AI in HR: what people professionals can expect in summary:
In this article, we take a look at AI in HR and what benefits people professionals can expect, including:
- AI is already revolutionising recruitment by automating tasks like job postings, CV scanning, and candidate responses, making the hiring process more efficient and reducing unconscious bias.
- AI tools are improving the employee journey by providing 24/7 chatbot support for HR-related questions and suggesting personalised learning and development opportunities, leading to better decision-making based on workforce data.
- AI can analyse vast amounts of HR data to provide actionable insights, such as identifying employees at risk of leaving and forecasting future staffing needs, enabling smarter and faster decision-making.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just the stuff of sci-fi movies or tech startups. It’s here, it’s growing, and it’s transforming the way businesses operate – and HR is set to be one of the biggest beneficiaries.
AI isn’t just a passing trend, either – it’s revolutionising the workplace. From talent management to boosting engagement and smarter decision-making, AI is reshaping how organisations operate. For HR professionals, the impact could be nothing short of transformative, potentially outshining even the monumental changes brought about during the COVID-19 era.
But, whilst many are embracing the AI hype, not everyone’s a fan – especially when it comes to the world of work. For instance, a recent YouGov survey revealed that 37% of organisations still report low trust in AI. In addition, a survey by Accenture found that while 95% of employees valued working with GenAI, they don’t trust organisation leaders to implement it thoughtfully.
Clearly, it’s a very divisive subject: but AI is here to stay. And, for people professionals, its emergence presents some remarkable opportunities.
So, how could people operations change for the better with AI in HR?
1. Smarter recruitment and hiring
One of AI’s most visible impacts in HR is in recruitment, although believe it or not, AI has actually been around in recruitment for longer than you think!
Thanks to automation – a more rudimentary form of artificial intelligence – gone are the days of sifting through hundreds of CVs and job applications manually. Now, people professionals can rely on powerful automation tools that come as standard in modern HRIS platforms to make the entire hiring process more streamlined. This includes automatically publishing job postings to multiple job boards, scanning CVs for relevant skills and experiences, and responding to candidates.
However, generative AI-powered recruitment tools are also beginning to become more widespread, and they have the potential to make hiring processes even smarter. Algorithms to predict candidate success rates, tools to create more personalised job adverts, and reducing unconscious bias (when using good quality data, of course) are set to help save HR professionals countless hours work – but also help ensure the best talent isn’t overlooked.
2. Enhancing the employee experience
From successful onboarding to supporting ongoing workforce engagement, AI-driven tools can help make the employee journey smoother and more personalised. Think chatbots that answer HR-related questions 24/7 (so you don’t have to!), to more sophisticated AI-powered tools that suggest personalised learning and development opportunities based on an employee’s role and career goals. And, it doesn’t stop there…
With the power of AI in HR, people professionals can expect to make better use of their data to make more informed decisions. This could include improved analysis of feedback gained from engagement and pulse surveys, and better support in identifying patterns and trends in workforce data that could indicate wellbeing issues such as burnout.
With AI’s support, HR teams can become better prepared to proactively address issues before they escalate – ensuring employees feel both supported and valued.
3. Data-driven decision-making
Data, data, data… AI thrives on it, and the average HR department is sitting on a goldmine of it! From performance metrics to retention rates, AI has the power to analyse vast amounts of data to provide actionable insights. For example, predictive analytics have the power to identify employees at risk of leaving, allowing HR teams to take preventive action. And, workforce planning tools can forecast future staffing needs based on business trends.
AI in HR has the power to turn confusing and complex data into a strategic asset; enabling smarter, faster decision making and helping businesses manage their most precious resource – their people – more effectively.
4. More streamlined administrative tasks
Let’s be honest: admin tasks can be a time-sucking black hole. Payroll processing, leave and attendance tracking, offboarding checklists… it’s all vitally important stuff, but we’d all prefer to be doing much more rewarding and interesting activities! Fortunately, AI in HR is stepping in to handle those sorts of repetitive processes, freeing up HR teams to focus on more strategic initiatives that drive business value, and demonstrate their value to a business.
5. Redefining learning and development
Lastly, AI is also transforming workplace learning and development by making it smarter and more personalised. For example, AI platforms can design tailored learning paths that align with an employee’s skills, goals, and performance. Better still, AI-driven simulations and virtual reality (VR) can deliver immersive training experiences – perfect for high-tech industries like medicine or engineering.
AI also has the power to identify skill gaps within teams and recommend targeted training solutions. This not only helps employees grow, but also ensures organisations have the skills they need to stay competitive and fit for whatever challenges may come.
AI in HR: a word of caution
Of course, the growing influence of AI in HR isn’t without its challenges. As mentioned, AI relies heavily on data to function effectively, which raises important questions around data privacy, security, and potential bias… not to mention the ethics of its use and data transparency, amongst other things!
However, just as important as any of those issues is the trust factor. AI isn’t here to take over HR professionals’ jobs – far from it! At its core, HR is all about people, and that human touch is something even the smartest AI can’t replicate.
What AI does do, is handle the boring stuff that holds HR teams back, and offers valuable game-changing insights to support better decision making, freeing up people and payroll professionals to focus on what really counts: creating workplaces where both people and businesses can thrive.
Paul Bauer
Paul Bauer is the Head of Content at Cezanne. Based in the Utopia of Milton Keynes (his words, not ours!) he’s worked within the employee benefits, engagement and HR sectors for over four years. He’s also earned multiple industry awards for his work – including a coveted Roses Creative Award.
