Artificial Intelligence in HR Processes is The New Norm

“AI will augment HR and give HR time to work on more strategic business issues. The opportunity is to use AI to streamline HR manual processes and provide a more consumer-grade service to employees,” said Jeanne Meister, co-author, The Future Workplace Experience, The People Space.

The implications from Artificial Intelligence (AI), one of the industry 4.0 technologies is surfacing the workplace too. One in five employees will be working with a digital assistant powered by AI by the year 2022, predicts Gartner’s research. When becomes real, it will disrupt HR functions for sure. Though many executives are not prepared, Human Resource (HR) leaders believe that Artificial Intelligence and automation will create a major impact on HR functions over the next five years.

This article focuses on conversational AI capabilities for HR transactions and how this technology integrates securely.

AI capabilities for HR transactions:

The organization’s success depends on how people, process, and technology blend together to deliver transformational value. Artificial intelligence analyzes the humongous data generated by learning machines in the cloud. It helps to derive better insights for execution and operation.

Artificial Intelligence automates several back-office functions for reliable service delivery. It eliminates repetitive manual tasks, accelerates talent search, improves employee engagement, and reduce employee attrition. The algorithms simulate human behaviors and react faster to draw insights, inferences, and thus redefine work experience.

AI has the potential to improve HR processes in three important areas. They include:

• AI in Talent Acquisition
• AI in Operations
• AI in Employee Experience

AI in Recruitment or Talent Acquisition

Several companies have already implemented ‘AI recruiters.’ AI recruiters make candidate sourcing, screening, lead nurturing, profile matching, and onboarding tasks easier. AI-augmented job descriptions are inclusive without gender-coded languages and attract more candidates through search results.

Implement AI in recruitment to:

• Model talent pipeline
• Predict high-performing recruits
• Filter and track candidates
• Source best-fit candidates through resume analysis
• Support applicant interactions through chatbots
• Identify at-risk talent through attrition modeling

AI improves efficiency, facilitates HR leaders to spend more time converting candidates to hires and overcome human-bias in decision making. A study shows that companies using AI-augmented software increased the efficiency of the talent acquisition process by 16%.

AI in HR operations

Artificial Intelligence automates standard HR processes and helps the team to focus on more strategic work. It triages employees’ questions, requests, and benefits management. It facilitates HR members and managers to access employee data per authorization, request analytical and key performance indicators, and other information. Bots automate all the back-office and enterprise operations via a common plug-in.

Implement AI in HR operations to:

• Know headcount and top performers
• Know pending transactions
• Plan digital training opportunities for employees
• Track performance management
• Workforce planning
• People Analytics
• Career pathing like leadership and promotion
• Identify employees on the way out
• Automate compensation and payroll

AI software performed administrative tasks with 19% more effectiveness, eightfold study reports. Implicit Association Test (IAT) removes language bias and unconscious bias and help employers to be inclusive.

AI in employee experience

Artificial Intelligence acts as a catalyst between business and employee interaction. It facilitates brands to connect with employees and clients as well. It helps employees on business-conduct guidelines, update personal information on behalf of HR, skill -gap assessment, schedule and follow training programs.

Implement AI in employee experience for:

• Intelligent surveys
• Real-time feedback platform
• Rewards and recognition
• Performance management
• Personalized messaging and communication
• Answer employees pressing questions
• Promote personalized learning pathways
• Promote e-learning development

AI technology fulfills the expectations of the employees and makes organizations stand out from others. It provides an ‘unconscious level’ of information by analyzing people’s statements, intentions, and behavior to validate employee experience on a day-to-day basis.

This provides the chief human resource officers (CHROs) a new dimension to strategic workforce planning and makes a sincere attempt toward employee attrition. IBM’s refined AI technology predicts which employee may plan to quit and gives the higher authority to introduce retention efforts.

Moving forward, let us look into the popular AI applications.

Popular AI Applications for Human Resource Professionals

Here is a list of a few AI applications designed to make the HR leaders’ jobs easier.

• TextRecruit is a customizable chatbot to decrease hiring process time
• GoHire automates interview scheduling and text recruiting
• Workday helps the HR team to analyze key metrics and leverage employee potential
• Ascendify Aspire collects information about employee skills, visualize career growth, and suggests matching the job profile
• Everwise identifies skill gaps and suggests learning pathways
• Textio predicts the performance of job postings and improves effectiveness in real time
• HealthJoy provides healthcare concierge service and improves employee engagement
• X.ai schedule employee meetings when asked for a schedule

Challenges to use AI in HR processes

AI means data. So, data should get stored and managed. There is a necessity of transparency and governance guidelines for the participating HR professionals. Moreover, additional talent and training are required to operate and maintain AI software.

The use of AI is not to guide the actions of HR professionals, but to accelerate their processes. The AI algorithms must get customized as per company’s requirements. Customization is another challenge.

Though HR tech trends is a welcoming approach, modern HR managers and HR leaders’ concern is how human-centric management can get introduced while using AI. The final call must be always the decision-makers. Personal knowledge about the employee team and empathy must be the deciding factor for making decisions.

Finding a balance between these two is not an easy task.

In a nutshell, HR needs People

It is an undeniable act that HR directors and the organization know their employees better than Artificial Intelligence. AI cannot dictate HR processes but can improve the automation processes of repetitive tasks and give room for taking part in other strategic efforts.

The human aspect of human resources cannot get neglected. The final hiring decisions, finding ways to keep employees engaged, and promotion benefits and all HR processes must pass through the human mind alone before taking decisions.

Also, not every CHROs or the best HR leaders are comfortable with implementing AI software in their organization. AI is nothing but a tool to explore.

We also know that our futuristic workplace is digital as technical innovations disrupt our way of life. The change must reflect in the professional environment too.

It is critical to avoid resisting the change and getting left behind. Businesses ought to take the chance to stay ahead of the curve.

It is crucial to use AI to gain a competitive advantage while keeping the human factor ‘human’ and give the organization all the chance to succeed in this new age era.