AI in recruitment
October 17, 2026
What to explain to candidates about AI-assisted screening
Explain what recruiting AI does, which information it uses, who reviews results, and how candidates can raise a processing problem. Match the notice to the real workflow.
HRvana editorial team
2 min read
Candidates should be able to understand what happens to their application. A statement that your company "uses AI" leaves unanswered questions about whether the tool extracts fields, summarizes experience, ranks applications, or makes progression decisions.
Write the explanation from the actual workflow. Have the people responsible for privacy and hiring obligations review the wording for the locations where you recruit.
Describe the task the tool performs
Use ordinary language. If the system extracts information from a resume and prepares a summary for recruiters, say that. If ranking or automated decisions are involved, do not disguise those activities as simple administration.
Identify where human review happens and what authority the reviewer has. Avoid claiming every result is checked manually if the team does not perform that check.
Keep product capabilities separate from your own configuration. The same tool can be used differently by different employers.
Explain the information involved
Connect the notice to your approved privacy information: what application material is used, relevant service providers, retention arrangements, and available contact routes. Confirm the details rather than copying another company's wording.
Collect only information needed for the process. Do not ask candidates for extra sensitive details simply because a tool can process them.
Jurisdiction-specific rights and requirements vary. An operational explanation is useful worldwide, but legal wording should reflect the employer's actual situation and applicable rules.
Provide a way to report a problem
A candidate may notice that the extracted job title is wrong or that a document failed to upload. Give them a practical contact route and explain what to include, such as the vacancy reference and the issue they observed.
Do not require them to understand your model or scoring method to request help. Route the issue to someone who can review the application record and respond accurately.
Check the explanation after changes
Review the notice when you add a new AI task, provider, or decision rule. Ask the operational team to walk through a fictional application and compare each step with the candidate-facing wording.
Also check the confirmation page and emails. They should not imply that automated processing has completed when only submission has succeeded.
Keep ownership of the explanation explicit. A current, specific description gives candidates more useful information than broad reassurance that technology always makes hiring fairer or faster.
Further reading
- ICO intervention into AI recruitment tools leads to better data protection for job seekers | ICO
- AI tools used in recruitment | ICO
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