Published in Computers in Human Behavior Reports, the study examines the factors that shape recruiters' attitude toward AI systems in personnel selection. Specifically, it investigates how recruiters evaluate AI systems across different application contexts and how perceived benefits, perceived risks, and trust shape their attitude.

The study shows that:

• Recruiters form their attitude toward AI systems by weighing perceived benefits against perceived risks. Efficiency gains, more consistent decision-making, and strategic advantages are balanced against concerns such as the loss of human judgment, ethical issues, and unclear accountability.
• Transparency is the foundation of trust in AI systems. Trust shapes how recruiters evaluate the perceived benefits and risks of AI systems and, ultimately, their attitude toward them. When recruiters understand how recommendations are generated and where the limitations of an AI system lie, it forsters trust and consequently a positive attitude toward AI systems.
• The application context affects recruiters' attitude toward AI systems. Depending on the application context and the degree of process automation, recruiters differ in their evaluation of perceived benefits, perceived risks, and trust in AI systems. AI systems receive the most positive attitude when used for standardized tasks and to support human decision-making, whereas recruiters are more critical of their use in complex assessment tasks and fully automated selection processes.

Practical implications: Organizations should design AI systems for personnel selection to support rather than replace recruiters. Transparent AI systems, understandable decision-making processes, and a clearly defined role for humans throughout the selection process are essential for fostering a positive attitude toward AI systems.

The study, "AI no matter what? A recruiter's perspective on the use of artificial intelligence in personnel selection,"was authored by Dr. Charlotte Czernietzki and Prof. Dr. Johann Nils Foege (University of Münster) together with Prof. Dr. Daniel Westmattelmann (Private University of Economics and Technology Vechta).

The full open-access article is available here.