The impact of technology acceptance and personality traits on the willingness to use AI-assisted hiring practices

This study aims to investigate some individual factors that may positively/negatively impact upon the willingness to use AI-assisted hiring procedures (AI-WtU). Specifically, the authors contribute to the ongoing discussion by testing the specific role of individuals’ personality traits and their attitude toward technology acceptance. Design/methodology/approach– Data have been collected from a cohort of workers (n = 157) to explore their individual level of AI-WtU, their personality traits and level of technology acceptance, along with a series of control variables including age, gender, education, employment status, knowledge and previous experience of AI-assisted hiring. Findings– The results obtained show the significant role played by a specific personality traitconscientiousness– and technology acceptance in shaping the level of AI-WtU. Importantly, technology acceptance also mediates the relationship between AI-WtU and conscientiousness, thus suggesting that conscientious people may be more willing to engage in AI-assisted practices, as they see technologies as means of improving reliability and efficiency. Further, the study also shows that previous experience with AIassisted hiring in the role of job applicants has a negative effect on AI-WtU, suggesting a prevailing negative experience with such tools, and the consequent urge for their improvement. Originality/value– This study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, is the first to test the potential role of personality traits in shaping employees AI-WtU and to provide a comprehensive understanding of the issue by additionally testing the joint effect of technology acceptance, age, gender, education, employment status and knowledge andpreviousexperienceofAI-assisted hiring in shaping individual AI-WtU.