Adoption and Role of Artificial Intelligence in Recruitment and Selection: Analytical Study in Pakistan

Abstract

Artificial intelligence and digitalization are changing human resource management practices globally, including hiring, performance management, and employee development. The effectiveness, impartiality, and strategic potential of artificial intelligence-enabled human resource systems are highlighted in the literature, but little qualitative research examines how human resource professionals strike a balance between automation and human judgment, especially in developing nations like Pakistan. In order to investigate how digitalization and artificial intelligence are applied in human resource practices across two industries, the manufacturing sector and the IT sector, this study uses a qualitative, interpretive research methodology. Five human resource professionals participated in semi-structured interviews to gather data, which was then subjected to thematic analysis. Three main themes emerge from the findings: artificial intelligence-driven employee development and performance management, artificial intelligence-enhanced talent strategies from hiring to decision-making, and ethical issues. Three main themes emerge from the findings: AI-driven employee development and performance management, artificial intelligence-augmented talent strategies from recruitment to decision-making, and ethical issues and data security in digital human resources. The findings demonstrate that human oversight remains essential for ensuring justice, cultural fit, ethical integrity, and trust, despite the significant improvements in efficiency, transparency, and data-driven decision-making brought about by artificial intelligence and digital tools. By offering sector-specific, qualitative insights into how Pakistani organizations balance technological efficiency with human responsibility in human resource practices.