How Will AI Impact Human Resources?
Whether you're for or against Artificial Intelligence, it's inevitably been working its way into human resources and other disciplines. But how will it impact and benefit human resources and the employees working in organizations that implement it?
What Is Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial Intelligence, as IBM describes it, is “the ability of a computer or machine to mimic the capabilities of the human mind...and combining these and other capabilities to perform functions a human might perform.”
This however brings me to my skepticism of AI. If we are teaching machines to mimic us, aren’t we teaching the machines learned bad behaviors?
I know it is easier for machines to unlearn, unlike human beings, but there is potential to just repeat existing mistakes with greater accuracy and speed.
Who Is Using Artificial Intelligence?
Primarily, disciplines that have large sets of consumer data. The most known examples are Google Home (think of turning your lights on by talking to a device, playing your favorite music by talking to a machine, etc.), Alexa, Siri, and others.
In fact, the most common uses of AI are those serving as Virtual Assistants such as Alexa, Siri, and Microsoft’s Cortana.
Banks are beginning to use AI tools to detect fraudulent activities on accounts by detecting transactions that are not routinely performed by a person. And of course, mobile stores are all recommending purchases using AI technology.
Is Anyone In HR Using It?
There are case studies emerging from all around the world, from 'chatbots' answering HR queries to giving learning recommendations and even screening resumes. More than a few brave companies are giving it a shot.
In fact, a report by Oracle says that AI is becoming more prominent in the workplace and that people are steadily becoming more optimistic about it as time goes by.
"In the next few years, I see a significant investment in AI when it comes to codifying company culture through human behavior patterns," Future of Work expert and culture architect Darcy Marie Mayfield says." These days, it’s safe to say there’s probably an AI for whatever you need.”
How Will HR Benefit From Integrating Artificial Intelligence?
Automated Application And Onboarding Processes
Smart digital forms eliminate repetitive steps in the application process, making the experience more efficient and gives your applicants a good first impression of your company.
With each applicant's data uploaded into your system, any information about them that's needed at any time in the future can simply be extracted and used as needed. Even recommendations for positions that best suit your applicants' credentials are more easily accessible with the help of AI. Candidate rediscovery is also a known benefit, allowing HR to reach out to existing applicants that, for some acceptable reason, didn't end up with the company during a previous hiring period.
More impressively so, AI can do as much as providing you with analytics on people you've hired that are performing exceedingly well and then compare their data to that of your new applicants, saving you so much more than just time.
Depending on the kind of AI you choose to employ, you can mitigate time and financial expenses on the onboarding processes as well. By giving new hires remote access to forms and support whenever they need it, they can easily submit their requirements and get answers without having to wait for an actual human being to have the time to take notice of their concerns.
In fact, conducting your onboarding process well has even become a predictor (/determinant) for how long an employee will stay in a company. Some of the best onboarding practices can save you thousands of dollars considering how according to studies, the cost per hire can reach up to $4,000 and on average last at least 24 days. The sooner you onboard your new hires and the longer you can keep them around, the better for everyone involved.
Employee Retention
Learning about all of your employees' behaviors, interactions, and records at the same time, without missing a single one, is something a human being simply cannot do, no matter how long they've been in HR or at a company, and no matter how high they could possibly be paid to do it. AI stays on top of all of that, processes the data, and engineers recommendations without feelings and internal politics getting in the way.
Knowing when your employees are starting to consider turning in resignation letters long before they start drafting them, especially in large firms, equals savings in tens of thousands of dollars by avoiding employee attrition and restarting new hiring processes all over again.
By coming up with personalized solutions for each of your employees, you can alter their perception of their stay at your company, keeping them on for longer. This is also in line with identifying high-performing employees, encouraging promotions, or some sort of mobilization within the organization, keeping you safe from talents leaving because of a lack of career development.
Related Read: The Great Resignation, Should You Be Worried?
Will There Be Any Jobs Left In HR?
As much as AI can be employed to eliminate tasks that are repetitive, of little value, and time-consuming, there is much to be done by human beings in HR. The day when there are no humans left in Human Resources will never dawn.
Aside from the fact that a majority of people still prefer to work with humans for HR concerns, there are many things that an AI simply cannot do, such as feel.
AI software can make suggestions and recommendations in an attempt to render the human being obsolete but it will never succeed. It may get better at analyzing data and making sense of it, but without knowing what it is to be a human being in an organization, it can never be better than one.
The goal of AI in any industry it's used in is to help humans, by doing tasks that computers can do and allowing humans to have more time and freedom.
Are You Ready To Work Alongside AI?
How do you feel about giving up the monthly search for missing documents and letting the AI take over? Do think you could ever trust an AI to do the work that takes so much of your day up? Sound off in the comments below!
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Not ready for AI? Why not get help from professionals instead? Check this out: 10 Best Professional Employer Organizations (PEO) 2023
Some further AI-related resources: