Artificial Intelligence has grown significantly in the last decade. It has been successful in revolutionizing the way a number of businesses are operated on a day-to-day basis. Lately, there has been a major surge in rapid innovations all across the world. Latest innovations have observed the development of computer and software programs that are capable of ‘thinking.’ These software and computer programs are capable of interacting with the environment and reacting accordingly.
The modern smart range of utilities is able to carry out complex tasks, including speech recognition, learning, sensory reception, reasoning, problem-solving, and so more. The major evolution taking place in the Artificial Intelligence realm is effectively transforming the Human Resources industry. While HR departments are expected to think reactionary instead of being strategic, still the importance of Artificial Intelligence in this industry is highly immersive.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial Intelligence is the ability of modern machines to carry out cognitive tasks that would typically need human intelligence. These cognitive tasks include decision making, learning, visual perception, speech recognition, and so more. Machines that are artificially intelligent allow systems to mimic cognitive processes –including the ability to analyze, learn, and manage the respective human thinking capabilities.
Importance of Artificial Intelligence in the HR Industry
Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into HR (Human Resources) practices will make organizations better. It is because AI applications are capable of interacting, analyzing, predicting, and diagnosing towards helping HR teams to make better decisions.
Human Resources departments are known to deal with the development, maintenance, and improvement of human relations within an organization. The constant requirement for human interaction in subsequent HR processes ensures effective implementation of the AI technology. Currently, AI is revolutionizing the manner in which recruitments are carried out, training is delivered, and data is utilized for deriving people analytics. It is also helping HR professionals effectively automate repetitive actions while enabling them with the bandwidth for focusing on more strategic operations requiring human intervention.
Some innovative ways in which Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing the HR industry are:
1. AI Recruiting: Platforms making use of AI to get access to the best available talent in the existing market are dominating the field of HR. Recruitment officers are required to analyze huge volumes of data for identifying the best recruit on a consistent basis. There is a requirement to come across weak points in the company that would receive benefits from the new workforce while matching the right talent with the right position in the company.
Data analysis with the help of data sourcing can be quite challenging. This would include using the assistance of hiring websites, external and in-house databases, and even linked profiles for sourcing candidates from different sources. AI has observed the development of high-end smart practices. This implies that HR teams are no longer required to depend on human-based talent sourcing procedures.
- Minimizing Recruitment Bias: However recruiters can try to be inclusive, they are still humans. Therefore, they are subconsciously influenced by factors that might not be concerned with the competency of the candidate for the job. The concept of unconscious bias might also be present in the process of the job description and resume selection.
Artificial Intelligence and Automation are being utilized for eliminating biases with the help of algorithm assessment platforms taking into account the given biases. This helps in ensuring a diversified group of candidates that come out of the initial screening.
- Resume Screening: Resume screening is not a highly complex task. It also does not require complex analytical experience or skills. Still, it is a laborious task. The process of resume screening will require a simplified list of requirements that every candidate is expected to fulfill to get shortlisted for the job post.
AI comes in this aspect for completely eliminating humans in the given equation. All that you need is just feeding information into the AI platform and allowing it to do its task. In addition to screening resumes, AI platforms are also capable of digging into the internal database for finding past candidates who can fit perfectly into the new job position.
2. AI Onboarding: Once the hiring process is complete, AI tools can be utilized for streamlining and improving the onboarding and training processes. New employees will mostly require abundant attention from HR. a significant portion of it can be minimized by making use of AI platforms for introducing employees to different routine procedures of the company.
AI algorithms are utilized for eliminating the onboarding and training procedures required for new employees. By inputting the new candidate’s skills, expertise, and qualities into an advanced and intelligent system, HR professionals can create the most effective training processes. This helps HR teams in focusing on the best that they do –decision-making, analysis, working with different talents, and nurturing.
3. AI Personal Assistants: In the digital era, AI personal applications like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple’s Siri, and so more are all around us. The given range of personal assistants is present in our day-to-day devices, including smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, laptops, smart speakers, and so more. Such assistants serve excellent purposes for personal tasks like reminders, scheduling, personalized search, alarms, and others.
Some of the instances in which AI-powered personal assistants can help the HR departments are:
- Writing and sending personalized emails
- Setting reminders for planned appointments and meetings
- Setting up, rescheduling, or canceling appointments and meetings upon request
- Scheduling appointments and meetings
- Finding a common ground for the two parties having busy schedules to satisfy each other
4. AI in Employee Engagement and Experience: AI is useful in creating teams wherein individual skills and behavior tend to complement each other. It supports the process of taking the organization to higher steps. With the help of Predictive Data Analysis and Machine Learning, management is capable of identifying employees who can work effectively together. It also ensures maximum employee engagement because it creates a cohesive work environment.
5. AI in People Analytics: With AI, businesses can effectively capture as well as analyze data on the basis of employee self-assessments. These are then mapped to the core skills and competencies of employees for achieving maximum engagement. Using AI, HR managers can analyze what type of behavioral skills training employees will need to serve as better leaders.
Conclusion
As far as the notion of adapting disruptive technology is concerned, HR departments tend to be hesitant with respect to digitization and data analysis. Artificial Intelligence aims at reinventing different aspects of our lives. In such a case, HR is no exception to the given changes. AI-based HR solutions have the ability to improve employee productivity while helping HR professionals to become better consultants for enhancing the performance of the entire organization.
