RECRUITMENT IN THE DIGITALIZATION AND AI ERA – AWARENESS AND ATTITUDES OF HR PRACTIONIONERS TOWARDS CYBERVETTING

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine to which extent the personal managers, HR specialists and recruiters of big companies in Lodz and Silesia Provinces are aware of the possibilities to use cybervetting including AI tools as an element of the recruitment process. Design/methodology/approach: The survey test CAWI (n = 113) was applied. The questionnaire covered the one- and multiple choice questions and seven statements assessed with the use of 4-grade Likert scale and the responses were analysed with the consideration of the respondents’ seniority. Findings: About 40% of respondents have already been using or had direct knowledge about the application of cybervetting practices in their companies; Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn are the most valuable data sources. The risks to infringe privacy and discrimination are perceived by personal managers, HR specialists and recruiters with the seniority up to 10 years more stronger whereas the persons with the seniority over 20 years regard the AI as helpful in the limitation of decision subjectivity. Research limitations/implications: The limitation of the conducted research is its exploration nature which may make it difficult to generalize the results. Thus, it is recommended to cover wider, sector-differentiated sample in further research, and to use deepened interviews and case studies to analyse the cybervetting practices. Practical implications: The research results lead to four recommendations for employers: (1) annual audit of social media review, (2) obtaining clear, voluntary agreements of candidates for such a verification, (3) providing them with a short training about digital identity and (4) providing 48-hour “right to comment” to the negative arrangements. Originality/value: The paper provides empirical data about the awareness and attitudes of HR practitioners concerning cybervetting and AI tools, indicating the generation and experience differences, which extends the discussion about the employees’ digital selection.