Responsible AI

Responsible AI

Creating a more efficient and AI-enabled employment marketplace - augmenting the human element of recruitment.

The role of AI at SEEK

Since SEEK was founded in 1997, we have been using technology to deliver on our purpose to help people live more fulfilling and productive working lives and help organisations succeed.  

Artificial intelligence (AI) sits at the heart of this—helping candidates find the right roles, while helping employers connect with the right people. It’s built to enhance the human side of recruitment, not replace it.

As one of the most established AI teams across Asia Pacific, SEEK’s AI division includes hundreds of AI professionals who manage dozens of services, which in turn leverage billions of data points across the SEEK platform.  

Our AI models are designed to continuously learn from all searches, applications, career movements, and skill matches, enabling smarter suggestions for both job seekers and employers.  

This allows job seekers to discover roles that better match their experience and aspirations, while helping employers identify candidates that meet their requirements. The result is a more efficient hiring process and more informed decisions on both sides of the market. 

How AI improves outcomes for Candidates and Hirers

SEEK’s AI services have improved outcomes for candidates and hirers in Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia. For example: 

  • Smarter search: SEEK’s AI-driven search engine significantly improves job search relevance by learning from user preferences and adapting to trends.  

  • Real-time recommendations: AI notifies job seekers about job opportunities that match their profiles, even when they’re not actively searching.  

  • GenAI-powered tools: By leveraging advanced AI models, SEEK provides job seekers with tools that highlight key qualifications and skills based on job descriptions. 

What responsible AI means to SEEK

We believe AI has the potential to revolutionise the employment market, helping to reduce bias and discrimination, fostering inclusion, and enabling a more transparent and efficient hiring experience. 

To SEEK, Responsible AI (RAI) means delivering these benefits while upholding privacy, safety, meeting regulatory and community expectations, and giving individuals greater control over their data. This commitment is central to our purpose. 

Our RAI approach ensures the professional, sustainable, and ethical use of AI in recruitment–for individuals, organisations, and society. It guides how we design and deploy AI to support skills-based hiring, optimise application handling, increase opportunity visibility, and strengthen trust, fairness, and transparency across the hiring process. 

SEEK’s RAI principles

AI has the power to transform our platform—but doing so responsibly requires careful risk management. That’s why, since 2019, SEEK has applied a set of core principles to guide all aspects of our AI innovation. These principles are regularly updated and aligned with international standards, including Australia’s AI Ethics Principles and the OECD AI Principles. Today, our RAI approach is grounded in the following principles: 

  1. Beneficial: Deliver significant net value to both hirers and candidates. 

  2. Fair: Do not add or entrench unfair bias and minimise the use of potential bias signals.

  3. Transparent: Provide users with reasonable awareness of the overall purpose of and scope of AI services.

  4. Defendable: Meet and exceed social expectations of how AI systems are designed, build and deployed. 

  5. Reliable: Consistently maintain AI service to uphold standards of delivery.

  6. Compliant: Comply with all regulation, SEEK’s values and security guidelines.
 

How SEEK puts RAI into practice

SEEK integrates RAI through a governance approach that ensures responsible practices are applied at every stage of AI development, as illustrated in the diagram below. This framework actively engages all relevant stakeholders across SEEK – from our AI developers to our Executive Leadership Team. It provides continuous oversight to ensure AI services on SEEK are assessed and improved regularly, especially as data and algorithms evolve. We overlay these internal processes with independent third-party reviews to validate and enhance our approach.

How SEEK measures and controls the impact of AI

SEEK’s RAI approach outlines actions and measurable impact across the following key areas: 

  • Fair and inclusive hiring: Bias detection tools and fairness audits are designed to help evaluate candidates based on their capabilities.  

  • Transparent processes: SEEK’s internal AI Transparency framework, guidelines and specifications guide our approach to communicating with users about our AI-powered products and services. These frameworks help us develop external resources, including help articles, that are designed to provide clear, meaningful and contextualised information about how our AI works and its purpose.  

  • Your data, your control: SEEK prioritises privacy, offering tools to manage preferences and implementing strong security measures designed to protect data from unauthorised access or misuse. 

  • Accountability through governance: Complementary governance structures clarify the accountability of all stakeholders.

  • Data quality and coverage: Quality and trustworthiness of data are prioritised, ensuring it is representative and inclusive. This commitment helps us train our models on controlled data and is designed to reduce the risk of bias often found in other models.   

  • Human-centered decision making: Services are designed to support human decision-making by hirers and candidates. Our services do not make any final decisions to shortlist, interview or hire a candidate – this is all the responsibility of the hirers. We work to ensure that all job seekers are always able to see and apply to all jobs, and that all job applications are accessible to hirers. 

Continuous investment in responsible AI

SEEK continues to invest in and refine its RAI approach to create trustworthy, reliable, and impactful systems. 

A framework informed by international and Australian standards 

SEEK’s RAI Framework governance approach is informed by leading international standards and frameworks: Australia’s AI Ethics Principles; Australia’s Voluntary Standards for Safe AI; Singapore’s Model AI Governance Framework; ISO 42001 (International); OECD AI Ethics (International); and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework (USA). 

Collaboration and expertise 

SEEK’s leadership in RAI is strengthened through strategic collaboration with industry experts and thought leaders. This includes partnerships with the Gradient Institute and CSIRO/Data61’s Diversity & Inclusion team. Independent assessments validate SEEK’s RAI framework.  

Empowered as a business 

SEEK’s RAI approach isn’t confined to technical development—it’s embedded across the organisation through education, empowerment, and accountability. This includes role-specific RAI training from team leaders to AI developers, a dedicated RAI team overseeing the impact and ethical design, development, and deployment of AI systems, and inclusive decision-making at every stage of our approach. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

  • What types of data are collected and processed by SEEK’s AI products?  SEEK collects various types of personal information as outlined in our Privacy Policy, including account-related information, contact details, and data related to job advertisements and candidate applications.  User data is processed by AI systems to improve job matching and hiring outcomes, enhance user experience, and provide our products and services as described in our Privacy Policy.  Depending on the specific use case, data may be anonymised or aggregated. For core functions such as connecting suitable candidates to jobs and the nominated employer contacts managing those jobs, data processing typically requires identifiable information to be effective.

  • How does SEEK ensure compliance with data governance regulations?  SEEK works to maintain compliance with data governance regulations through a comprehensive data governance framework that includes procedures for the collection, storage, use, and protection of user data, with jurisdiction-specific measures to address requirements in the markets where SEEK operates. Our Privacy Policy serves as a key transparency tool that informs users about how we collect, use and disclose their personal information and outlines the privacy rights available to them under applicable laws. We regularly review our practices and policies to adapt to evolving regulatory requirements and maintain appropriate data protection standards.

  • What is SEEK doing to protect user data?  SEEK is committed to protecting the security of your personal information. As part of this commitment, our dedicated security team regularly tests for data vulnerabilities and monitors the SEEK platform for evidence of suspicious job ads and advertisers, taking appropriate action to address any issues identified. We implement various technical and administrative measures designed to protect user data from unauthorised access, misuse, and disclosure.

  • How does SEEK handle data breaches or security incidents related to AI processing?  SEEK has a Privacy Breach Response Plan and a Security Incident Response Plan to ensure we are well-planned and resourced to cover any threats/incidents/scope and use them as a reference when an incident is triggered. When a security alert is triggered, our 24/7 security operations will provide support on operation, network engineering, and security coverage regarding the incident. Incidents are centrally managed by the Incident Management team, which manages all aspects of the incident lifecycle, including reporting to leadership, containment, eradication, external communications, and lessons learned, ensuring the incident is addressed orderly. The Privacy Breach Response Plan includes unique, specific, applicable data breach notification requirements, including the timing of notification following the country's applicable law.

  • Does SEEK conduct regular security audits of your AI systems?  Yes, we perform regular audits and vulnerability assessments as part of our commitment to maintaining appropriate security standards for our AI systems and broader platform infrastructure.

  • What steps does SEEK take to ensure its AI products deliver reliable results?  We implement rigorous testing, continuous monitoring, and regular updates to ensure AI systems perform accurately and consistently. We also integrate user feedback to refine AI systems, ensuring they meet user needs. Our AI products are developed with reference to relevant industry standards and best practices, and we work to maintain appropriate quality and reliability standards through ongoing evaluation and improvement.

  • How do SEEK AI products improve the hiring process for candidates and employers?  SEEK’s AI products transform the hiring process by helping to reduce friction in the job market, making key factors like skills and qualifications more identifiable, and enhancing transparency for both candidates and employers. Our products aim to boost the discoverability of job opportunities through personalised experience, helping candidates find roles suited to their aspirations while assisting employers in connecting with the right talent. By promoting fairness, reducing bias, and fostering trust, SEEK’s AI creates a streamlined, transparent, and more rewarding recruitment experience for all.

  • How does SEEK identify and mitigate biases within its AI systems?  SEEK uses specialised tools to identify and help address potential biases in AI systems. Development teams conduct assessments and measurements to detect potential biases, while the Responsible AI team oversees the process, working to make bias-related risks are observable and controllable. If critical issues are identified, risks are prioritised and escalated based on their severity. In addition, external audits have been conducted as part of our commitment to trust and accountability.

  • Does SEEK conduct regular fairness audits of its AI systems?  Yes, we adopt a proportionate methodology informed by international standards that combines qualitative and quantitative analyses appropriate for each use case. We have developed an internal RAI Assessment Tool that allows SEEK to derive and monitor domain-specific fairness metrics for the employment sector. Furthermore, fairness audits are integral to our RAI governance, designed to promote equity in outcomes and support alignment with our principles during system updates and reviews.

  • What steps has SEEK taken to ensure job matching and candidate screening features are fair?  Our Responsible AI Framework includes RAI checkpoints at key stages of the AI lifecycle, ensuring alignment with our principles and ethical standards. We provide resources, tools, and training to internal stakeholders to facilitate both qualitative and quantitative assessments of fairness. Our approach to fairness includes assessments of input data and team composition, with measures designed to promote diversity and inclusion throughout AI development processes.

  • Can users challenge or contest decisions made by your AI systems?  Yes, SEEK provides users with clear pathways to challenge or contest AI-driven decisions. If you believe an AI system has made an incorrect decision affecting your experience, you can contact our customer service using our Contact us form on our website. Additionally, you can provide feedback directly through various touchpoints, such as feedback options within recommendation and notification emails.

  • How does SEEK address and rectify incorrect or unfair AI decisions?  SEEK’s RAI governance focuses on minimising the risk of unfair AI decisions by anticipating, preventing, and remediating potential issues. When concerns about AI decisions are raised, they are addressed through our corporate risk framework, which includes appropriate accountability structures and escalation process. Response approaches and timelines vary depending on the nature and severity of the issue identified.

  • Can users opt out of AI-driven products or modify their preferences?  SEEK provides users with control over specific AI-powered communication preferences through your account settings, where you can customise or turn off AI-driven notifications including Job Opportunities, "Get the most out of SEEK" recommendations, and Advice and Insights, as well as manage periodic recommendation emails and their frequency. These settings control which AI-generated communications you receive rather than providing an opt-out from AI functionality across the platform. Our AI technology remains integrated throughout SEEK's core services to enhance your job search experience through intelligent matching, personalised search results, and relevant opportunity discovery, ensuring you continue to benefit from the most effective job search tools available.

  • How does SEEK manage third-party AI services or data integrations?  Our procurement and risk management frameworks are designed to help ensure third-party systems align with SEEK’s high standards for ethical AI practices and performance.

  • What steps does SEEK take to avoid risks when working with external AI vendors?  We use strict procurement processes, contractual safeguards, and regular monitoring to mitigate risks. We also require vendors to meet relevant security and privacy standards and to comply with applicable regulatory requirements in the jurisdictions where we operate.

  • Who can I contact if I have concerns about SEEK’s AI products?  Use SEEK’s Customer Service Contact point to raise any enquiries about our AI products. 

  • Where can I learn more about SEEK’s sustainability approach, including its broader approach to data and cybersecurity?  ⁠Visit our Data and Cyber Sustainability webpage at Sustainability | SEEK for detailed information about our approach and commitments.