Job Search Game Under an Algorithmic Black Box: Generation of Group Biases in Recruitment Platforms and Individual Adaptation Strategies

Abstract

With the popularization of digital recruitment platforms in the era of artificial intelligence, algorithmic screening has become a core and indispensable component of talent matching in the modern labor market. However, inherent algorithmic opacity and historical data biases tend to give rise to obvious group prejudices based on gender, educational background, age, and regional origin, thereby further exacerbating the structural inequalities that exist in the current employment market. Existing academic research focuses primarily on the macrolevel governance paths of algorithmic discrimination, with relatively insufficient in-depth exploration of the microlevel game logic of job seekers and the construction of systematic adaptation strategies. In this paper, mainstream recruitment algorithms are taken as the core research object; the multidimensional specific manifestations and internal generation mechanisms of group prejudices in algorithm screening are systematically investigated; and the complex interactive relationships among job seekers, recruitment platforms, and enterprises as well as realistic individual predicaments are analysed on the basis of the classic theory of incomplete information games, and a scientific four-in-one adaptation strategy system encompassing resume optimization, channel selection, proactive communication, and ability enhancement is constructed. An empirical study revealed that active and targeted individual adaptation can effectively avoid the negative impact of algorithmic bias and significantly improve the overall job search success rates of different groups while providing important microlevel references for platform algorithm optimization and the improvement of relevant regulatory policies. It holds important practical significance for promoting the coordinated and sustainable development of efficiency and fairness in the field of digital recruitment in China.