How to Improve Fairness Perceptions of AI in Hiring: The Crucial Role of Positioning and Sensitization

Abstract

Companies increasingly deploy artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in their personnel recruiting and selection processes to streamline them, thus making them more efficient, consistent, and less human biased. However, prior research found that applicants prefer face-to-face interviews compared with AI interviews, perceiving them as less fair. Additionally, emerging evidence exists that contextual influences, such as the type of task for which AI is used, or applicants’ individual differences, may influence applicants’ reactions to AI-powered selection. The purpose of our study was to investigate whether adjusting process design factors may help to improve people's fairness perceptions of AI interviews. The results of our 2 x 2 x 2 online study (N = 404) showed that the positioning of the AI interview in the overall selection process, as well as participants’ sensitization to its potential to reduce human bias in the selection process have a significant effect on people’s perceptions of fairness. Additionally, these two process design factors had an indirect effect on overall organizational attractiveness mediated through applicants’ fairness perceptions. The findings may help organizations to optimize their deployment of AI in selection processes to improve people’s perceptions of fairness and thus attract top talent.