Currently a PhD researcher at Tampere University in the TRUST-M project, which aims to create trustworthy digital public services for improved integration of migrants in Finland. I’m part of the wonderful Technology × Social Interaction research group, led by Prof. Thomas Olsson.

Feel free to reach out!

Contact: sami {dot} koivunen {at} tuni {dot} fi

Research interests

Digitalization in talent acquisition from the perspective of HRM professionals. Relevant research communities include Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW)

Research aims to:

• Explore professionals’ experiences and practices with digital elements, such as applicant tracking systems, career sites, chatbots, and interviewing tools. This includes understanding how they use tools to support their decision-making, and how they experience the design and user interface of these tools.
• Analyze opportunities and challenges related to the use of digital elements. Special interest in analyzing relevant digital ethics considerations related to values such as fairness, and autonomy.

Interesting questions include (in the context of talent acquisition):

• How professionals’ experience new digital elements?
• How can digital elements support decision-making?
• How new digital elements (e.g., technologies, new features etc.) are deployed?
• How digital elements shape organizations’ practices and processes?
• What are possible value tensions or pitfalls related to digitalization?
• What kind of considerations are introduced when various user groups or stakeholders are involved?

Project Work history

Academic project TRUST-M 2023 at Tampere University

Personal grant from Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation 2022

Academic project FairMatch 2020-2021 at Tampere University

Academic project Intelligent Society 2020 at Tampere University

Academic project Big Match 2017-2020 at Tampere University

Publications

2023

• Koivunen, Sami, Otto Sahlgren, Saara Ala-Luopa, Thomas Olsson (2023). Pitfalls and Tensions in Digitalizing Talent Acquisition: An Analysis of HRM Professionals’ Considerations Related to Digital Ethics. Interacting with Computers.

2022

• Koivunen, Sami, Saara Ala-Luopa, Thomas Olsson, and Arja Haapakorpi (2022). The March of Chatbots into Recruitment: Recruiters’ Experiences, Expectations, and Design Opportunities. Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), 1-30.
• Koivunen, Sami, and Heidi Lehtovaara (2022) Algoritmit työnhaussa ja rekrytoinnissa. Työelämän tutkimus 20(2). 273-285.

2021

• Koivunen, Sami, Ekaterina Olshannikova, and Thomas Olsson (2021). Understanding Matchmakers’ Experiences, Principles and Practices of Assembling Innovation Teams. Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) 30(4), 1-28.

2019

• Koivunen, Sami, Thomas Olsson, Ekaterina Olshannikova, and Aki Lindberg (2019). Understanding Decision-Making in Recruitment: Opportunities and Challenges for Information Technology. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction 3(GROUP), 1-22.

Other texts online

Algoritmit rekrytoinnin tukena – yhdenvertaisuutta vai epätasa-arvoa? (Politiikasta.fi, 21.2.2022)

Interviews

It’s a match! (Suomen Kuvalehti, 16.3.2023)

Reviewer activity

• Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• Mindtrek 2021, 2022
• Computers in Human Behavior 2021
• Tethics 2023