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You can ask an employer to have a person review an automated hiring decision, but whether the employer is legally required to do so depends on where the job is located and how the system was used. Write to the recruiter or HR contact, identify the application and decision, request the review process, and point out any inaccurate or missing information. New York City and the European Union have specific rules, but there is no universal U.S. right to appeal an AI-assisted rejection.
What to do first
Send a calm, specific written request to the recruiter, HR contact, or privacy contact named in the application materials. Ask whether an automated tool screened or assessed your application, whether a person can review it, and which process applies to the role. A request can be useful even where no law guarantees reconsideration.
- Identify the application: include the job title or requisition number, the date you applied, the decision date, and your candidate ID or application email if available.
- Ask what happened: ask whether an automated system materially contributed to the decision and request a plain-language explanation of the information and criteria that affected it.
- Request a human review: ask how to submit the request under the employer’s process and what to expect next. Do not assume a particular response deadline unless a law or employer policy provides one.
- Describe a specific issue: identify a résumé-parsing error, missing qualification, inaccurate assessment record, or other relevant context. Request correction of inaccurate personal information where appropriate.
- Save the record: keep the job posting, notices, application materials, rejection, request, and response, with dates.
If your concern involves a disability accommodation or possible discrimination, say so plainly and contact the employer’s accommodation or equal-employment contact as well as the recruiting contact.
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New York City: advance notice and a request opportunity
NYC Local Law 144 applies to a defined class of automated employment decision tools used for hiring or promotion. Under New York City Administrative Code § 20-871, covered employers must give notice at least 10 business days before using the tool. The notice must allow a candidate to request an alternative selection process or accommodation.
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The law also lets a candidate or employee request, in writing, information about the type and source of data collected and the employer’s data-retention policy if that information is not already available on the employer’s website. The employer must provide the covered information within 30 days of the written request, subject to the law’s stated legal and law-enforcement exceptions. This data-information route is distinct from asking for reconsideration.
The cited code does not establish a general right to appeal a rejection after the fact. For specified compliance failures, NYC311’s AEDT guidance explains how to report a missing audit, posted audit summary, or required notice. A report should include the suspected violation date, an explanation, job posting or position details, the tool’s name or type if known, and any notice received. A complaint concerns compliance with those requirements; it does not guarantee that the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection will reverse a hiring decision. See also the DCWP AEDT page.
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European Union: GDPR Article 22 may apply to solely automated decisions
GDPR Article 22 addresses decisions based solely on automated processing, including profiling, that produce legal effects or similarly significantly affect a person. It provides exceptions where the decision is necessary for a contract, authorized by law with safeguards, or based on explicit consent. For the contract and consent exceptions, safeguards must include at least the ability to obtain human intervention, express a point of view, and contest the decision.
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A hiring rejection may have a significant effect, but Article 22 does not automatically cover every AI-assisted hiring outcome. Its application depends on the system’s actual role, the effect on the applicant, applicable law, and the circumstances. If you have reason to believe the decision was solely automated and significantly affected you, identify the applicable GDPR rights in your request.
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In a 2025 judgment, the Court of Justice of the European Union explained that “meaningful information about the logic involved” calls for an intelligible account of the procedure and principles actually applied. A complex mathematical formula or exhaustive dump of processing steps is not enough; the ruling does not automatically require disclosure of the full algorithm. Read the CJEU judgment, CELEX 62022CJ0203.
United States outside New York City
The available verified sources do not establish a reliable, current inventory of state and local laws that specifically give applicants a right to human review after an automated hiring rejection. Federal and state discrimination rules may still apply to an employer’s selection procedure, but do not assume there is a general right to appeal an AI-related decision. Check the location tied to the job and seek jurisdiction-specific assistance if the facts suggest discrimination, an accommodation issue, or inaccurate personal data.
Choose the request that matches the problem
These routes address different issues; one does not automatically substitute for another.
| What you need | What to ask for |
|---|---|
| A person to reconsider the application | Request human review and ask which process applies. Legal entitlement depends on jurisdiction and the system’s role. |
| An accommodation or alternative selection process | State the accommodation or alternative process you seek. In NYC, use the opportunity described in the required notice where possible. |
| Correction of inaccurate information | Identify the specific error and ask how to correct the application or assessment record. |
| An explanation of the decision | Ask what information and criteria materially affected the outcome. In the EU, Article 22 may be relevant only when its conditions are met. |
| Regulatory reporting | In NYC, report a specified Local Law 144 compliance failure through NYC311; this is not an appeal mechanism. |
Copy-and-adapt request template
Use only the bracketed sentence that fits your situation; you do not need to include every request.
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Subject: Request for human review of application for [job title / requisition]
Hello [recruiter or HR contact],
I applied for [role] on [date] and received [decision] on [date]. I am requesting a review of my application by a person. Please let me know whether an automated system was used to screen or assess my application, how I can request review under the process that applies to this role, and what information or criteria materially affected the decision.
I believe [briefly identify any inaccurate or missing information, assessment issue, or relevant context]. Please consider this information in the review and tell me how to correct any inaccurate application or assessment data. [If relevant: I also request an alternative selection process / reasonable accommodation because …]
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Please confirm receipt and explain the next step and expected response time. Thank you,
[name]
[application email or candidate ID]
Quick Recap
Before you send it
- Use the contact and procedure named in the job posting, application materials, or notice.
- For an NYC role, make any alternative-process or accommodation request within the available notice process where possible; make the separate written data-information request if you need the specified data and retention details.
- For an EU role, describe why you believe the decision was solely automated and significantly affected you if you are invoking GDPR Article 22.
- Keep the request factual and focused. A clear correction or accommodation request is more useful than a general objection to AI.
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