Real Impact: Testing & Applying AI in Target Regions

Meeting Details

The Talent Acquisition Board convened to explore how organizations are practically implementing artificial intelligence within recruiting functions, with a featured presentation from Andrea Kain and Savita Mittra of Mondelez International on their AI-enabled talent acquisition pilot in China. The discussion focused on balancing innovation with governance, compliance, and candidate experience while leveraging AI to improve efficiency in high-volume recruiting environments.  Board members examined how AI can augment recruiting processes through candidate screening, interviewing, sourcing, and workflow management while maintaining human oversight in hiring decisions. The conversation also explored emerging concerns related to bias auditing, regulatory compliance, cybersecurity risks, and fraudulent candidate activity. Members shared lessons learned from their own organizations and discussed practical approaches for responsibly scaling AI-enabled recruiting capabilities.

Key Points

• Mondelez is piloting AI-enabled recruiting solutions in China as a controlled test environment before considering broader implementation.
• The pilot focuses on three primary use cases: AI-powered candidate scoring, AI-assisted interviewing, and agentic AI for workflow coordination.
• China’s highly regulated data privacy environment and advanced AI adoption make it a unique market for experimentation and learning.
• Human decision-making remains a core principle, with recruiters maintaining responsibility for final candidate evaluations and hiring decisions.
• AI is being used to help manage exceptionally large applicant volumes, including 40,000–45,000 early-career applications annually.
• Members discussed the growing importance of bias auditing and adverse impact monitoring for AI-powered hiring tools.
• Organizations are increasingly evaluating governance structures and compliance frameworks before implementing AI solutions at scale.
• Candidate experience remains a key consideration, with AI helping provide faster communication and more consistent engagement throughout the hiring process.
• Members shared concerns regarding cybersecurity hiring and the growing sophistication of fraudulent candidates using AI and identity manipulation techniques.
• The board emphasized the value of testing, learning, and refining AI-enabled recruiting processes before broader deployment.

Meeting Highlights

AI in Talent Acquisition: Moving from Exploration to Application

The meeting began with a discussion about the rapidly growing role of AI within talent acquisition. Lavonne Monroe noted that AI has become one of the most significant strategic topics facing talent acquisition leaders and is likely to remain a major focus area for years to come. Board members reflected on the varying stages of AI adoption across organizations and the need for practical examples that demonstrate real-world implementation. The discussion highlighted how many organizations are moving beyond experimentation and into operational use cases while still working through governance, compliance, and organizational readiness challenges.

Mondelez's AI Recruitment Pilot in China

Andrea Kain and Savita Mittra shared how Mondelez is using China as a pilot market to evaluate AI-enabled recruiting solutions. Given the country's advanced AI ecosystem, unique regulatory environment, and strict data privacy requirements, the company identified an opportunity to test emerging technologies within a controlled environment while maintaining compliance with local regulations and internal governance standards. The pilot leverages MoSeeker, a China-based platform integrated with Workday, to connect recruiters with candidates across multiple local channels and job boards. The initiative is intended to generate practical insights that could eventually inform broader global recruiting strategies and future AI adoption efforts across the organization.

Leveraging AI for High-Volume Early Career Recruiting

One of the most compelling use cases discussed involved Mondelez's early-career recruiting process, which receives approximately 40,000 to 45,000 applications annually. AI is being used to assist with candidate scoring, interviewing, and evaluation to reduce manual workload and improve efficiency. The process incorporates AI-driven screening and recommendations before candidates advance to human-led assessment centers, where final hiring decisions are made. Participants discussed how this approach not only improves operational efficiency and consistency but also enhances the candidate experience through more timely communication and engagement throughout the recruiting journey.

Governance, Bias Auditing, and Responsible AI

A significant portion of the conversation focused on governance, legal oversight, and the responsible use of AI in recruiting. Members discussed the growing need to understand how AI algorithms operate and how organizations can validate that automated processes are not creating unintended bias or adverse impact. Participants emphasized that employers remain accountable for hiring outcomes regardless of assurances provided by vendors. The discussion explored the importance of independent audits, ongoing monitoring, legal review processes, and cross-functional collaboration among talent acquisition, compliance, legal, and technology teams. Several members shared examples of their organizations implementing additional auditing practices to strengthen confidence in AI-supported hiring decisions and protect against future legal challenges.

Addressing Emerging Cybersecurity and Hiring Risks

The board also explored the growing challenge of fraudulent candidates and evolving cybersecurity risks within the hiring process. Members shared concerns about individuals potentially misrepresenting their identity, location, or qualifications during virtual hiring processes, particularly in technology and cybersecurity roles. The discussion highlighted several mitigation strategies, including enhanced background screening, camera-on interview requirements, in-person verification steps, stricter contractor screening protocols, and closer alignment with staffing agencies. Participants noted that talent acquisition teams are increasingly partnering with cybersecurity and risk management functions to address these emerging threats and strengthen hiring integrity across their organizations.

For More Information

Additional resources and references shared during the discussion included:

• MoSeeker, the China-based recruiting platform integrated with Workday and used in the Mondelez pilot.
• Independent bias auditing services discussed by board members, including DLA Piper's advisory support for AI hiring assessments.
• Ongoing organizational reviews of adverse impact monitoring and AI governance practices.

What's Next

Upcoming Board Activities

• Participate in the 2026 Succession Planning Survey.
• Join the June 10 All-Board meeting featuring cross-board sharing of current practices and emerging challenges.
• Contribute real-world talent acquisition challenges for discussion during the August 13 summer session.
• Secure your plans to attend the next in-person meeting on September 30-October 1 at Rocket Mortgage in Detroit.