AI-Assisted Candidate Evaluation for Government Hiring

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Your rights

• Right to Be Informed of AI UseCandidates are informed before the assessment that an automated AI system (Knockri) will be used to evaluate their interview responses. This choice and its implications are clearly communicated before candidates opt into the automated assessment. A meaningful explanation of the system's role, input data, criteria, and outputs must be published per the Directive on Automated Decision-Making requirements at Impact Level 1.
• Right to a Human ReviewDuring the pilot, all candidates assessed by the Knockri system will also have their results reviewed by an HR advisor. Hiring managers and HR advisors retain the final decision authority — automated scores are advisory inputs only. The system enables human override of automated assessments, and instances of override are logged.
• Right to ContestCandidates retain the right to challenge or appeal their assessment results. After completing an assessment, candidates may inquire about their score. The Knockri system provides a detailed Behaviour Insight report that documents which behaviours were and were not demonstrated, supporting a meaningful basis for any appeal. A recourse process is established for candidates wishing to challenge decisions.
• Right to Algorithmic TransparencyPer the Directive on Automated Decision-Making (Impact Level 1), TBS must publish a meaningful plain-language explanation of the system covering: its role in decision-making, input data and collection method, criteria used to evaluate data, system outputs and how to interpret them, and the principal factors behind a decision. This explanation must be available via a departmental website. The AIA itself is publicly accessible via the Open Government Portal.
• Right to Be ForgottenCandidates are notified that they have the option to request the deletion of their personal information (including email addresses and audio recordings) after the assessment. Personal information collected during the staffing process will be retained for five years after the last administrative action and then deleted, or earlier upon request by the HR Division or the individual.

Risks and safeguards

• Civil liberties harmAlgorithmic bias may produce discriminatory assessment scores for candidates from protected groups (race, gender, language, disability), undermining the fairness goals of the pilot and disproportionately excluding underrepresented candidates.Safeguard: Knockri uses behavioural annotation rather than human evaluation scores as training targets to minimize bias in training data. Technical documentation provided to TBS demonstrates equal algorithmic performance across demographic groups. Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) of the data was conducted. When technically feasible, studies will assess differences in assessment scores across protected groups. Algorithms are static once deployed to prevent data drift. Candidates may opt out and request an in-person alternative at any time.
• Loss of autonomyCandidates may feel coerced into using an automated interview system that records and algorithmically judges their voice, limiting their ability to present themselves as they would in person, or may face barriers if the system misinterprets nuanced responses.Safeguard: Participation in the Knockri assessment is explicitly optional — candidates may opt out and receive an equivalent in-person behavioural assessment following the same rubric. Candidates are informed before assessment about how the platform operates, data collected, and their right to request data deletion. The choice and its implications are clearly communicated prior to consent.
• Reputational harmAn incorrect or unfair automated behavioural score could unjustly exclude a qualified candidate from a hiring pool, causing professional reputational harm and potentially stigmatizing them for future applications.Safeguard: For the pilot, all candidates assessed by Knockri are also reviewed by an HR advisor regardless of their automated score. The system produces a detailed audit trail and Behaviour Insight report that can be used to explain and, if necessary, contest results. Candidates retain the right to challenge or appeal assessment results and may inquire about their score after assessment.