The effect of business ethics on the recruitment process: The role of artificial intelligence applications, Başkent University

This study has been conducted to reveal the role of the effect of business ethics on recruitment and examined the role of artificial intelligence applications (AIA) in this effect. The research has been used with quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques within the framework of mixed method. The quantitative part of the study has been used by gathering data from 476 people who work in different sectors with the survey method and the qualitative part by gathering data from 23 people who work in HR experts using the semi-structured interview technique. According to the results obtained from the quantitative data of the study, there is a significant relationship between recruitment and work ethics but there is no significant relationship between business ethics and artificial intelligence applications. Also, there is no significant relationship between artificial intelligence applications and recruitment. Another result of the research suggests that AIA does not have a mediating role in the effect of business ethics on recruitment. The results obtained from the qualitative data of the study indicate that artificial intelligence applications are mostly used in the pre-selection/filtering stages to create and select qualified candidates from the pool in the recruitment process. Besides, it is shown that the use of AIA primarily provides time savings and the most important drawback of using AIA is the matching error. According to the results obtained within the scope of the relationship between business ethics and the AIA adopted during recruitment process, it has been detected that most of the participants find the AIA adopted during recruitment process to be unbiased, transparent, fair yet unsafe. Evaluating the results of the study, it can be concluded that business ethics has a great importance and carrying out recruitment within the framework of ethical behaviors can help businesses achieve qualified employees they have targeted. Although the AIA adopted during recruitment process aim at eliminating the prejudice, the results of the research suggest that HR specialists and managers still have concerns about it. Within this framework, AIA are considered to be a rapid tool which enables saving of time and eases the recruitment process yet fails to be suffice to make final decisions. Besides, the research results suggest that HR specialists must play an active role in the recruitment process instead of AIA. The results demonstrate that AIA is still in a preliminary stage and needs further development for usage in recruitment process.