The relationship between HR leaders and technology is constantly evolving, but not everyone is ready for a commitment. A June 2023 report from Mercer shows that around 30% of organizations plan to use AI in recruiting efforts over the next 12 months, but very few of them said they are “fully prepared” for teaming up with machines.
Around half were at least a little prepared, while the other half was not at all prepared or totally unsure. However, being unprepared isn’t an excuse for being unaware of HR’s AI responsibilities, including those relating to discrimination.
Though generative AI has been all the talk in 2023, AI tools have been at work in many HR systems for years. This is coming to light, as so many things do, as lawsuits surface. New solutions might make recruiting more efficient or easier, but the responsibility for complying with employment regulations still falls completely on people, not on artificial intelligence or other tech tools used in recruiting or hiring. This means that current laws plus new laws directly relating to AI should be on your radar.
Last year, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against iTutorGroup, a global online education company. In 2020, the employer’s hiring system was programmed to screen out male applicants over 60 and female applicants over 55.
This caused 200-plus people to be rejected based on their age and gender. And that’s discrimination, in the eyes of the EEOC. The e-learning firm settled for $365,000.
Richard Rosenow from OneModel posted this takeaway on LinkedIn recently: “This happened in 2020,” he writes. “Do you have a good record of what tools, systems, algorithms and models you were using in 2020?” Excellent food for thought.
HR Tech in action
Have you ever had trouble with a challenging work conversation? (And yes, we know about your tiff with Mark over the last Buffalo Trace Bourbon coffee pod.
Recruiting, hiring and retaining tech professionals isn’t easy. Despite the strong demand for tech talent, the prevalence of burnout and disengagement is real. A fresh report from Ivanti notes that 31% of IT experts state that burnout led a colleague to resign, a reality that hits Gen Z and millennials the hardest.
And for those of us who are slightly older, the next bit of news might feel aimed only at our kids. But, nope, you’re reading this right: Roblox announced its Career Center platform, situated directly within Roblox.
“We decided to build this experience specifically for candidates who are just starting out their careers, many of whom are already familiar with our platform from when they played on Roblox as they were growing up,” said Ryan Fitzpatrick, senior director of early career talent in a press release. “We think this is a great way to showcase the Roblox platform and help candidates visualize themselves working here.”
More from Human Resource Executive
See who made the list! Technology is an increasingly powerful factor in HR-related business decisions. This shift demands trusted insight into innovative tools and systems. At the forefront of this changing landscape are Human Resource Executive‘s 2023 Top 100 HR Tech Influencers.
Morey Haber, the chief security officer at BeyondTrust, shared with HRE that predators use bots to scrape LinkedIn, looking for recent profile changes to flag likely new hires to target even before their first day at work.
Algorithms can identify skill gaps and recommend relevant training programs for employees who are struggling to learn or who want to attain new workplace-related skills, says Dr. Christian Schmeichel, senior vice president and chief future of work officer at SAP.
Dani Johnson, the co-founder of RedThread Research, says that her organization’s learning tech study identified 35 unique functionalities that vendors offer in 2023. This is up from 32 functionalities in the 2021 study. Hear more from Johnson during her mega session at the HR Tech Conference.
Plan your time at HR Technology Conference 2023:
- Get key findings from the 26th Annual HR Systems Survey with Stacey Harris.
- Hear one of Hollywood’s greats: Geena Davis talks gender equality at work.
- Stay ahead of trends as Josh Bersin previews what’s hot in HR technology.
- Find out what Marcus Buckingham thinks humans truly want at work.
Get your tickets now. I’ll see you in Las Vegas!
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