What can AI do for HR and recruitment?
In HR and recruitment, AI takes over the recurring writing and answering work: job ads, messages to candidates, onboarding and employee questions about policies. Decisions about people stay with a person.
There are two ways to do this. You use an AI assistant such as ChatGPT or Claude yourself for copy and summaries. Or you have an AI agent set up: a digital worker that knows your staff handbook and answers employee questions on its own. What that is exactly is explained in what is an AI agent.
Which HR tasks does AI take over?
AI takes over five kinds of tasks: job ads, communication with candidates, onboarding, employee questions and leave administration.
| Task | What the AI does | Which data is needed | Where a person reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job ads | Writes a draft per channel | Job requirements and your own example texts | Accuracy and inclusive wording |
| Candidate communication | Sends confirmations of receipt and schedules interviews | Your calendar and the status per candidate | Rejections and substantive questions |
| Onboarding | Answers practical questions from new colleagues | Your staff handbook and onboarding plan | Personal situations |
| Employee questions | Explains policies and points to the right document | Your handbook, your collective agreement and your procedures | Questions about an individual file |
| Leave administration | Prepares requests for approval | Leave balance and the schedule | The approval |
Writing job ads
You enter the job requirements and AI writes a job ad, a shorter version for social media and a version for job boards. Include earlier texts as examples, so the tone matches your organisation. What is a prompt shows how to build such an instruction.
Read the text for requirements that unintentionally exclude candidates, such as an age indication or a language requirement the job does not need.
Communication with candidates
An AI agent sends a confirmation of receipt, proposes interview moments based on your calendar and keeps candidates informed about the next step. A recruiter writes or reviews a rejection and its explanation.
Onboarding new employees
A new colleague has many practical questions in the first weeks. Where is the expense form? How do I request leave? Who arranges my laptop? An AI agent answers those questions based on your staff handbook and your onboarding plan and points to the right contact person.
Answering employee questions
Through the internal chat channel your team already uses, the agent answers questions about the procedure for requesting leave, the expense policy, the working-from-home policy and the sick leave protocol. The agent always refers to the source document.
Questions about an individual file, such as a sick leave process or a labour dispute, go to an HR staff member. Health data is special category personal data and does not belong in an AI tool.
Preparing leave administration
The agent takes a leave request, checks the balance and the schedule and prepares the request for the manager. The approval stays with the manager.
Can you use AI to screen CVs?
AI that analyses or filters applications or evaluates candidates is listed in Annex III of the EU AI Act as a high-risk use. Under employment, the annex names AI systems for recruitment and selection, in particular for placing targeted job advertisements, analysing and filtering applications and evaluating candidates.
The rules for high-risk AI from Annex III apply from 2 December 2027. The original date was 2 August 2026. An amendment that entered into force on 27 July 2026 moved the date.
For organisations that use such a system, the law asks among other things that you use the system according to the provider's instructions for use, organise human oversight and report incidents. Since 2 February 2025 the AI Act also prohibits AI that infers people's emotions in the workplace, with an exception for medical and safety reasons. The full explanation is in EU AI Act explained.
A lower-risk way of working: have AI make a summary per CV along criteria you set in advance, and have the recruiter assess every candidate personally. Whether a use falls under Annex III depends on what the system does. Put that question to a lawyer before you start using a system. This article is general information and no legal advice.
What does the GDPR ask for applicant data?
The GDPR already applies to all processing of applicant data, with or without AI. Three points matter directly for HR.
Automated decisions. Article 22 of the GDPR gives people the right not to be subject to a decision that is based solely on automated processing and that has legal effects for them or affects them to a similar degree. A rejection without human assessment touches on that article.
Retention period. According to the Dutch Data Protection Authority it is customary to delete applicant data no later than 4 weeks after the end of the procedure. With the applicant's consent you may keep it longer, up to a maximum of 1 year.
Data processing agreement. If an AI provider processes applicant data for you, you sign a data processing agreement. The Dutch Data Protection Authority received reports of data breaches caused by employees entering personal data into AI assistants.
The steps are in using AI in a GDPR-proof way.
What can you do yourself today with ChatGPT or Claude?
With a ChatGPT or Claude subscription you can do four tasks faster yourself today, without integrations and without personal data:
- Draft job ads and rewrite them per channel
- Draft interview questions for a job profile
- Work out an onboarding plan for the first weeks
- Rewrite policy texts into plain language for employees
Do not enter CVs or personnel files into an account for which you have no data processing agreement.
Frequently asked questions
Can you use AI to screen CVs? AI for analysing and filtering applications is listed as a high-risk use in Annex III of the EU AI Act. Those rules apply from 2 December 2027. The GDPR already applies, including Article 22 on automated decisions.
Does AI in recruitment fall under the EU AI Act? Yes, if the system is used for recruitment or selection, such as filtering applications or evaluating candidates. Annex III of the AI Act lists those uses as high risk.
How long may you keep applicant data? According to the Dutch Data Protection Authority it is customary to delete the data no later than 4 weeks after the end of the application procedure. With the applicant's consent that may be longer, up to a maximum of 1 year.
Does AI replace the recruiter? No. AI writes drafts, schedules interviews and answers practical questions. The conversation with the candidate and the decision to hire or reject stay with a person.
What does AI cost for an HR department? A 1-on-1 AI training costs from €449 excl. VAT. The implementation of an AI agent starts from €1,495 one-time, on invoice (as of October 2026). Read more about what an AI agent costs.
Using AI in your HR department?
Want to become AI-proficient yourself first? You can with a 1-on-1 AI training. Curious what a digital worker can take over for your HR team? Read what an AI agent costs or schedule a no-obligation call.
