HR departments face immense pressure in delivering the technological changes needed to meet today’s dynamic work environment. AI is a powerful tool for addressing these challenges but only when implemented responsibly and strategically.
AI can be a powerful tool for business, but without the right approach it may not deliver the results that are expected. Less than a quarter of employees (24%) feel AI-literate.
AI in HR doesn’t only mean automating tasks and generating text. It is about unlocking insights, and amplifying the human decision-making process. It can be used to help leaders identify and address low engagement areas in the workplace, as well as create personalised career plans and advance solutions for retention issues.
How can organisations use AI to drive HR transformation and achieve wider organisational success using AI? Businesses need to build a solid foundation of success that includes 5 key areas.
- Build foundational AI knowledge
- Defining your company’s mission and vision
- Create a multi-functional taskforce (including HR, CIO and legal) to evaluate “should we” versus “can we”. The HR, CIO, and legal departments should evaluate “should we” or “can we”.
- Improve employee AI literacy by training
- Create a pipeline of ideas in collaboration with employees
AI must be viewed holistically to achieve these goals. To make this happen, organisations need to consider a few things.
Create a clear vision
The UK’s recent signing of an international treaty governing the use of AI has provided a more defined framework for its adoption of AI over the next few years. Businesses should also ask themselves the same question, namely what they hope to achieve through AI and how they will get there. We often see leaders, amidst the hype of AI, overpromise on its potential for efficiency and productivity, without defining the approach necessary for success.
AI in HR must focus primarily on tasks that support human-in the-loop business decisions. For organisations to unlock AI innovation on the long term, they need to be deliberate about their vision and focus on strategic investment. It is important to understand what the company wants to achieve and where AI will be most useful. This is not only about managing tasks that can be enhanced with AI but also redefining business processes around these tasks. This is the difference between 50 %. and a 5% improvement in productivity.
For companies to be successful, they should have a shared vision of the AI opportunities. Are you looking to increase efficiencies, employee retention or career opportunities for your team? It is important to understand how AI can help you achieve your goals. Once this is completed, the business can begin its journey.
Data management and training
Innovation is a huge potential on the road to AI adoption. Organisations must be cautious and prioritize data management and ethical concerns. AI is becoming more integrated into company functions. It’s important to minimize risks as AI becomes more prevalent.
Organisations must consider the appropriateness of data, implementation methods and secure storage before adopting AI. For AI to work reliably, even top-tier AI needs a transparent, unbiased and secure data base. It needs a solid foundation of trust. Unreliable AI has a significant impact on employee workflows, and can affect the products or services they offer. Research shows, for example, that ChatGPT generates the correct code only 65.2% of time. AI-generated code that is not checked in production can cause major outages or security issues.
Data bias can result in discriminatory or unfair results when AI models reflect biases found in training data. Organisations must work actively to eliminate bias from their data in order to mitigate this. To ensure that the people who are responsible for implementing AI in-house (such as data science experts) have a diverse range of perspectives, they should be well-qualified to examine results. It’s also important to look at partners who have demonstrated their ability to do this.
To avoid the GDPR’s implications, it is important to implement proper data management procedures. Due to the sensitive nature HR data, companies have a duty to use and protect it ethically while maintaining compliance. Involving employees in discussions on data usage and AI implementation promotes transparency, trust and a human-centric approach.
Employee training and guidance
AI HR is useless if the principles of AI are not disseminated properly throughout the company. Businesses must empower their employees to use AI effectively and responsibly.
Since the launch of the first GenAI products, employees have acquired digital skills through experimenting with tech outside of their team. Unchecked use of this technology can lead to organisations not being able to ensure best practices are used in order protect their business and customers. BYOAI can have unintended effects. It is great that employees are compelled to use AI within their organizations, but it’s also exciting.
Companies should invest in AI training and guidelines, regardless if they are creating their own AI tools or allowing employees to use existing ones, like ChatGPT or Llama. Employees who use large language models need to know how their data is used, and how to write better prompts to make the most of the model.
Do not rely solely on technology
Even top-notch AI will not be sustainable without proper planning and processes. Businesses should not be afraid to seek out the best tools and expertise available on the market. They must also involve their employees from the beginning of the process. It is essential to involve team members in the implementation of AI from the start. This will ensure that humans are at the forefront of the process and achieve the best possible outcomes.
