More than nine out of 10 (95 per cent) European, Middle Eastern and African (EMEA) organisations would be comfortable with background screening providers using AI or automation to do research or compile background screening reports, a new study has found.
The 2024 Global Benchmark Report by HireRight, which surveyed 1,250 HR, risk, and talent acquisition professionals, revealed that just 5 per cent of respondents from EMEA said they would not prefer their screening provider not to utilise AI or automation.
In contrast, a quarter (25 per cent) of respondents from North America and a fifth (19 per cent) of Asia Pacific (APAC) respondents said they would prefer their screening provider not to utilise AI or automation, highlighting companies in the EMEA as most open to incorporating the new technology in this way.
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Of the reasons for incorporating AI into the process, 83 per cent of EMEA respondents said they would be comfortable with AI or automation being used to lower the risk of human error, while 79 per cent would be satisfied if it helped speed up the screening process.
Furthermore, improving the candidate experience (64 per cent) and cost savings (48 per cent) were among the top things cited by EMEA respondents as perks of using AI in screening processes.
Steve Nicholls, managing director at Executive Connexions, said the rise of AI in background screening offers efficiency gains, but emphasised the importance of responsible use.
He told People Management: “Companies should prioritise transparency in their AI models and ensure human review of flagged results to mitigate potential bias and ensure fair hiring practices. This approach protects both businesses and candidates.”
The survey also stated that employment verifications and education credential checks are the most common areas where employers in EMEA and APAC report finding candidate discrepancies while performing background checks.
In North America, previously undisclosed convictions are cited as the most frequently found type of candidate discrepancy, with two-fifths of respondents saying it is one of the areas they most frequently find discrepancies – more than twice the percentage of respondents from APAC (18 per cent) and EMEA (17 per cent) who said the same.
Recruitment
The HireRight report also revealed more than half (53 per cent) of respondents in the EMEA said their company continued to recruit as planned last year, with little chance of improving on prior outcomes. Furthermore, 23 per cent reported to have hired additional personnel to meet the increasing demand on their businesses in 2023.
Furthermore, the study found respondents from North America were the most likely to have hired remote workers in cities and towns without an office, with almost half (46 per cent) saying this will be the case in 2023. However, this behaviour was less prevalent among EMEA respondents, accounting for three out of ten (30 per cent).
The Global Benchmark research also highlighted the recruitment hurdles that companies encountered last year. In EMEA, one-third (33 per cent) of respondents claimed they had hiring freezes in 2023, compared to 15 per cent in North America and only 4 per cent in APAC.
It also discovered that the issue of understaffing in HR and recruitment teams persists globally, with one-fifth (20 per cent) of respondents reporting having to manage smaller teams.
View the CIPD’s resources on the use and impact of AI in the workplace
