AI recruiting policy template: how your agency uses AI in hiring
The short answer
An AI recruiting policy sets out where your agency uses AI in hiring, what it never decides on its own, how candidates are told, how their data is handled and who reviews the policy. Keep it short and specific: list the tasks AI supports, such as matching applications to agreed criteria or scoring structured interview answers, state that a recruiter reviews the evidence and makes every recommendation, and agree the policy with each client before you use AI on their roles.
The full policy as an editable Markdown document, with every section below and a review record to fill in. Free to download and adapt; no sign-up needed.
When to use this template
Write the policy before you use AI on live roles, and share it with clients when you agree a new brief. Clients increasingly ask agencies how AI is used on their candidates, and some must answer to their own regulators. A short, plain policy answers that question once.
The template is a starting point, not legal advice. Laws on AI in hiring differ by country and, in the US, by state and city. Review the policy with a qualified adviser for every jurisdiction where your agency, your clients and your candidates are.
What the policy covers
The sections of the template, with the starting wording and what to adapt.
1.Purpose
States that the agency uses documented technology to support parts of candidate screening and interview review, and that human recruiters remain responsible for candidate recommendations and hiring decisions.
2.Where AI may be used
Lists the tasks: reading application materials against role criteria agreed with the client, preparing a resume match score with visible supporting evidence, running consistent structured asynchronous interview questions, and preparing answer-level evidence and scores for recruiter review. Delete any you do not use and add any you do.
3.Human review
Commits that no candidate is recommended to or rejected for a client solely because of an automated score: a recruiter reviews the evidence, handles exceptions and decides what is shared.
4.Candidate notice and consent
Candidates receive notice about recorded interviews and data processing before taking part, and the agency records consent where the law requires it.
5.Data handling
The agency documents which systems receive candidate data, who can access it, how it is protected, and how long it is kept before deletion.
6.Fairness and monitoring
The agency uses consistent role criteria and structured questions, reviews output for errors, and gives candidates and recruiters a route to raise concerns.
7.Client responsibilities
The client confirms the role criteria, names any prohibited or sensitive criteria, reviews the proposed process and keeps final hiring responsibility with authorized people.
8.Review record
The policy owner, the jurisdictions and systems covered, and the dates of the last and next review.
How to use the ai recruiting policy template
- 01
Step 01
List what you actually use
Write down every tool that uses AI on candidates, and what it does. Remove anything from the template you do not do. - 02
Step 02
Name the human decision points
Say exactly where a recruiter reviews AI output and decides, for example before any candidate is rejected or shared with a client. - 03
Step 03
Check the laws that apply
Map where your agency, clients and candidates are, and check the rules for each with a qualified adviser. - 04
Step 04
Agree it with each client
Share the policy at kickoff, record any criteria the client says must not be used, and confirm who makes the final decision. - 05
Step 05
Review it on a schedule
Set an owner and a review date, and review the policy whenever you add a tool or start working in a new country.
What to leave out of the policy
- Promises you cannot keep, such as “our AI is bias-free”. Describe the controls you actually run.
- Vague wording such as “AI may be used throughout the process”. Name the tasks.
- Fully automated rejections. Keep a recruiter between any automated score and a decision about a candidate.
- Legal conclusions. The template is not legal advice; have it reviewed for each jurisdiction.
New York City: Local Law 144
Employers and agencies using an automated employment decision tool for candidates in New York City must have a bias audit done within a year before use, publish a summary of the results and notify candidates.
NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection: automated employment decision toolsIllinois: AI Video Interview Act
Before AI analyzes a video interview of an applicant for a role based in Illinois, the employer must tell the applicant, explain how the AI works and what it evaluates, and get their consent.
Illinois Artificial Intelligence Video Interview Act (820 ILCS 42)European Union: AI Act
The EU AI Act classes AI systems used to recruit or select people, including to filter applications and evaluate candidates, as high-risk, with obligations on both the providers and the organizations that deploy them.
EU AI Act, Annex IIIHow Beatview fits this policy
Beatview shows the evidence behind every resume match score and every interview answer score, so a recruiter can review it before deciding, and candidates take structured interviews with the same questions and time limits. Recruiters make every decision. AI interviews are on the Pro plan; the Free plan screens resumes for one active job.
AI recruiting policy: frequently asked questions
Still deciding?
Bring a live vacancy and we’ll walk through where automation ends and recruiter review begins.
Where AI is used in hiring, what it never decides on its own, how candidates are told and when consent is recorded, how candidate data is handled, how output is checked for errors and fairness, what the client is responsible for, and who reviews the policy and when.
Agencies are not always legally required to have one, but clients increasingly ask how AI is used on their candidates, and some laws, such as New York City’s Local Law 144, require bias audits and notices for certain tools. A written policy answers clients consistently and shows what controls you run.
Increasingly, yes. New York City’s Local Law 144 requires bias audits and candidate notices for automated employment decision tools, Illinois requires notice and consent before AI analyzes video interviews, and the EU AI Act classes AI used in recruitment as high-risk. Data protection law also applies. Check the rules for each place you hire.
This policy template says no: a recruiter reviews the evidence before any candidate is rejected or recommended. UK and EU data protection law also gives people rights around decisions made solely by automated means that significantly affect them.
Get the ai recruiting policy template
The full policy as an editable Markdown document, with every section below and a review record to fill in.
Opens in any text editor, or paste it into Word or Google Docs. Version 1 October 2026.
Sources: NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection: automated employment decision tools; Illinois Artificial Intelligence Video Interview Act (820 ILCS 42); EU AI Act, Annex III. This template is general guidance, not legal advice.