Are You Using AI-Powered Recruitment Tools Inclusively?

With the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) in employee recruitment, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on Sept. 24 released AI & Inclusive Hiring Framework, a new tool designed to support the inclusive use of AI in employers’ hiring technology and increase benefits to disabled job seekers.

Published by the Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology, the framework will help employers reduce the risks of creating unintentional forms of discrimination and barriers to accessibility as they implement AI hiring technology. Funded by the department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), the initiative will also help workers and job seekers navigate the potential benefits and challenges they may face when encountering AI-enabled technologies.

The framework has 10 focus areas, including practices, goals, and sample activities that employers can adopt in their AI governance and disability-inclusive hiring initiatives. Each area has information on maximizing benefits and managing risks for workers and job seekers when an organization assesses, acquires, or deploys an AI hiring technology.

“The ODEP works with many employers eager to hire people with disabilities and benefit from their talents,” said Taryn Williams, assistant secretary for disability employment policy. “These employers recognize that AI tools can improve recruitment and hiring but may also impact workplace culture and inclusion of disabled employees. The AI & Inclusive Hiring Framework published today charts a clear course for employers to navigate this transformation successfully.”

The initiative aligns with the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to prevent AI-powered employment tools from hindering U.S. workers’ employment prospects. In October 2022, the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy released its Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights to promote more equitable and inclusive digital hiring practices with workers with disabilities and other underserved communities.