There was a time when artificial intelligence (AI) was the subject of science fiction movies and doomsday predictions, worrying that it would take over the world and run riot. That has not quite happened, though AI is visibly changing workplaces faster than we realize and possibly could have imagined. The impact has been visible – and is still ongoing – in almost every industry, profession, and vertical, and HR is no exception.
What exactly is AI?
AI is a technology that uses previously collected data to teach computers and let them take or recommend actions. When it comes to HR, there is much that AI can do to streamline processes and improve their results.
Does HR stand to gain from AI?
It does. According to the “AI@Work Study 2019” survey by Oracle and Future Workplace, human resource professionals believe AI can bring up opportunities to master new skills and gain more free time. The latter can be used to work on strategic decisions and to work to expand their roles within their organizations.
Of the HR leaders who participated in the survey, 81% said that keeping up with the pace of changing technology at work was a challenge. This also implies that for a successful HR career, it is important to understand the mechanics of how AI is changing the industry and in particular, the field of HR.
The adoption of AI in HR is most certainly happening, but at differing rates across different organizations. Clearly, its impact on the field will only rise as its acceptance goes up. This makes it imperative for HR professionals to stay a step ahead by:
- Understanding the technology
- Getting a sense of its applicability across functions
Administrative tasks can be automated
A major concern in an HR career is the load from repetitive, low-value tasks. Duties such as benefits administration, pre-screening of applications, interview scheduling, and more can easily be automated. This frees up time to spend on strategic thinking and decision-making and can help the HR department become a strategic business partner for top management.
Recruitment and onboarding can be improved
AI may be making its way into this first touchpoint of a candidate with a human resource professional, but not many organizations are on board yet. The 2019 Global Human Capital Trends survey from Deloitte indicated that just 6% of respondents believed their recruitment processes to be best-in-class in technology. This is yet another indicator of the massive potential for AI in HR. The different sub-tasks that stand to benefit are explained below:
- Application: AI can help to design more user-friendly application forms that an applicant is likely to fill up, thus lowering the rate of abandonment and streamlining the entire process. For the candidate, the form becomes simple and more meaningful, which pushes the completion rate upward.
- Candidate rediscovery: AI can use a database of past applicants to analyze the best fits for newly-opened roles, looking at more than fresh applications. This saves time and expenses on searching for fresh talent and helps to locate qualified candidates quickly and efficiently.
- Onboarding: AI can allow this to happen beyond just standard business hours. Chatbots and remote support applications can provide HR support at any time and place, letting candidates complete the process at their own convenience and minimizing the administrative burden too.
Employee retention and internal mobility stand to gain
Another task that also comes up during an HR career is that of retaining employees and facilitating their movement to other roles within the organization. This could be done in the following ways:
- Measuring engagement and satisfaction: Personalized surveys for feedback and employee recognition systems help to know more about how engaged and motivated an employee feels on the job. This is a great way to understand what employees want and to figure out how to best retain them.
- Performance assessment: AI can evaluate key indicators of the work performance of employees, on whose basis the human resource professional can determine the best people to promote to higher roles.
- Predicting employee turnover: This is a key concern for most organizations, and AI can also use its monitoring of work performance to judge who is most likely to exit the organization. HR can then take the necessary steps to address the situation so that attrition goes down.
Get ahead with a talent management certification from TMI
Candidates looking to make a successful career in HR often choose from among the best HR certifications. For a bigger impact, increasingly there is a choice to get credentialed by the Talent Management Institute (TMI). Known for being the first independent professional Talent Management certifications founded on a robust Talent Management knowledge standards-framework, these are invaluable for a human resource professional. They testify that the person has excellent potential in Talent Management roles because of top-notch training and education, along with excellent knowledge.
For anyone working in the HR department and looking to grow into Talent Management roles, along with knowing how to best leverage the benefits of AI and other technological advancements, TMI’s revolutionary credentials are the top choice!