AI in recruitment: Perceptions of process favorability and intentions to pursue a position – A Vignette Study

Sammanfattning

The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in selection and recruitment has raised concernsregarding transparency and applicants’ perceptions of AI-driven hiring practices. Thisvignette-based experimental study examined how screening type (AI vs. HR professionals)influences process favorability and applicants’ intentions to pursue a job opportunity. Datawere collected through pen-and-paper surveys using convenience sampling in a city insouthern Sweden (N = 279). The study was pre-registered on the Open Science Framework(OSF) before data collection. A 2 × 2 between-subjects design was employed, crossingscreening type (AI vs. HR professionals) with job type (relation-focused: Training andDevelopment Specialist; competence-focused: IT Specialist). The study tested twohypotheses: whether applicants perceived the screening process by HR professionals as morefavorable (fair and effective), and whether they had stronger intentions to pursue a position atthe organization compared to the AI screening. Results from independent samples t-testsshowed that participants rated HR professional screening significantly more positively thanAI screening on both process favorability and intentions to pursue, supporting bothhypotheses. A secondary analysis excluding participants who failed the manipulation checks(N = 183) produced similar results with larger effect sizes, strengthening the reliability of thefindings. The results are discussed in relation to algorithmic aversion and appreciation, as wellas signalling and attribution theories, alongside practical implications for the use of AI inrecruitment processes.