Home / AI for HR / AI tools for HR
AI tool for HR
AI tools for HR
AI tools for HR range from general assistants that draft documents to specialist systems that screen candidates, and the right evaluation depends almost entirely on whether the tool affects decisions about people.
This guide sets out the categories and the questions to ask, drawing on ICO and government guidance. It does not rank products, because the right choice depends on your data, your systems and your risk appetite.
Leave with a category map, a risk-tiered evaluation method and the questions to put to vendors.
ICO audits of AI recruitment tool providers made almost 300 recommendations; some tools allowed filtering by protected characteristics or inferred gender and ethnicity from names. ICO: intervention into AI recruitment tools ↗
Six questions before procuring: DPIA, lawful basis, controller/processor responsibilities, bias mitigation, transparency, limiting unnecessary processing. ICO: thinking of using AI to assist recruitment? ↗
New to the topic? Read the background on artificial intelligence.
AI tool for HR
what categories of AI tools for HR exist?
General assistants, AI inside HR systems, recruitment tools, and analytics tools.
General assistants such as Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini draft adverts, policies and communications. They are flexible but only as good as the source material you give them.
AI features inside HR information systems and applicant tracking systems work on data already held there, for example summarising records or suggesting responses.
Specialist recruitment tools source, screen or assess candidates, and analytics tools summarise survey or workforce data. These AI tools for HR carry the highest risk because they shape decisions about individuals.
Assistants for drafting.
Embedded features for in-system data.
Specialist tools for screening and analytics.
AI tool for HR
how do we tier AI tools for HR by risk?
Separate tools that help HR write from tools that influence decisions about people.
A drafting assistant used on non-personal content is low risk and can be governed with a short policy and a review step.
Anything that sorts, scores, ranks or profiles candidates or employees needs a full assessment. The ICO's audit of AI recruitment tools found tools collecting more personal data than needed and keeping it indefinitely, often without candidates knowing.
Tiering AI tools for HR this way keeps effort proportionate and stops low-risk drafting being blocked by a process designed for screening systems.
AI tool for HR
what questions should we ask vendors?
Start with the ICO's six procurement questions.
The ICO's key questions before procuring an AI recruitment tool cover a data protection impact assessment, lawful basis, controller and processor responsibilities, bias mitigation, transparency to candidates and limiting unnecessary processing.
Ask vendors for documentation on how bias has been tested and mitigated, and how you will monitor it after go-live. Assurances without evidence are not enough.
The government's Responsible AI in recruitment guide adds assurance good practice across procurement and deployment, written for non-technical buyers.
| Check | What to establish |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ask the ICO's six questions. |
| 2 | Demand bias evidence, not assurances. |
| 3 | Plan monitoring after go-live. |
AI tool for HR
how do equality and consultation affect tool choice?
A tool you cannot explain to staff or test for bias is a poor choice, whatever it costs.
The EHRC's guidance on AI and equality highlights data that can act as a proxy for protected characteristics; check whether a tool uses such data.
Acas advice on AI at work recommends consulting workers and representatives before introducing AI, and checking outputs for accuracy, tone and bias.
If a vendor cannot explain how AI tools for HR reach an output in terms you could pass on to a candidate or employee, that is a selection criterion in itself.
AI tool for HR
how do we test a shortlisted tool?
Pilot it on realistic, minimised data and compare against current outcomes.
Run any of the AI tools for HR on your shortlist in a time-limited pilot with a small group, using the minimum personal data needed, and record time saved, errors and any patterns in outputs.
For drafting tools, compare AI-assisted documents against your current ones with HR reviewers. For screening tools, any pilot should follow your DPIA and legal advice.
The CIPD's AI in the workplace hub has further resources on implementation and governance for people professionals.
Pilot small and time-limited.
Minimise data in the pilot.
Compare against current outcomes.
AI tool for HR
what happens after we choose a tool?
Write the rules, train the team and review the decision regularly.
Record the approved use cases and data rules in a short policy; our AI policy template is a starting point.
Then train the HR team on the tool using its own work. Our AI training for HR covers drafting, checking and handling people data, and the AI for HR hub covers the wider picture.
If you want help running the evaluation itself, contact Predeploy AI or see our AI governance consulting.
Write approved uses down.
Train on real HR work.
Review the decision periodically.
Make the decision concrete
What does the current task cost in time?
Choose a task connected to ai tools for hr and enter its current workload. This gives you a baseline to discuss before buying training or commissioning a build.
A baseline is useful even if you decide to keep the process manual. Measure the work that matters, then compare quality and review effort as well as time.
Assess the workflow before changing it, or plan business AI training if the gap is how people use existing tools.
Your current workload
Estimate how much time the existing task takes before discussing ai tools for hr.
16 hours per week
People × minutes × weekly tasks ÷ 60. A workload baseline from your inputs, not a prediction of AI time savings. Include review and support time when comparing a proposed workflow.
A useful AI investment leaves your team able to do the work and judge the result.
Continue with the right question
Where should you go next?
Use the overview for context, then follow the pages that match your delivery decision.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Evidence and further reading
Which sources support the guidance?
Source links support the specific background described here. The practical checklists and illustrative examples are predeploy’s guidance.
ICO audits of AI recruitment tool providers made almost 300 recommendations; some tools allowed filtering by protected characteristics or inferred gender and ethnicity from names. ICO: intervention into AI recruitment tools ↗
Six questions before procuring: DPIA, lawful basis, controller/processor responsibilities, bias mitigation, transparency, limiting unnecessary processing. ICO: thinking of using AI to assist recruitment? ↗
Published 25 March 2024; assurance good practice for procuring and deploying AI in HR and recruitment, covering sourcing, screening, interview and selection. DSIT: Responsible AI in recruitment guide ↗
September 2024 guidance helping public bodies consider equality when commissioning or using AI, including data that can act as a proxy for protected characteristics. EHRC: new guidance on AI and equality for public sector bodies ↗
Acas advises clear AI policies, consulting workers and representatives, checking outputs for accuracy, tone and bias, and care entering business-sensitive or personal information into public tools. Acas: One third of employers think AI will increase productivity ↗
CIPD hub on AI implementation, strategy and governance for people professionals. CIPD: AI in the workplace ↗
Background reading on the broader field of artificial intelligence. Wikipedia: artificial intelligence ↗
Choose your next step
Explore ai for hr
Start with a topic overview, or go directly to the question your team needs to answer.
AI for HR
Recruitment, people work and the UK rules that apply, plus HR training.
Start with the decision
More questions in this topic
