A new survey finds that more than nine in ten (95%) organizations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) are comfortable with their background screening provider using AI and automation to conduct investigations or produce background screening reports.
According to HireRight’s 2024 Global Benchmark Report, conducted among 1,250 HR, risk and talent acquisition professionals, only 5% of EMEA respondents said they would prefer their screening provider not to leverage AI and automation.
In contrast, a quarter (25%) of respondents in North America and a fifth (19%) of respondents in Asia Pacific (APAC) said they would prefer their screening provider not to use AI or automation, highlighting that EMEA companies are the most open to embracing new technology in this way.
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When asked why they would incorporate AI into their processes, 83% of EMEA respondents said they would be comfortable with AI or automation being used to reduce the risk of human error, and 79% would be happy with AI helping to speed up the screening process.
Additionally, improved candidate experience (64%) and cost savings (48%) were the top benefits cited by EMEA respondents from using AI in the selection process.
Steve Nichols, managing director of Executive Connections, said the rise of AI in background checks brings efficiency gains, but stressed the importance of responsible use.
“Companies should prioritize transparency in their AI models and allow humans to review flagged results to mitigate potential bias and ensure fair hiring practices,” he told People Management magazine. “This approach protects both companies and candidates.”
The survey also stated that employment and education verification were the most common areas where employers in EMEA and APAC reported finding candidate discrepancies during background checks.
In North America, a previously undisclosed criminal conviction was cited as the most common type of candidate discrepancy, with two-fifths of respondents saying this was one of the most common areas of discrepancy – more than double the proportion of respondents in APAC (18%) and EMEA (17%) who said the same.
Recruitment
The HireRight report also revealed that more than half (53%) of EMEA respondents said they continued their hiring activities as planned last year and see little prospect of improving on previous results, with 23% reporting they have hired additional staff to meet increasing business demands in 2023.
Additionally, the survey found that North American respondents are most likely to employ remote workers in cities and towns where they do not have an office, with almost half (46%) saying they will do so in 2023. However, this behavior is less common among EMEA respondents, accounting for just three in ten (30%).
The Global Benchmark survey also highlighted the recruiting hurdles that businesses faced last year: in EMEA, a third (33%) of respondents said they would freeze hiring in 2023, compared to 15% in North America and just 4% in APAC.
The report also found that staffing shortages in HR and recruitment teams continue to be an issue globally, with a fifth (20%) of respondents reporting having to manage smaller teams.
Check out the CIPD's resources on the use and impact of AI in the workplace
