Algorithmic Opacity in HRM

The increasing reliance on HR analytics and algorithmic tools in HRM poses challenges for practitioners, particularly regarding the opacity of algorithmic decision-making. This study explores how HR professionals and employee representatives navigate algorithmic opacity and its implications for their agency. Drawing on Emirbayer and Mische’s (1998) concept of temporal human agency and Burrell’s (2016) framework of algorithmic opacity, we conducted an in-depth qualitative study of HR analytics implementation in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). Our findings identify four distinct approaches to navigating opacity: avoiding algorithmic tools, rejecting opacity in favor of more comprehensible solutions, exploring and scrutinizing algorithms, and using algorithms faithfully. Moreover, we highlight the interplay of temporal dimensions of agency, technical literacy, and organizational factors in regard to these approaches. Thus, we contribute to the understanding of how algorithmic opacity shapes technological enactment in HRM and emphasize the need for building technical literacy to empower practitioners in their data-driven decision-making processes. Our research provides theoretical insights and practical guidance for leveraging HRA while ensuring transparency, ethical considerations, and professional agency.