AI in Hiring: The Hidden Bias and How It's Shaping Australia's Job Market

The Rise of AI in Recruitment

In 2024, a staggering 43% of Australian organisations have incorporated Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their hiring processes, with 19% using it extensively, as per The Australian Responsible AI report. This shift towards technology-driven recruitment is transforming how candidates are evaluated, from CV analysis to AI-conducted interviews.

The 'Robo-Interview' Phenomenon

Melbourne's Sisterworks, a social enterprise aiding migrant and refugee women, encountered the challenges of AI interviews firsthand. Their candidates, unprepared for non-human interviews, faced unexpected hurdles. "They just fail because they don't know what to do," shared CEO Ifrin Fittock, highlighting the digital literacy and language barriers these women face.

Concerns Over Algorithmic Discrimination

Research from the University of Melbourne Law School warns of 'algorithm-facilitated discrimination', where AI systems may inadvertently favor certain demographics over others. Issues range from inaccessibility for disabled applicants to biases against those with employment gaps—often women. "These systems might not perform well for refugees, migrant women, or First Nations populations," notes researcher Natalie Sheard.

The Double-Edged Sword of AI Recruitment

While AI promises efficiency and objectivity, concerns about transparency and inherent biases persist. Andreas Leibbrandt of Monash University points out that training data may carry historical biases, affecting the fairness of AI evaluations. Yet, some studies suggest women and ethnic minorities might prefer AI over human recruiters, perceiving less bias.

Adapting to the New Norm

Organizations like Sisterworks are now incorporating video interview training into their programs, preparing candidates for the realities of AI-driven hiring. As Fatemeh Zahra Hazrati from Iran puts it, "We just need to adapt ourselves for new things and accept challenges to learn new things."