Transform HR Strategies With Automation
With organizations using tools like ChatGPT across the workplace, you may be wondering whether it's time to tap into the latest tech craze for your HR needs.
If you're hesitant to be too far ahead of the curve, know that you may already be at the back of the pack. According to one study, most HR leaders surveyed (78%) said they're already using AI in at least one aspect of their HR duties.
And it's not hard to understand why.
With its many benefits and diverse uses, AI is a tool worth investing in.
Wondering what that looks like for your company? Let's take a deep dive into the why and how of AI in HR.
The Benefits Of AI In HR
Implementing AI into your HR processes will make your team more efficient and effective. Here are just a few positive outcomes it offers:
- Increased efficiency. AI can help automate time-consuming and repetitive tasks. This frees up HR professionals to focus on more strategic and value-added activities.
- Improved accuracy. Automating jobs like submitting payroll and administering benefits can help reduce human error.
- Enhanced employee experience. AI can create a more individualized and seamless experience for new hires and long-standing employees. For example, it can provide personalized onboarding materials, track individual career development, and answer benefits-related queries.
- Reduced costs. AI can automate tasks that would otherwise require human intervention. This frees up HR budgets for other purposes, like training and development.
It's in your best interest to get your team up to speed on Artificial Intelligence essentials. But where exactly should you apply the tech for the best results?
7 Ways To Leverage AI-Powered HR Solutions
Here are 7 ways to effectively use Artificial Intelligence in human resource management (plus bonus ideas for helping with non-HR tasks).
1. Recruitment And Hiring
Use AI in HR recruitment to source, screen, and interview candidates. In today's competitive hiring market, it can be hard to sift through mountains of applications to find top talent. It can be even tougher to recruit them before someone else does.
Use AI to screen incoming applications for relevant skills and experience. That way, your team only sees the top candidates.
You can also use automated systems to reach out and set up interviews, cutting out the time-consuming back-and-forth of finding a time that works. You'll narrow your search more quickly, giving you a better chance of recruiting your top picks.
2. Onboarding
Once a new hire has accepted your offer, AI can keep the momentum going by automating a lot of the onboarding process.
Productivity is generally low as new employees get up to speed in their jobs. And as they sort through all the required training and paperwork.
Take advantage of tech by automating things like sending welcome emails, providing access to company resources, and scheduling training sessions.
3. Payroll
Make sure you pay employees on time (and accurately) by automating the payroll process.
Assign jobs like calculating wages, deducting taxes, and issuing paychecks to a system that eliminates the possibility of human error and sticks to schedules.
4. Benefits Administration
HR professionals work hard to offer their employees things like quality health insurance, wellness programs, and corporate perks and discounts. Keeping plans and data up to date ensures your employees can take full advantage of them.
Ensure a smooth employee experience by automating benefits admin. This can include enrolling employees in benefits plans, tracking benefit usage, and processing claims.
5. Performance Management
Help employees progress in their careers by automating performance management.
The process may include setting goals, tracking performance, and scheduling feedback sessions.
AI can help employees move forward by recording progress and triggering next steps. Using AI tools will also help your HR reps be more effective by providing them with an easy overview of individual progress at a glance.
6. Employee Engagement
Use AI to find out how people feel about your company, its culture, and their workloads.
For instance, by conducting surveys and tracking employee sentiment. You can then respond to the feedback and make improvements where necessary.
You can also automate notifications of employee accomplishments so leaders can offer praise and recognition.
7. Compliance
Use AI to keep your organization on track with regulatory changes, conduct audits, and manage mandatory training.
Automatically log which employees are currently taking a compliance course. Or set up alerts for announcements of new regulations so you can start implementing them right away.
Bonus: Using AI Beyond HR Processes
Generative AI can help with other daily tasks to cut down on busy work and further improve HR professionals' lives.
For example, writing tasks may be taking up valuable time. Use a chat-based tool to draft company policies, EEO statements, or other documents faster. Or use AI image generation apps to create more engaging training presentations.
You can also use email automation tools to schedule and send emails to candidates more consistently. Or meeting scheduling apps to set up one-on-ones or interviews more quickly.
Yes, But Is AI In HR Ethical?
For all its benefits, there are some ethical concerns around using AI in sensitive fields like HR.
For instance, bias. AI systems are trained on data, and if the data is biased, so is the AI system.
You should also take privacy into consideration. AI systems can collect and store a lot of employee data, including personal info and performance data.
Some people also raise flags around accountability. If an AI system makes a mistake that harms an employee, it can be hard to know who to hold accountable.
To effectively and safely use AI in HR, you need to have clear privacy policies in place that protect sensitive data. If you're using AI for HR decision making, be sure you or your team review all the facts before moving forward. Also, implement policies that hold your company accountable for the actions of your AI systems.
What You Can't (Or Shouldn't) Automate
In TalentLMS's podcast series, Keep It Simple, technologist, entrepreneur, and author, Ronald Ashri, shares his thoughts on "Preparing for the AI-powered workplace". A key takeaway? AI tools are quick to deliver data and advise on the appropriate actions to take. But their reliability isn't always guaranteed.
There are times when you can't, or shouldn't, use AI for HR tasks. Some jobs require human judgment or discretion. These might include:
- Making hiring decisions. You can use AI to screen candidates and identify potential matches. But potential biases mean you shouldn't use it to make final hiring decisions.
- Providing performance reviews. AI can't always understand context, which is important for providing effective feedback.
- Making decisions about employee discipline or termination. Use AI to gather data and identify patterns, but not to make decisions about employee discipline or termination.
All these tasks need human understanding of behavior and culture. And you should trust them only to employees.
The Future Of AI In HR
HR professionals, and companies that want to be innovative and stay competitive, should be open to new technologies. Even if you're not an early adopter, keeping up with tech advances and adjusting your work style will keep you current. Research the latest tools and use those that make your role easier. And remember, AI is a tool for HR professionals to use, not a replacement for them.
