Responsible use starts before a tool is switched on. Employers and recruiting partners need a shared operating model for purpose, data, review and accountability.
1. What recruiting problem are we solving?
Name the workflow: drafting a role, expanding sourcing terms, organizing applications, preparing interview questions or communicating with candidates. “Use AI in hiring” is too broad to evaluate or govern.
2. Are the criteria job-related?
Define the outcomes, skills, schedule, workplace requirements and credentials that matter. Remove preferences that are merely inherited from a past job description. AI should work from reviewed criteria—not create hidden standards of its own.
3. What candidate information enters the tool?
Collect only what is needed for the stated purpose. Understand whether prompts, résumés, notes or recordings are retained, used to improve a model or shared with subprocessors. Avoid entering sensitive information into systems that are not approved for it.
4. Where is human review required?
Identify the decisions that require a person and define what meaningful review looks like. Reviewers should see the underlying job-related evidence, not just a score or ranking, and should be able to question or override a recommendation.
5. How will we check the output?
Test for inaccurate summaries, fabricated claims, unexplained exclusions and inconsistent treatment. Compare outcomes over time and investigate whether qualified people are being overlooked.
6. What will candidates be told?
Use clear language about how information is collected and how technology supports the process. Provide a practical way for candidates to ask questions, request an appropriate accommodation or correct inaccurate information.
7. What records will we keep?
Document the purpose of the tool, the criteria used, who reviewed the result, material changes to the workflow and the basis for the final decision. Good records make monitoring and accountability possible.
8. Who owns the outcome?
Name an accountable person or team. A vendor can provide a product, but it cannot replace the employer’s responsibility for the recruiting process and final employment decision.
A responsible workflow can explain what AI contributed, what a person verified and who made the decision.
Further reading
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