By now, it’s clear to us that AI is not just a passing trend, but it’s here to stay, whether we like it or not. Luckily, most of us can agree that AI has a lot of benefits. Not just in our personal lives, but professionally as well. There are many cases of managers and HR leaders utilizing AI to ease their workload and free up their time. AI in HR is becoming more commonplace and is transforming the way teams manage their HR processes. Fortunately, we can say goodbye to manual, repetitive tasks and rely on AI technology to speed up our processes. Let’s take a deep dive into how HR can leverage AI and what benefits can HR professionals expect.
📌 Bonus: We’ve got a free eBook for an in-depth guide to how AI-powered systems are transforming HR.
What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
AI stands for artificial intelligence. It refers to technology that performs tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as learning, problem-solving, decision-making, responding to language, and interpreting images and other sources of information.
Examples of AI include:
- Virtual assistants such as Siri and Alexa
- Language translation applications such as Google Translate
- Email host filtering spam and blocking unwanted emails
- Systems that make recommendations, such as those on Amazon and Netflix
Types of AI
When discussing capability, there are three different types of AI that people refer to:
- Narrow AI, also known as Weak AI, includes systems designed for a specific task, so its capabilities are limited to that area. An example of Narrow AI would be recommendation engines or spam filters.
- In comparison, General AI (or AGI) is known as Strong AI because it has human-like intelligence that solves problems without training.
- People also talk about Super AI or Artificial Superintelligence (ASI). ASI does not yet exist, but refers to the theoretical position where AI surpasses human intelligence across several areas.
The following specific types of AI support the work of HR teams:
- Conversational AI – natural language processing (NLP) powers chatbots and virtual assistants who provide instant support to employees and candidates.
- Voice technology – synthetic human-like speech generated by AI can respond to employee requests, read policy documents or books for those who need support, and provide voice-overs for training and development content.
- Generative AI – large datasets of tools such as ChatGPT and Copilot that can create job descriptions and learning materials and conduct personalized outreach during recruitment drives.
- Machine learning – learns from existing data to identify trends and predict the workforce, for example, whether candidates are a good fit and if someone is likely to leave.
- Automation AI – outsources complex administrative tasks that traditional automation technology cannot fulfill, such as screening CVs for specific keywords and comparing candidates against particular criteria.
How is AI used in HR?
More and more HR professionals are looking into ways to use AI in HR. From recruitment, talent management, to employee engagement & retention, there’s a way to leverage AI. Let’s see how AI systems are enabling HR teams to make more of a strategic impact and reduce their manual workload.
Recruitment
- Screen resumes and remove information that may lead to bias in decision-making (e.g. name, gender, age).
- Allows job descriptions to be posted on multiple job boards at the same time
- Chatbots to answer queries from candidates.
- Analyze aspects of body language and vocabulary in video interviews.
- Takes notes and centralizes all candidate communication and information.
Related: See how these HR managers use AI to streamline their daily tasks and boost efficiency. *Spoiler* AI is a game-changer throughout their recruitment period.
Onboarding & Offboarding
- Chatbots answer employees’ questions.
- Automatic assistants guide recruits through the necessary paperwork and training requirements.
- Machine learning can suggest the best training and development programs based on the employee’s needs.
- Reminds new hires to complete tasks and upload vital documents.
- Simplifies the onboarding process by automating the process.
Employee Satisfaction & Retention
- AI technology can analyze feedback, absenteeism rates, and employee productivity to understand trends in employee engagement and predict issues in retention.
- Chatbots provide immediate 24/7 support on HR policies, benefits, and management queries.
- Generate custom reports to understand key metrics regarding employee retention and workforce data, for example.
Learning & Development
- Generative AI can personalize career development plans based on skills and career goals, making them more attractive to employees and increasing retention rates.
- Voice technology creates artificial coaches or trainers to provide training.
- AI tools in HR can help identify skills gaps within the workforce.
Performance Management
- Tracks performance, monitors employee growth, and suggests feedback where appropriate.
- Facilities 360-degree feedback by automating the collection of insights from peers, managers, and self-assessments.
- Data-driven analysis of productivity measures reduces manager bias.
Payroll & Benefits
- Automation supports accurate and timely payments.
- AI-driven tools can detect anomalies in payroll data.
- Generative AI can create personalized benefit plans for individual employees.
Compliance
- Automation can track changes to laws and ensure necessary changes to working practices are flagged.
- Machine learning detects language that may be discriminatory.
- Chatbots can provide real-time feedback on questions about compliance.
Benefits of AI in HR
In recent years, AI has significantly changed how HR leaders approach their daily work. There are several benefits to utilizing AI to simplify your HR processes. In many ways, AI has created efficiencies in HR departments and enabled them to be more strategic with their human resources procedures. Let’s take a look at how AI technology is allowing HR professionals to say goodbye to their time-consuming tasks.
- AI applications can automate repetitive tasks, which saves teams valuable time and allows HR leaders to add personalized touches to their work that they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to. These tasks include screening resumes, responding to employee queries, and scheduling interviews.
- Throughout the hiring process, AI can simplify your recruitment tasks from publishing job descriptions to multiple job boards at one time, summarizing candidates’ experiences, and taking notes during interviews.
- Automation tools and auto-fill reduce the chance of human errors entering your HRIS or business management software.
- Generate custom reports and HR analytics quickly, where AI can identify patterns and present data-driven insights so you can make well-informed decisions.
- Generative AI tools can help HR teams quickly create personalized learning and development programs so you can upskill your workforce.
- AI tools can support HR teams by using the data available to track employee performance over different periods and understand skills gaps and issues in succession and talent pipelines, so that there is a more detailed understanding of the workforce.
- Various HR AI tools can also help to identify patterns and flag anomalies, which can help ensure better compliance with employment law and company policies.
- AI tools can support high-quality remote and hybrid work by keeping track of productivity and engagement in teams wherever they are based. This enhances visibility and allows HR leaders to make decisions to create a positive workplace culture.
- Significant cost savings through the automation of routine tasks. Additionally, it reduces the manpower required throughout the recruitment, retention, and training processes and allows for smaller HR teams to have a comprehensive HR strategy.
Additional resources: Download this free AI eBook for an in-depth guide. It outlines how to leverage artificial intelligence at your workplace and kick-starts you to start boosting efficiency in your organization with AI.
Future AI trends in HR
AI technology is developing and evolving so quickly, it can be hard to accurately predict the future of AI in HR. However, we can expect the following trends:
- Greater personalization and customization capabilities that can predict employee burnout, well-being issues, and offer real-time feedback rather than waiting for quarterly performance evaluations.
- HR leaders will be able to rely on predictive analytics to anticipate workplace trends like turnover, talent shortages, and employee performance issues.
- More AI-human partnerships where AI tools guide leaders and managers to make the best decisions for their teams. Whether that’s throughout the hiring process, onboarding process, or wherever – AI can provide valuable insights, allowing HR professionals to boost their organizational success.
Overall, AI in HR is a game-changer for businesses around the world. As we’ve mentioned, AI is not just a passing trend, so it’s time for companies to leverage AI to stay ahead of the curve. The benefits are clear, and those who embrace AI in their HR practices will be better positioned for success in the years to come.
