Ways AI is Changing HR Departments

“Hello, can you introduce yourself?"

“Hello! I'm ChatGPT, a product of OpenAI. I'm a machine learning model designed to understand and generate human-like text based on the input I receive. My primary function is to assist, provide information, or engage in conversations on a wide range of topics. I don't have personal experiences, feelings, or consciousness. Instead, I generate responses based on patterns and information present in the data on which I was trained.”

You can assume by now that this was the starting conversation between me and ChatGPT.

We can all agree that artificial intelligence is changing the way we work, and it will keep changing it, and eventually bring it into every area. It will open a new world of opportunities and create new jobs.

“IDC’s Future of Work 2022” research predicted that this year, 60 percent of global 2000 businesses will deploy AI and machine learning tools to support the entire employee life cycle experience. By 2024, the authors predict, 80 percent of the global 2000 organizations will use artificial intelligence or machine learning tools to hire, fire, and train employees.

On the other hand, as “Eightfold AI’s report The Future of Work: Intelligent by Design" showed, the majority of the 250 HR leaders surveyed said they are already using AI across HR functions like employee records management (78 percent), payroll processing and benefits administration (77 percent), recruitment and hiring (73 percent), performance management (72 percent), and onboarding new employees (69 percent). 

So, we can say that the “new area of AI” is already here. But how can AI help or change the HR department?

If we ask ChatGPT, it will say:

“Human resource (HR) professionals play a crucial role in managing an organization's workforce, and I can assist them in various ways. Here are some ways in which I can be helpful:

Talent acquisition is one of the key responsibilities of HR departments, but it is also one of the most difficult tasks in the HR department. First of all, unlike humans, AI is immune to stereotypes and the impact the applicant’s race, gender, or ethnicity can have on the outcome of employee screening. So, AI technology promises to streamline this process by relying on the analytical processing of huge amounts of data and matching them with job descriptions instead of individual observations. In other words, it can cross-reference hundreds of applications faster than humans and filter “superb candidates from the merely great." The recruitment process is among the most time-consuming tasks faced by HR professionals, who are, more often than not, faced with the need to cut some corners in order to get their job done on time. With little help from AI, HR professionals won’t just have more time for other tasks; they will also cut back on repeated, time-consuming, and expensive re-hiring processes.

Questions, questions, and more questions. Every HR professional will agree that answering numerous employee questions related to payment, holiday leaves, social benefits, education, training sessions, and company policies can be as time-consuming as the hiring process. This is also a part where AI technology can come in handy for the HR department. AI can be easily programmed to provide answers to everyday questions in real time. These bots can act as self-service platforms that allow HR personnel to focus on responding to more complex and urgent questions that warrant their attention.

Employee performance evaluation is a key step in every organization. It is also one of the most important tasks of the HR department. It is also common knowledge that monitoring performance generates large amounts of various data and metrics, which AI can sort out to provide HR professionals with fast access to valuable and systematized insights. These indicators can be measured against AI-designed performance objectives for each individual employee. Artificial intelligence systems can help HR personnel set grading systems for each employee and conduct periodic automated reviews with regard to set performance goals.

In the end, we can come to the conclusion that AI can't replace people, but it can help us in our everyday tasks. If we ask ChatGPT what it thinks of that, it will say:

“The role of HR professionals is diverse and multifaceted, involving aspects that require a high level of human skills, such as emotional intelligence, interpersonal communication, and strategic decision-making. While I can assist with certain tasks and provide information, I don't have the ability to replace the unique qualities and insights that human professionals bring to their roles. That said, technology, including AI, can augment the work of HR professionals by automating routine tasks, providing data insights, and streamlining processes. This can free up time for HR professionals to focus on more strategic and value-added aspects of their roles, such as talent development, employee engagement, and organizational culture.”

This content was created in collaboration between humans and AI.