Source: https://wiity.ai/resources/how-australias-ai-safety-standards-will-impact-recruitment-agencies Reading version: https://wiity.ai/resources/how-australias-ai-safety-standards-will-impact-recruitment-agencies.md [← All resources](https://wiity.ai/resources) Responsible AI / PRACTICAL GUIDE # How to prepare for AI governance without mistaking proposals for law ‘Mandatory’, ‘voluntary’ and ‘proposed’ mean different things. When those words get blurred in an AI sales pitch, a recruitment leader can end up making a purchasing decision on the wrong premise. [Jordan Betteridge](https://wiity.ai/about#jordan-betteridge) AI Experience & Change · 15 years in recruitment technology Updated 20 October 2026 · 3 min read ![GUIDANCE → ASSESSMENT → ACCOUNTABILITY](https://wiity.ai/assets/resources/how-australias-ai-safety-standards-will-impact-recruitment-agencies.svg) IN THIS GUIDE [Understand the status of the guidance](https://wiity.ai/resources/how-australias-ai-safety-standards-will-impact-recruitment-agencies#part-1) [Map where AI affects people](https://wiity.ai/resources/how-australias-ai-safety-standards-will-impact-recruitment-agencies#part-2) [Turn a supplier assurance into questions you can assess](https://wiity.ai/resources/how-australias-ai-safety-standards-will-impact-recruitment-agencies#worked-example) [Ask suppliers useful questions](https://wiity.ai/resources/how-australias-ai-safety-standards-will-impact-recruitment-agencies#part-3) [Put ownership and review into operation](https://wiity.ai/resources/how-australias-ai-safety-standards-will-impact-recruitment-agencies#part-4) [Prepare evidence, not a badge](https://wiity.ai/resources/how-australias-ai-safety-standards-will-impact-recruitment-agencies#part-5) [Get advice for the specific use case](https://wiity.ai/resources/how-australias-ai-safety-standards-will-impact-recruitment-agencies#part-6) [Take this into your next team conversation](https://wiity.ai/resources/how-australias-ai-safety-standards-will-impact-recruitment-agencies#put-it-to-work) [Questions worth asking](https://wiity.ai/resources/how-australias-ai-safety-standards-will-impact-recruitment-agencies#reader-questions) THE PRACTICAL VIEW Ask for the source, publication date and status of any regulatory claim. Then ask how it relates to the specific workflow your recruitment agency wants to operate. ## Understand the status of the guidance Australia’s 2024 Voluntary AI Safety Standard contained ten voluntary guardrails. The government’s subsequent Guidance for AI Adoption condenses the approach into six essential practices. A consultation about mandatory guardrails is not, by itself, an enacted requirement. Check current official material before making compliance claims. ## Map where AI affects people Identify AI-supported sourcing, screening, communication and administration. Record where outputs could influence someone’s access to an opportunity. Consider errors, unfair outcomes, privacy and the ability to explain or challenge what happened. The assessment should reflect the actual workflow. WORKED EXAMPLE · ILLUSTRATIVE ## Turn a supplier assurance into questions you can assess If a supplier says a screening feature is ‘compliant with AI guardrails’, ask which framework they mean, which version they assessed and what evidence supports the statement. Ask what remains your responsibility as the customer. Keep the answers with the use-case assessment so the basis for the decision can be revisited. ### Where it can go wrong A badge or broad declaration does not tell you whether your configuration, data or intended use has been assessed. An appropriate adviser may need to consider those details before you rely on the claim. ## Ask suppliers useful questions What inputs affect the output? What can your team configure? How is the feature tested? What changes when the model is updated? What records are available for investigation? Record the answers and follow up on gaps rather than treating a generic assurance as evidence. ## Put ownership and review into operation Name an accountable owner for each use case. Set access permissions, approval points and escalation paths. Train people to recognise uncertainty and incorrect information. Give reviewers the authority to stop an action, and define how affected records or communications can be corrected. ## Prepare evidence, not a badge Keep the use-case assessment, test results, training material and review decisions together. Update them when systems or business processes change. Describe the controls you actually operate. Avoid claiming that adopting a framework automatically establishes compliance with every applicable obligation. ## Get advice for the specific use case Recruitment involves consequential decisions and personal information. Have appropriate advisers assess the obligations that apply to your organisation and intended workflow. Wiity’s discovery and delivery process can help establish the operational foundations, alongside the specialist advice your business needs. ## Sources & further reading - [Australian Government: the voluntary standard and updated guidance](https://www.industry.gov.au/publications/voluntary-ai-safety-standard/10-guardrails) - [Australian Government: mandatory guardrails consultation](https://www.industry.gov.au/news/mandatory-guardrails-safe-and-responsible-ai-have-your-say) PUT IT TO WORK ## Take this into your next team conversation Tick off the points you have covered. This is a working checklist, not a compliance score. Selections reset when you leave the page. Practical review checklist Record the official source and status of a claimed requirement. Identify the specific use case and affected people. Separate supplier controls from your responsibilities. Retain evidence and set a date to revisit the assessment. 0 of 4 points covered Reset checklist ## Questions worth asking Does following voluntary guidance establish legal compliance? Not automatically. Guidance can support a structured approach, but the obligations relevant to an organisation and use case need their own assessment. Seek appropriate advice where the decision depends on that assessment. Where should we check whether the guidance has changed? Use the current Australian Government material linked in this guide and the regulators relevant to your circumstances. Keep a record of the source and version used for important decisions. Continue with [Responsible AI for Recruitment Agencies](https://wiity.ai/resources/responsible-ai-usage-guidance) . **About this guide** This guide builds on Jordan’s Hyper Automate resource library, updated for Wiity. Worked examples illustrate the approach; they are not customer case studies. ![Jordan Betteridge](https://wiity.ai/assets/team/jordan-betteridge.webp) YOUR AUTHOR ## Jordan Betteridge **AI Experience & Change** 15 years of recruitment technology experience. Jordan leads Wiity’s brand, experience and hands-on solution design. He shapes how people discover, experience and use what we build, from websites to bespoke applications. He brings recruitment technology experience to making complex ideas clear and creating practical tools that fit the way people work. KEEP EXPLORING ## More useful next steps. [How to introduce automation without losing your team’s trust ↗](https://wiity.ai/resources/why-automation-should-scare-your-spreadsheets-not-your-staff) [How to build a recruitment AI roadmap without collecting disconnected tools ↗](https://wiity.ai/resources/ai-led-tech-roadmap-for-recruiters) FROM IDEAS TO EVERYDAY WORK ## Make the next step work for your people. Explore a focused AI project, a transformation roadmap or connected recruitment data with Ella. [Let’s talk about your business ↗](https://wiity.ai/contact)