Digitalization of labor procedures as a mechanism for reducing corruption risks

Abstract

Problem setting. The digital transformation of social processes, which has become one of the defining characteristics of the 21st century, fundamentally changes not only the technological but also the social and legal foundations of state and labor market functioning. Its influence is noticeable in almost all areas of life, but it is particularly significant in the field of employment relations, where digitalization does not merely contribute to the modernization of traditional procedures but forms a new paradigm of labor management based on automation, transparency, and standardization of processes. Analysis of recent researches and publications. The issue of the digitalization of labor procedures and its impact on minimizing corruption risks is being actively developed in the works of contemporary domestic and foreign researchers. The understanding has been established in the academic doctrine that the digitalization of HR processes is not merely a technical improvement but a tool for increasing the transparency, unification, and reproducibility of labor decisions. A significant contribution to the development of the theoretical foundations for the use of digital technologies and automated systems for optimizing human resource management processes (hereinafter – digital HRM) has been made by T. Bondarouk and C. Brewster, who substantiated the conceptual shift from traditional human resource management to data-driven systems that minimize the human factor and ensure the algorithmic nature of procedures. The works of S. Strohmeier examine the process of transforming the philosophy of labor management, where openness, analytics, and the standardization of HR decisions play a key role. The research of P. Cappelli, P. Tambe, and V. Yakubovich focuses on the impact of HR data analytics and automated decisions on the formation of personnel policy, emphasizing new opportunities for predicting employee behavior and establishing transparent evaluation criteria. An important component of contemporary works is international comparative research. Transparency International and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in their reports from 2018–2023, have repeatedly emphasized that the digitalization of HR processes is a key tool for reducing corruption risks in the public sector, as it ensures the recording of all actions, minimizes informal practices, and creates opportunities for independent audit of decisions made. In domestic (Ukrainian) scholarship, the issues of labor market digitalization are covered in the works of N. Butynska and O. Yanovytska, who prove that digital transformation changes not only the technological but also the legal foundations of employment relations, forming a new content for labor procedures. Separate aspects of digital software platforms that automate and optimize human resource management (HR systems), electronic document management, and personal data protection are analyzed in the works of Ukrainian researchers. However, a comprehensive analysis of the digitalization of labor procedures as a mechanism for reducing corruption risks still requires further development. Thus, despite a significant number of scientific studies, the problem of digitalization of labor procedures in the context of anti-corruption efforts remains insufficiently developed, especially regarding algorithmic audit, the transparency of automated decisions, and the adaptation of international practices within the Ukrainian legal framework. Purpose of research. The aim of the article is to conduct a comprehensive scientific-theoretical and practice-oriented analysis of the digitalization of labor procedures as a mechanism for minimizing corruption risks, to determine its legal, organizational, and technological aspects, to summarize international experience in digital governance in the labor sector, and to formulate proposals for improving the regulatory and legal framework for digital labor processes in Ukraine. Аrticle’s main body. This article provides an in-depth scientific, theoretical, and practice-oriented analysis of the digitalization of labor procedures as a key mechanism for reducing corruption risks in the modern labor relations system. It explores the nature and essence of digital transformation in the field of labor, describes the evolution of theoretical approaches to digital governance, examines the formation of digital labor processes, and assesses their impact on the efficiency and transparency of human resource management. Based on a synthesis of international standards, studies by leading scholars, and the practices of the public sector in Ukraine, the article argues that the digitalization of labor procedures contributes to minimizing corruption by eliminating subjectivity, automating decision-making, standardizing HR processes, and ensuring their openness. The study identifies the main risks associated with digitalization: privacy violations, cybersecurity issues, algorithmic discrimination, and information asymmetry. A conceptual vision for the future legal and regulatory framework supporting digital labor processes in Ukraine is proposed. Conclusions and prospects for the development. The author makes a general conclusion that the digitalization of labor procedures acts not merely as a technical innovation, but as a socio-legal mechanism for enhancing transparency and integrity in personnel management. It allows for the reduction of corruption risks, the increase of HR management efficiency, and the creation of conditions for building a modern system of labor relations that adheres to the principles of openness and accountability.