The Relevance of Algorithmic Control and AI in Employee Onboarding in the Corporate Slavery Context

This research explores the relevance of algorithmic control and AI in employee onboarding within the context of corporate slavery. This phenomenon explains manipulative digital micromanagement and its impact on employee autonomy in technologically driven organizations. Onboarding focuses on employee socialization and integration. However, today, AI and algorithms control automated communication systems and performance-monitoring mechanisms. However, there is limited research on the extent to which these mechanisms impact employee well-being, autonomy, and corporate loyalty within corporate slavery. The author conducted a survey study with 403 respondents who voluntarily participated. This research is grounded in the Surveillance Capitalism Theory and Foucault’s Theory of Disciplinary Power. These theories helped to investigate how AI technologies manage, impact, and control onboarding processes during the early employment stages. The results indicated that algorithmic onboarding systems prioritize productivity metrics and compliance over relational integration. This ultimately leads to the higher levels of dehumanization and decreased psychological safety. Additionally, the results revealed an increased stress and reduced trust in management due to unclear decision-making processes led by AI and algorithms. This research carries practical value, suggesting that organizations need to re-evaluate onboarding mechanisms and integrate them with human-centric approaches. Besides, this research expands knowledge on digital labor control within corporate slavery and offers groundwork for future studies of corporate slavery within the AI ecosystem.