Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) in the last few years have made AI a buzzword in everyday life. AI cameras watch as you purchase in the self-checkout lane, notifying associates if you don’t ring up an item. Companies even utilise AI in their human resources (HR) departments, writing job descriptions and scanning job applications to locate the most qualified people for open positions.
However, AI algorithms are only as unbiased as those creating the programs. It still offers promising possibilities to remove preconceived notions when utilised correctly.
How to use AI to remove hiring bias
One might think a computer is immune to bias, but the opposite is sometimes true. While AI might remove it, it could also unintentionally embrace past outcomes and duplicate biases. Adding a human component to the selection process is crucial to avoid discrimination.
Here are some ways HR and company leadership can tap into the power of AI to remove hiring bias:
List future skills
A survey on how people view AI found that 69 per cent of people from Thailand felt it would replace their jobs, and 62 per cent from Malaysia and Indonesia felt the same. As the world shifts to a machine learning mode, people will need to have or develop new skills in their industries.
Things are likely to become more automated, so learning, growing and adapting are as crucial as any book knowledge. AI can help HR teams create job descriptions that list current and future skills necessary to excel in the field.
Use broad datasets
When training AI models, it’s crucial to pull from the wider population, other countries, different socioeconomic levels and various cultures. If you wish to utilise AI to remove bias against age, gender, race and other demographic factors, you must train it from a vast pool of thoughts.
Also Read: How AnyMind Group achieved profitability through its approach to human resource and leadership
It’s wise to speak with diverse members of the team for programming. If your company isn’t yet diverse, you may want to pull in data from larger enterprises to avoid programming inherent bias into the selection process.
Improve onboarding
One thing that can prevent your team from being diverse is losing people shortly after hiring them. Approximately 33 per cent of new hires quit within three months. Use AI onboarding to ensure your training process removes unfairness and is accessible to all employees.
Since computers look at step-by-step processes, AI is a great way to build out your training modules. You can even run simulations to see how a specific persona might react to training.
Be transparent
One way AI helps remove bias in the hiring process is by showing the outside world your efforts to remain diverse and unbiased. Be open about your policies and how your algorithms work. Tell potential employees which parts of the hiring process tap into AI to gather candidates and share what you’re looking for. Explain how the computer sorts resumes with certain skills listed.
You can never totally remove bias, even with a computer. However, trying to do so will reward your brand with a nice mix of staff members with various backgrounds and knowledge to share.
Reduce research time
Data analytics is a top use of AI in business because computers are adept at sorting through tons of information and spitting out results. HR departments can utilise automation to sift through hundreds of applications and select only those with the qualifications most necessary to fill the position.
The machine doesn’t look at gender, age or race but only at the applicant’s skills. By letting it do the initial sorting, those who have a lot to offer but might fall outside the hiring norm still have a chance to gain a face-to-face interview and wow leaders.
Give humans the final say
Yes, humans suffer from their own biases. Some prefer those who are familiar with what they’ve always known. Others grew up in a non-diverse environment and may not fully understand another culture. Some prefer a certain level of education or gender. AI data sorting removes bias, but you don’t want a computer to decide about someone you must interact with daily.
Also Read: Why we need to embrace HR tech adoption stat
The best way to remove bias after AI does its work and humans take over is to train leadership and HR teams to be aware of their personal preferences and fight against them. Show the benefits of a diverse workforce in solving problems.
Feed the machine
AI gets better over time via machine learning. Take the time to feed the machine new data as you learn excellent techniques. If you notice the computer is biased in one area, retrain it to remove that preference.
Can AI make hiring bias worse?
AI is valuable in finding and training new employees to your standards, but it isn’t perfect. The best thing you can do is utilise it to remove as much bias as possible in the early stages of recruitment. Take the time to look for and be aware of biases, as it’s the first step to removing discrimination.
—
Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic
Join our e27 Telegram group, FB community, or like the e27 Facebook page
Image credit: Canva
The post Does AI remove hiring bias — or make it worse? appeared first on e27.