As many as 83% of employers, and as many as 90% among Fortune 500 companies, are using some form of automated tools to screen or rank candidates for hiring, according to EEOC’s Charlotte Burrows.
-Bloomberg Law
With the rise of AI tools in recruiting, new guidance issued by both EEOC and U.S. Department of Justice is welcome news. Disability advocates have long known that while these tools can be useful for the employer, they can raise questions around bias that violate the ADA, including the use of personality tests with non-job specific questions, camera sensors, or timed tasks that don’t easily allow for reasonable accommodation.
This guidance also comes after U.S. Department of Commerce appointed 27 experts last April to the National AI Advisory Comittee.
The disability community already faces tremendous hurdles in hiring discrimination, in large part due to employers outdated views on what people with various disabilities bring to the table.
While AI can be a useful tool, and can certainly provide valuable insight, the hiring process needs more human connection and understanding across the board, not less, especially around disabled candidates.