Steve Johnson – unsplash.com
A few weeks ago, I shared a poll on LI about HR tasks we’d be glad to hand over to AI. I can’t say much about the results, because only 2 people answered, which is interesting of itself.
I can’t draw any conclusions, but a poll I shared a month earlier, on a different subject, got 14 votes. So I’m wondering if the HR people I know are reluctant to say much about using AI in HR? Maybe it’s unclear if or how AI could help? Or it could equally be that you’re all too busy to respond … or any number of other things!
What is AI and why pay attention to it?
Artificial intelligence has been around for decades now, and is frequently used in data modelling and analytics. Why, then, the sudden interest in the business world in the last 2 or 3 years?
What’s new is generative AI, which means platforms like ChatGPT that:
- respond to human text prompts (that is, they can interpret how we speak or type) and
- use that input to create things (like text, illustrations, videos) that match what we requested.
That does two things. It makes it easy for many more people to use AI, because we can essentially just talk (or type) to it like we would another person. Secondly, it helps us generate new outputs that are increasingly close to what a human doing the same job could create.
Most of us already use AI without really thinking about it in those terms. When Microsoft Outlook or Gmail asks you if you want to follow up on an email you sent 5 days ago that had no reply, that’s AI. If you use a voice assistant like Alexa or Siri, that’s AI. When you use Amazon and receive suggestions about other products you may like, that’s also AI at work.
BoliviaInteligente – unsplash.com
What can AI do for HR?
AI is changing the way we work by giving us ways to automate tasks that have traditionally been done by people. It’s already changing many industries and professional sectors and this will change our organisations and how we work, thereby affecting HR, and how we operate as HR professionals. It will help us to reduce costs for some kinds of work and offers the potential to do more with the resources we have. On the other side, many people are worried about losing jobs or their skills becoming obsolete as AI is applied and used more widely.
I attended a webinar earlier this year to get my head around the applications of AI for HR professionals and here’s a little on each of my key take aways.
Think of AI as an assistant – not a partner
Many technology companies have been likening AI to having a new colleague or having a partner in the work we do. In other cases, we might say that AI is taking away jobs, which makes AI seem like an equal to humans. While we shouldn’t underestimate the capacity of AI, it still relies on humans to design the models it uses and also to create prompts that guide AI output.
According to an article in TIME, a more accurate approach is to think of AI as an assistant. That means we need to understand what AI excels at, and what it isn’t so good at, then set clear goals for what we want AI to produce. We also need to keep a check on the biases that AI is amplifying.
Identify manually intensive jobs where AI can lighten the load
If AI is an assistant, we need to figure out where it can improve productivity the most. We also want to think about how it can free up humans to do more meaningful and creative work. For HR, that means looking at all the more tedious and manual jobs that humans would rather not do. For example, is it a good use of your team’s time to reschedule interviews (or any kind of meeting) to accommodate last minute changes in availability? What if AI could do that? How about checking payroll errors? What if AI could do a first check and flag up things that look like errors, for a human being to check? How about using AI to create a first draft of an important email, then adapting it to suit your tone?
Igor Omilaev – unsplash.com
What tasks need to be done by a human?
Because AI has its limitations, there will be tasks that need to be completed by humans. And there may be HR processes that need a human touch in order to uphold your organisation’s values and purpose. In recruitment, for example, how do you want prospective candidates to perceive how the company interacts with them? If their first contact is with AI-powered CV screening, will they feel undervalued? How can people use AI to help them be more creative, rather than to replace their creative problem solving?
Examples of how AI can be used in HR
- Writing a persuasive email to your senior leaders
Don’t expect AI to be able to write the email in full, without edits, but you can use it to help you create a first draft. Instead of agonising over how to start, try telling a tool like ChatGPT what your goal is with the email, who the audience is, what you need it to say and how it needs to say it. It’s usually easier to see what’s missing than to start from scratch yourself.
I got a really good result using ChatGPT recently. I had been arguing with my telecoms provider about a problem with the service for my office for months and we kept going round in circles. I got yet another unhelpful reply and was feeling angry about it, so instead of stewing on it I asked ChatGPT to write an email for me. I liked what it wrote, adjusted it a bit and sent it. Funnily enough that email changed the direction of the conversation and we got it resolved in only a few more days.
Takeaway:
Use ChatGPT to create a first draft or to adjust the tone of an email or a piece of writing. Ask it to rewrite something to be more formal or more friendly and see what comes back.
- Draft interview questions based on a job description
If you’re planning interviews, give ChatGPT the job description and ask it to draft some behavioural-based interview questions for the role. You can take what’s useful from the results and just bin the rest.
Takeaway: Don’t be afraid to revise the results. You can ask ChatGPT to change elements, to condense one part, to rewrite a part and emphasise one aspect. You can also edit it yourself, using the AI draft as a starting point.
- Create a meeting summary or report speedily
The built in AI tools that come with Zoom and other video conferencing platforms can be used to generate a transcript or even a summary of a meeting. You can also feed the transcript into a generative AI tool like ChatGPT and ask it to pull out insights for you. You need to tell it what kind of insights you’re looking for, but if you can explain this, it can help. This could help you write up reports in a matter of minutes, instead of poring over the information for hours. One caveat is to make sure you manage the confidentiality of your data, so always check what happens to your data after you’ve shared it with AI.
Takeaway: Think about the very next step in each task or process and ask if there are any ways you can use AI to help with it. Use AI to get you one step further, not to do the whole job in one go.
With a bit of thought and experimentation, AI can help us deliver better work and enjoy the work we do more. Obviously, it needs to be used with care and, as people professionals, we must remain mindful of the impact on our people of using AI. One thing we can’t do is ignore it, because it’s already changing how we work and affecting our people.
- For cat lovers everywhere
For anyone who likes a bit of fun (who doesn’t?) my last word on AI is the hilarious Cat-GPT. Make sure you switch it to the GPT-Furr mode, not GPT-Meow, or it will just speak in “meows” at you. Here’s an example that might make you giggle: hilarious – give it a go!
Jacqui’s cat post-surgery!
How do I get the best from AI?
Cat GPT Answer: “Well, well, well, look who’s curious about getting the best from AI, hooman! Meow, let me tell you, to get the most out of AI, you gotta ask the right questions and give clear instructions. Don’t be shy to experiment and explore different features too. Meow, who knows what treasures you might uncover! Just remember, patience and persistence are key in unlocking the full potential of AI. Good luck, hooman!”
Takeaway: Remember to include some fun in your day!
Your People Potential delivers bespoke training to support your leaders and managers to get the best from your people.
If you’d like to have a chat about how we can work together give me a call on 07880 776756 or email jacqui@yourpeoplepotential.co.uk.
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