Gaming hiring systems

Artificial intelligence hiring systems sometimes use facial recognition to analyze character traits to determine who will be a good hire, but some firms in South Korea are offering classes in how to beat the AI system.

According to a World Economic Forum blog post on Feb. 26, “In South Korea, you can take a class in dealing with an AI hiring bot.” One bit of advice from the class: Smile with your eyes and do not force a smile with your lips.

A separate story, published on Feb. 9 by CNBC, found independent contractor drivers for Amazon Flex had begun using bots to help secure gigs on the platform. Some drivers were paying $500 for a program to help them land delivery jobs. There were other methods as well; however, a few ran afoul of Amazon’s rules.


Legislation aims at hiring technology

A bill was introduced in the California legislature during February that would add guidelines for employers using technology to assess job candidates to ensure no candidate is discriminated against.

“Hiring discrimination plays a significant role in our current inequality,” says state Sen. Lena Gonzalez, author of the bill — called SB 1241 and also known as The TECH Act. “The TECH Act will help ensure access to jobs that offer competitive wages and upward mobility for all our residents.”

The TECH Act states assessment technologies will be considered in compliance with anti-discrimination rules if:

  • They are pretested for bias before being deployed and found not likely to have an adverse impact on the basis of gender, race or ethnicity.
  • Outcomes are reviewed annually and show no adverse impact or an improvement of hiring among underrepresented groups.
  • Their use is discontinued if a post-deployment review indicates adverse impact.

Big six issues driving HR tech decisions

PwC Research listed its big six issues driving HR technology decisions in its HR Technology Survey 2020 based on responses from 600 HR and IT leaders from around the world.

Those six issues driving HR tech decisions include, according to the survey:

  • 58% cited finding, attracting and retaining talent
  • 43% said developing people to reach their full potential
  • 42% cited improving the employee experience
  • 40% cited creating collaborative work Environments
  • 38% cited workforce planning
  • 34% cited ensuring well-being diversity and inclusivity

PwC noted the HR tech space is now a $148 billion market and that 74% of companies planned to increase spending on HR tech in 2020. And that is above the $310 per employee per year they already spend.


IRS posts website to help on-demand workers

The IRS in January announced its “Gig Economy Tax Center” on its IRS.gov website to help human cloud workers and on-demand platforms with taxes.

“Whether renting out a spare bedroom or providing car rides, we want people to understand the rules so they can stay compliant with their taxes and avoid surprises down the line,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said at the time.

Many gig economy, or human cloud, workers don’t receive W-2 forms, 1099 forms, or other information returns for their work, but income from sources such as ride-share driving is generally taxable, according to the IRS. This is true even if the work is full-time, part-time or the person is paid in cash.

“Workers may also be required to make quarterly estimated income tax payments, pay their share of Federal Insurance Contribution, Medicare and additional Medicare taxes if they are employees and pay self-employment taxes if they are not considered to be employees,” according to the IRS.