noted growing interest in the appropriate governance around the use of technologies, increased attention on the value of audits and monitoring processes around the AI algorithms being used and strengthening regulatory requirements.

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