"Kandidaten i kroppen" : Professionellt omdöme och AI i rekryteringsarbete

Sammanfattning

This study explores how recruiters develop and maintain professional judgment as AI is integrated into recruitment work. Drawing on Schön's (1983) theory of the reflective practitioner, Abbott's (1988) theory of professional jurisdiction, and research on trust in human-AI interaction, the study analyses twelve semi-structured interviews with recruiters through thematic analysis and an abductive approach. The interviews suggest that AI is used in two distinct ways: to streamline administrative work, and to help recruiters orient themselves in unfamiliar professional domains. Respondents describe a shift in the character of the work, from producing material to reviewing material produced by AI, which changes how knowledge about candidates is built up. Professional judgment is described as maintained through conditional trust, active scrutiny of AI output, and a boundary where relational assessment is reserved as human work. The study also identifies several tensions: a normative asymmetry in how AI use is valued depending on who uses it, a conflict between efficiency and the time required for scrutiny, and unresolved questions about where responsibility lies between individuals and organisations. Rather than being replaced or diminished, professional judgment in this material requires active upkeep under conditions that are not always structurally supported.