APSC releases Principles and guidance on the use of AI in APS recruitment

In April, the Australian Public Service Commission (Commission) released guidance on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in APS recruitment, setting clear expectations for how APS agencies and candidates engage with the technology throughout the application and hiring process.

Principles for APS agencies

The Principles for agency use of AI in Recruitment (agency principles) outline the ethical, responsible and transparent use of AI by APS agencies throughout recruitment processes. The guidance recognises the potential for AI tools to streamline relevant processes and reduce time and cost, while emphasising that decisions need to be made with human oversight to uphold merit-based recruitment.

Key themes include:

• human accountability – agencies remain responsible for all recruitment decisions and cannot delegate decision-making responsibility to AI
• merit and fairness – AI use must support, not undermine, merit-based selection and equal opportunity
• transparency – agencies should be open about when and how AI is used in recruitment processes
• privacy and security – candidate information must be handled consistently with privacy obligations
• risk management – agencies should identify and mitigate risks such as bias, discrimination and inaccurate outputs.

Agencies are expected to have already implemented these principles.

Principles for candidates

The Principles for candidate use of AI in recruitment are directed at job applicants and explain how AI may be appropriate used when applying for APS roles.

Given the growing use of AI tools to draft applications, prepare resumes and practise interviews, the principles set expectations for candidates, including examples of what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate use of the technology.

Key expectations for candidates are:

• honesty and authenticity – applications must genuinely reflect the candidate's own skills, experience and achievements
• transparency – candidates should disclose AI use if requested by the agency
• personal responsibility – candidates remain responsible for the accuracy of information submitted
• fairness – AI should not be used in a way that provides an unfair advantage or misrepresents capability
• support rather than substitution – AI can assist candidates, but should not replace their own knowledge, judgement or experience.

Managing candidate use of AI in APS recruitment

APS agencies can refer to the Guide for managing candidate use of AI in Recruitment when handling applications. The guide provides practical tips to assist agencies to manage candidate use of the technology while maintaining fair, effective and merit-based recruitment processes, and complements the agency principles for APS recruiters and hiring managers.

The guide:

• explains how candidates are most likely to use AI, including resume writing, written applications, interview preparation and online assessments
• identifies risks associated with AI-generated applications, including authenticity concerns and difficulties assessing genuine capability
• provides practical strategies for recruitment design, assessment methods and interview techniques that help verify a candidate's own knowledge and experience
• encourages agencies to communicate clear expectations to candidates about acceptable AI use and, where inappropriate AI use is detected, to respond in a way that is proportionate and documented
• supports consistent approaches across the APS.

How this guidance fits within the government’s AI strategy

Read together, the three documents reflect a common position that AI is permitted and can provide legitimate benefits as part of recruitment processes, but it must not replace human judgement and oversight, compromise merit-based recruitment, or reduce accountability.

The guidance has been developed in the context of the federal government signalling that AI will play an increasingly important role in public administration and economic development. Through initiatives such as the AI Plan for the Australian Public Service and Policy for the responsible use of AI in government, the government has highlighted opportunities to improve productivity, decision-making and service delivery, while maintaining safeguards around transparency, accountability and human oversight.

The Commission’s guidance reflects the government’s broader commitment to responsible, transparent and human-centred adoption of AI across the public sector.

Risks of inadequate AI governance in recruitment

APS agencies should be mindful of the risks associated with failure to implement appropriate AI governance and oversight in recruitment, including the potential for:

• review of recruitment decisions by the Merit Protection Commissioner
• discrimination complaints arising out of any bias within the AI system. While there have not yet been any reported cases in Australia, there are cases on foot in the US
• general protections claims (not involving dismissal) of a prospective employee
• privacy implications.

If you have any questions regarding the use of AI in the APS recruitment process, please contact us here.

Disclaimer
The information in this article is of a general nature and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although we endeavour to provide accurate and timely information, we do not guarantee that the information in this article is accurate at the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future.

Published by:

Natasha Jones

Grace Sinclair

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