Adapting To Stay: A Review of AI In Recruitment, Work–Life Balance, And the Future of HR

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in recruitment has sparked polarized discourse, on one end, concerns about job displacement and bias, and on the other, optimism about speed and scalability. This review adopts a balanced perspective, exploring how AI technologies, particularly in early-stage hiring tasks, can assist, rather than replace, human decision-making in Human Resource Management (HRM). The goal is to examine whether AI-enabled recruitment processes can enhance work-life balance (WLB) among HR professionals and improve candidate experience without compromising fairness, ethical standards, or autonomy. This article reviews literature on commonly used AI tools in recruitment, such as resume parsers, asynchronous video interviews, gamified assessments, and chatbots. It investigates how these tools reduce administrative burden and cognitive load for recruiters, potentially improving well-being and focus on higher-order, human-centric tasks. Simultaneously, it evaluates candidate perceptions of fairness, stress, and satisfaction with AI-mediated hiring processes. Ethical considerations, including algorithmic bias and the need for human oversight, are critically discussed. The review highlights how AI, when intentionally and ethically deployed, can promote diversity and inclusion. In doing so, it aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), particularly the call for inclusive, adaptive, and responsible innovation in the workplace. Ultimately, this article proposes a model of sustainable HRM where AI supports, not supplants, human judgment. It concludes by identifying current research gaps and suggesting directions for future studies on the long-term implications of AI adoption for both recruiters and job seekers.