In today’s world, where technology is more advanced than in the past, we have many innovations that make the process more efficient in HR and various other areas of our lives, but at the same time, we have some other controversial innovations. In such controversial innovations, Deepfake technologies are seen as a threat to the HR hiring process, especially when we talk about remote hiring for companies.
Although Deepfake technology was created for entertainment purposes, it is now used in many areas, particularly in the human resource hiring process, where it poses a serious threat. As companies have moved to remote jobs or hybrid models in the past few years, this Deepfake technology has become a real threat to the remote hiring process.
As HR professionals grapple with the integration of AI-driven tools into recruitment and many other advanced technology stacks, Deepfake technology presents both opportunities and risks for you as an HR professional, especially when you make recruitment for your company. This is why we have come up with a new topic where we will discuss how deepfakes are reshaping the hiring process, what HR teams need to be aware of, and how you, as an HR professional, can safeguard their practices in this new era.
But going further into this topic, you need to understand what deefake technology is in HR hiring.
Deepfake technology in HR
Deepfake technology in HR means the use of AI to create realistic fake videos or audio, which can be misused in the HR hiring process. For example, candidates might use Deepfakes to fake their identity or qualifications in the interview process, especially when conducting this interview remotely. This poses risks for your companies, making it crucial for your HR teams to use verification tools and enhance their screening processes to ensure the authenticity of applicants.
The Rise of Deepfake Technology: A Double-Edged Sword
Deepfake technology, powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning, has the ability to create hyper-realistic images, videos, and even voices that are hard for you to distinguish between real and fake. That means AI makes any human video in such a way that it is not easy for the ordinary person, even in HR, to find the difference or declare this video or picture fake. While this technology has been used in positive ways since it was introduced, e.g., with the purpose of bringing historical figures to life or enhancing virtual reality experiences, which many of you experience, especially those who are keen to work on developing virtual reality, e.g., the metaverse, etc. However, in the recent past, companies have faced serious concerns over its potential misuse, especially when it comes to the HR hiring process, which is our key point of discussion. Here is the question on your mind:
How does Deepfake technology affect the hiring process?
When we talk in the context of HR and the hiring process, particularly remote hiring, Deepfake can be leveraged for both creative innovation and deceptive practices. Companies could use Deepfake to create realistic interview practice sessions, offer hands-on training regarding how to attend interviews, show what a job is really like, etc. However, there’s a disadvantage: some individuals or people might misuse this technology to fake parts of the hiring process, which could cause serious ethical and security problems. Here the another question is:
How to misuse Deepfake technology to fake parts of the hiring process?
There are many unethical practices that can be used through Deepfake, e.g., to manipulate the interview process. Someone uses Deepfake to create their video to give an accurate answer to the interviewers if the interview is conducted remotely. With such technology, this person is actually not there but only uses Deepfake video to answer questions perfectly.
The Threat of Deepfake Deception in Hiring
One of the most alarming implications that we consider critical regarding Deepfake technology is its potential for deception in the HR hiring process, especially when the interview is conducted remotely. As we know, as Deepfakes become more sophisticated these days, the risk of fraudulent activity during the hiring process also increases. Here we present you some key scenarios where Deepfake could be used maliciously:
a). Make a Fake Interviews
With Deepfake, there is a possibility that any candidate could use this technology to create a fake video for an interview to present their qualifications, which this candidate actually doesn’t have. We have to understand that this is not only presenting a false impression regarding qualifications but also presenting a fake identity, which is a serious legal matter for the companies because, by hiring such candidates, you put on stake your company’s sensitive information. This does not end here. This fake interview through Deepfake will lead you to hire an unqualified individual, which will also affect your company’s overall progress.
b). Manipulation of References
Deepfake technology could be used to forge reference videos or voice messages that candidates use to get the job, making it appear as though a past employer is endorsing this specific candidate as a high-performing individual when in reality, these references are fabricated. Here is the question on your mind:
How do you manipulate references through fake technology in the real world?
Let’s understand this example: a job interview conducted remotely by your company where an applicant wants to get this job but doesn’t have references from the past. As we are aware, companies are interested in knowing the candidate’s past experience and track record. If someone creates a video through Deepfake where their previous boss makes some recommendations about this specific applicant, e.g., high-performing employees, etc., that impact the screening process, then we can call this manipulation references through Deepfake technology. Remember that this reference can be in any form, e.g., video or audio, that is fabricated.
c). Fraud in Individual Credentials
There is also a possibility to create fake videos or even presentations during the hiring process where a candidate can easily show or prove their expertise in that area, which is far from reality.
Key Note: These are the key possibilities that we discussed with you and their impact on the hiring process, especially when the hiring is remote-based. When we talk about the companies in total, this has a negative impact on the company’s legal position and reputation.
Authenticating HR practices in the Age of Deepfakes
Technology brings both opportunities and threats for us, and this fake technology is misused for such fraternal purposes, which we already explained above, but at the same time, you can use many advanced tools and take some steps at the organizational level to maintain the integrity of the hiring process, whether you are hiring on-site or remotely.
How do you secure HR processes from Deepfake technology?
There are certain strategies to discuss that help your companies protect their processes from fraudulent activity through Deepfake and maintain integrity. Let’s talk about them one by one.
a). Invest in verification tools
You should invest in advanced verification tools that can help you detect deep fakes. There are many AI-driven solutions that can fairly analyze the originality of the content, whether it’s an audio or video presentation or any other material. Such tools will bring more integrity and authenticity to the hiring process and will protect your company from any mishaps in the future.
b). Enhance Screening Protocols
You should implement multi-layered screening protocols in your company that can help you tackle these challenges and reduce the risk of deep-fake deception.
For example, you can conduct your live interview with secure and encrypted protocols that help you make cross-verification, and you can also use online biometric verification if needed.
c). Educate HR Teams
Yes, you bring some advanced tools that help you gain authenticity in the process, but this is not enough because technology itself is not enough. You need to educate your hiring team through training sessions regarding these Deepfake technologies and their misuse in the hiring process. The more your HR professionals are well-informed and well-trained, the more they can bring integrity and authenticity to the process.
d). Legal and Ethical Frameworks
Companies should establish clear policies regarding the use of AI and Deepfake technologies in recruitment. For example, you can set ethical standards for AI-driven assessments and ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations based on your country and region.
e). Promote a Culture of Transparency
The best practice that will help you tackle this is to build a culture of transparency in your hiring process. Through this, you can reduce the misuse of any deep-fake technology. E.g., you can have an open discussion during the recruitment process, set clear expectations and goals regarding jobs, and make this process more human-centric.
The Future of Hiring and Using a Fair Balance
As deep-fake technology continues to evolve over a period of time, we also accept the reality that its impact on HR hiring practices will not end completely. Companies need to be vigilant, as a matter of fact, we have new advanced technology and solutions every day.
The best practice for you as an HR professional is to find a balance between using these AI tools and ensuring your hiring processes remain honest and reliable.
To sum up, the key Note
We have to understand that the future of hiring will be shaped by our ability to adapt to these new realities. As we cannot ignore these realities, the only thing we can do is ensure that technology serves as an opportunity that brings more efficiency and intelligence to our workplaces.
To handle these challenges, we not only get benefits from technology to bring integrity and authenticity to the hiring process, especially when it comes to remote hiring, but we also work with our human resources professionals in a way that helps them understand and respond to these Deepfake technologies.
What is the bottom line for you?
The bottom line is that the impact of Deepfake technology on HR practices, particularly remote hiring, is undeniably a serious challenge, but you can overcome this challenge by using a fair balance between technology and a human-centric approach in the hiring process that helps you overcome these specific challenges, e.g., misuse of Deepfake technologies.
What do we hope from you?
We hope that this blog post helps you understand how Deepfake Technology is Changing HR Hiring Practices, Especially in Remote Hiring
If you have any questions to ask, you are welcome to leave a comment below or get in touch with us at support@workwisdoms.com
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