There’s been a lot of chatter about AI lately (in HR as well as broadly) – what it can do, how to use it, and even discussions about it taking over our jobs.
For me, AI is a way to become more efficient without losing the human connection. We’re in the People business, and while AI is a powerful tool, the human connection makes our work matter.
Efficiency is crucial when juggling recruiting, onboarding, compliance, payroll, and everything else HR throws your way. I previously used Asana to keep things organized for onboarding. However, many setup steps, like creating accounts, adding employees to systems, or generating paperwork, can be automated with AI-powered tools like Zapier.
I still use Asana, but have reduced the number of repetitive tasks I’m required to do daily. By automating these repetitive tasks, I’ve freed up time to refine processes, improve employee experience, and focus on strategic projects.
HR has always known the value of data. AI makes it easier to quantify and translate people-focused data and its impact on business.
For example, instead of spending hours figuring out formulas in spreadsheets, I use AI to help write complex formulas to calculate turnover by department and tenure. I also use it to automate surveys, collect responses, and update dashboards that show leadership quantifiable data that can help us make better decisions.
Instead of relying on to-do lists, Slack reminders, and a good memory, I can now utilize AI to help me make the employee experience more consistent and elevated.
I used to remember birthdays and workiversaries, put reminders on my calendar, ping managers on Slack, and schedule gifts. Now, AI tools automatically send a celebratory Slack message and queue the company gift right on time.
These small touches, done consistently, help employees feel seen and valued, all without adding to my packed to-do list
Saving time where I can with AI also helps me come up with new ideas to keep our remote team connected and infuse some fun into the day. It might sound unintuitive for a People-focused professional to be touting the values of AI, but used strategically, it’s helped me focus my time where I can make a bigger impact.