What is your take on the advancements of Artificial Intelligence as a Human Resources Manager? Are you positively anticipating further breakthroughs or concerned about your future prospects?
There is an ongoing debate on the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Human Resources department. Most of the debaters paint a positive picture of Artificial Intelligence helping HR managers by making their jobs easier and smoother. They argue that AI can not take away the "human" element in Human Resources. They reason that AI is not advanced enough to imitate human traits and thus incapable of causing future trouble in the HR industry.
The other dystopian side of the argument is largely influenced by science-fiction and Hollywood. The movies have painted AI in a futuristic and exaggerated way both positively and negatively. AI has already made its way into the HR industry in recent times. The future of HR is already happening as more HRs are working alongside AI. In this article, we will check both arguments with a neutral perspective. We believe the future of HR is both digital and human until it reaches a tipping point, where AI becomes self-aware.
What is AI?
According to Britannica, "Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the ability of a computer or a robot controlled by a computer to do tasks that are usually done by humans because they require human intelligence and discernment."
AI has become increasingly relevant with technological advancements in recent times. According to Sarah Smart, VP of Global Recruiting, AI has increased their hiring speed by 85% by optimising sourcing, screening, and interview processes. AI also helped them in diversifying their talent pool and quickly identifying their high performing candidates
How Artificial Intelligence is helping HR at present
AI is already deep into the HR industries and working alongside humans. Here is how AI is currently helping HRs.
Artificial Intelligence is saving valuable time for HRs
AI is a data-driven, data-accurate computer system that can do routine jobs with exceeding efficiency in a short time. It is saving 14 hours per week of an HR job according to a survey. AI can be implemented in a variety of HR roles.
AI can craft job descriptions for a vacant post with surprising efficiency. Crafting a job description, and posting it on several job boards and websites is a time-consuming task for HR. With AI tools at their disposal, the HR department can considerably shorten and ease the process. HR departments are already using AI tools like Textio to become productive with these heavy time-consuming tasks.
For every job posting, dozens to hundreds of applications can come in depending on the quality of the job description, the company and the popularity of the job board. If the job is posted on multiple platforms, the applicant numbers can reach thousands. Sifting through such a large number of applicants can take most of the time from HR teams.
If sifting through the applications is time-consuming, then applicant tracking and background checks after shortlisting may seem like an eternity. Scheduling interview rounds with multiple candidates at multiple locations can be an organising nightmare for HR. However, AI tools like X.ai help with these tasks and give relief to HR departments that undertake large employment drives.
Artificial Intelligence saves time on digital forms by cutting resumes enter info
AI helps job applicants to smartly update resume information with seamless integration. Often, multiple job boards require the same information to be typed multiple times during the signup, and job applying stages. This can considerably affect the time availability of an applicant. With such a challenge, deserving candidates choose and settle for only a few job boards and sites to apply for. This can lead to quality losses in talent acquisition as well-deserved candidates might become unaware of the job postings that fit them. AI can be used to ease this process with smart digital forms, better search filtering and skill or trait driven job matching.
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They help in employees referral and their quality
More often than not, companies rely on their current workforce references to choose an employee for a new posting. The psychological association between the referrer and referral becomes a strong binding force that might help in employee retention. Keeping track of such referrals can make the hiring process simpler. This can help in identifying the employees who refer high-performing candidates. All these can be optimised with automation software and AI tools.
AI chatbots
AI Chatbots are a new trend in the internet industry. Customer care jobs are largely redundant with the advent of chatbot alternatives. However, chatbots are making the lives of HR personnel easier by attending to new employee queries on a 24/7 service. HRs are the first relations between a new employee and a company. As they are the sole information source for the first few days, new employee queries can overwhelm HR. By automating such common queries, HRs save valuable time. Popular HR AI tools like Talla are helping HRs in saving valuable time spent in such cases.
Apart from this, AI chatbots keep engagement alive and help HRs with employee onboarding and training. AI tools can also help in scheduling and coaching a new employee with precision.
AI can track employee satisfaction
AI is also helping in the training, productivity, and quality of work of the current workforce.
9 in 10 employees are looking for meaning in their work according to a study by Harvard Business Review. And they are willing to trade their earnings for meaning and satisfaction from the work they do. In a recent poll, 1614 North American employees voted that access to natural light and outdoor views are their number one workplace attribute. This outranks other workplace attributes like onsite cafeterias, fitness centres, and childcare centres. Amazon's The Spheres is a good example of this with 40,000 curated plants at their premises.
These kinds of trends or employee needs pose a challenge for HR professionals in employee retention. The Great Resignation just after the pandemic shows how hard it is for companies to prevent walkouts. However, HRs are coping with this challenge with a variety of methods like job rotation within the company. This sheds light on the need for measuring employee satisfaction in their jobs. AI makes this easier for HRs by tracking employee satisfaction and happiness, HRs are considerably altering the course towards the great escape.
AI helps create company culture
AI is deployed in measuring and maintaining the current statistics by the company workforce. Key performance indicators (KPI), employee absence, and the size of the workforce in each shift are largely measured by AI and optimised further for company growth. AI is also helping in maintaining and promoting the company culture with regular updates, training schedules, and critical analysis. Tools like Culture Amp are working behind the scenes to create a better company culture through these analytics.
AI reduces hiring bias
AI filters can eliminate common human errors like subconscious biases. This makes the hiring process transparent and fair. HR professionals can trust AI tools with providing relevant results to match the job description. These AI tools can be optimised with education levels, the number of years in experience, and key skills required for the current job. HRs can trust AI to provide data-driven and highly relevant results.
On a side note, however, this can harm the prospects of deserving candidates that lack one or two key metrics set by the AI. For example, if a senior professional has all the necessary set of skills, and experience, surpassing expectations with career achievements, but still lacks an academic qualification, the AI is susceptible to ignoring such worthy candidates. This might become a downfall of the senior professional as the future is going to be highly AI-dependent in talent acquisition and shortlisting.
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Should we be concerned regarding its future?
With all the buzz about "work with AI" or "hybrid workspaces", one cannot help but wonder if AI can take away the HR jobs in the near future. As AI automates more and more HR tasks every day, it isn't hard to wonder if anything will be left that cannot be automated. Just like many other industry workers, even HRs are feeling uncertain anxiety over the future of their careers as they hear about AI, machine learning, and big data. With each advancement in AI, the thousands of other jobs that are getting lost are creating unrest in HR circles.
For the time being, HR software, along with the whole artificial intelligence industry, are not advanced enough to replace creative, psychological, and analytical jobs. They may never will. The human element that is prevalent in the HR industry is still a sour grape for AI to learn or imitate. HR skills like fast and slow thinking, decision-making, intuition, emotional intelligence, communication, coaching, prioritisation, and teamwork will take revolutionary advances in AI R&D.
The artificial intelligence industry can become a serious threat to the HR industry as well as humanity only when the machines develop truly human-like skills and traits such as those listed above. By then, HRs won't be the only professionals that must fear AI. The day when AI becomes self-aware will be a day that must be dreaded by all of humanity.
The fact depends on 3 key factors
How advanced is AI to replace HR?
AI is currently capable of many things. In a meeting, Facebook’s head of AI, Yann Lecun, said that robots are currently behind rats, in terms of unfocused intelligence. However, it is a fact that rats are among the top 10 most intelligent species in the world (Source:Petkeen) even for such a small brain.
AI needs millions of data points as inputs to learn and optimise a task. In some cases like chess or GO, this trait outshines human intelligence. Yet, in most other skills, this need becomes the drawback of AI. Even with cloud computing and high-speed connectivity, AI's capability to think and decide will take the backseat. Along with this, data-driven AI is vulnerable to algorithm manipulation. There is no way for the AI to decide the credibility of its data input. These downsides make AI incapable of overtaking the complete hiring process. It is incapable of knowing which candidate's attitude, and personality is better for the company's growth. The best HRs make a hire for personal qualities rather than for what is on the candidate's resume.
How receptive are employers to let AI take HR jobs?
Starting from the wheel and fire to machines and computers, inventions were made to help humanity to evolve together. It is certainly the case with Artificial Intelligence. Yet, the risk remains as a hanging sword overhead. The misuse of atomic energy, chemical weapons, and genetic engineering have all been standing proof of how technology can be a tool in the hands of immorality.
However, according to a 2019 report by Oracle, 65% of workers are optimistic about AI, robot co-workers. 60% of Indian and 56% of Chinese workers are most excited about AI while only 20% of UK and 8% of French workers are excited about AI. In light of this, workers are eager to let AI take over their routine jobs. And the HR jobs will further evolve.
How economical it will be to let AI take the HR wheel?
As every technology is measured in how it transforms humanity, AI too should be put to the test with the basic human governing laws. With Human Resources Management, it is critical to know the economical value of this evolving technology. How many jobs it eliminates, how many jobs it creates, and at what price or at whose expense these technologies are going to get implemented - all play a major role in their popularity. The complex economical interrelations between the industries will be the decisive factor when AI can finally be ready to take on a complete employment drive. But funnily, one such AI employment drive without human interaction means AI is already developed enough to take over most if not all of the human jobs! Humanity will have reached a certain stage where it won't need to work anymore if it comes true.
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Conclusion
At the end of the day, AI is still not developed enough to threaten Human Resources Management. However, no one can deny that technological advancements in these fields are taking baby steps toward self-awareness. Considering the current pace, this will take decades, if not centuries to become a reality. Until that time, it will be increasingly relevant to work with AI and other technologies. Until the dreaded self-awareness of the AI, the technology can help HR with optimisation and productivity boost. It will take away routine and predictable jobs as is already happening. But it can also create other opportunities for HRs where more creative, human elements are appreciated. This might lead to adventurous explorations in the HR management sector.
So, becoming technology-literate and being open to new trends is critical at this point in human history. An AI-ready HR department can turn the tables in your favour. You can prepare yourself for the future of AI with a prestigious UK Masters degree in Human Resources Management through SNATIKA! Visit SNATIKA to know more about our program benefits. Read this blog to learn more - Masters in Human Resource Management: Why You Should Apply?