AI in Recruitment and HR Operations: Screening, Shortlisting and Saudi PDPL Limits – London, 1–5 Mar 2027

Programme overview

Technical depth: Practitioner · Practical mode: Case study

Introduction

AI tools now rank CVs, draft shortlists and schedule interviews in many HR teams in Saudi Arabia, often before anyone has decided what the tool may decide alone. Unchecked screening models can exclude qualified candidates, reproduce past bias and process candidate data beyond what the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) allows. This Core Concept course equips recruitment and HR operations managers to apply the PDPL, SDAIA AI Ethics Principles and international AI risk standards to hiring, design defensible screening and human review, and test outputs for adverse impact. Participants leave with an AI Recruitment Governance Pack for their organisation.

Course Objectives

• Map where AI enters the recruitment lifecycle and classify each use case by risk tier
• Apply SDAIA AI Ethics Principles and international AI management, risk and impact assessment standards to recruitment tools
• Design screening criteria, scoring rubrics and human review steps that keep shortlisting decisions defensible
• Test AI screening outputs for adverse impact and bias against Saudi Labour Law non-discrimination provisions, and correct the causes
• Set PDPL limits on candidate data collection, retention, transfer outside the Kingdom and vendor processing
• Produce an AI Recruitment Governance Pack ready for approval by HR leadership

Target Audience

• Talent acquisition managers responsible for screening and shortlisting processes
• HR operations managers introducing automation into HR services
• HR technology and HRIS managers selecting or configuring AI-enabled systems
• Data protection officers and compliance managers advising HR on candidate data under the PDPL
• HR business partners accountable for fair and consistent hiring decisions

Course Outline

Day 1: AI Across the Recruitment Lifecycle

• Recruitment Process Map with AI Touchpoints: Sourcing, Screening, Assessment and Scheduling
• AI Technique Types in HR: Rules Engines, Machine Learning and Large Language Models
• AI Use-Case Register and Risk-Tiering Template
• HR Data Readiness Assessment for AI Screening
• SDAIA AI Ethics Principles and OECD AI Principles Applied to Hiring Decisions

Day 2: Standards and Frameworks for Trustworthy HR AI

• ISO/IEC 42001:2023 AI Management System Requirements for HR Use
• ISO/IEC 23894:2023 AI Risk Management Guidance
• NIST AI Risk Management Framework: Govern, Map, Measure and Manage
• ISO/IEC 42005:2025 AI System Impact Assessment Process
• ISO 10667-2:2020 Assessment Provider Obligations Applied to AI Tools

Day 3: Applying AI to Screening and Shortlisting

• Job Analysis and Structured Screening Criteria as AI Inputs
• Prompt Design Patterns for CV Screening with Large Language Models
• Weighted Scoring Rubric and Shortlist Calibration Session
• Human-in-the-Loop Review Procedure and Override Log
• Candidate Privacy Notice Under the PDPL and Decision Explanation Template

Day 4: Bias, PDPL Limits and Vendor Risk

• Adverse Impact Analysis with the Four-Fifths Rule Against Saudi Labour Law Non-Discrimination Provisions
• ISO/IEC TR 24027:2021 Bias Sources and Mitigation in AI Systems
• PDPL Principles for Candidate Data: Legal Basis, Minimisation, Retention and Transfers Outside the Kingdom
• PDPL Breach Notification to SDAIA Within 72 Hours and Privacy Impact Assessment Using ISO/IEC 27701:2025
• AI Vendor Due Diligence Questionnaire and PDPL Processor Contract Clauses

Day 5: Case Work and the Governance Pack

• High-Volume Retail Hiring Case: Screening Model Bias Review
• Graduate Programme Case: Large Language Model Shortlisting Error Investigation
• AI Screening Impact Assessment for an Own Recruitment Process
• AI Recruitment Governance Pack Drafting
• Peer Challenge Panel and Governance Pack Defence

Skills You Will Gain

• AI Use-Case Risk Tiering
• Screening Criteria Design
• Prompt Engineering for HR
• Adverse Impact Testing
• Algorithmic Bias Review
• PDPL Privacy Impact Assessment
• AI Vendor Due Diligence
• Responsible AI Governance

Why Attend This Course

• Return to work with an AI Recruitment Governance Pack that sets clear PDPL and fairness limits on how AI screening is used
• Question AI vendors confidently about training data, bias testing, data residency and PDPL handling before contracts are signed
• Recognise when an AI shortlist should be overridden and record the reason in a defensible way
• Compare AI hiring practices with recruitment and HR managers from other sectors and organisations

Conclusion

AI can shorten hiring cycles and widen candidate pools, but only when its role is defined, its outputs are tested and people remain accountable for the decisions. The course moves from mapping AI across the recruitment lifecycle, through SDAIA AI Ethics Principles and the international standards for AI management, risk and impact assessment, to screening design, bias testing and candidate data protection under Saudi Arabia's PDPL. The final day turns this into an AI Recruitment Governance Pack that participants take back to HR leadership for approval.