Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping every corner of society, and businesses are rapidly investing in AI tools to boost productivity, elevate customer experiences, and streamline operations. Yet while AI sweeps through organisations like a powerful cyclone, HR often remains in the stillness at the centre, holding the technology at arm’s length while continuing to battle rising administrative demands with limited resources. However, the advantages of embracing AI early are considerable, providing HR with richer insights while cutting painstaking admin. Now is the time for HR to harness AI and be a driver of growth.

Navigating the new world of AI

HR teams can be apprehensive about AI, concerned that AI is steamrolling into organisations as a replacement for human jobs, damaging the value that human interactions bring. However, adopting AI should not be viewed as a binary decision – you either adopt it and lose the human, or you remain 100% human-run. Instead, it should be viewed as augmenting and not replacing the human side of HR, with AI supporting a firmly human-led organisation. Where AI can truly add value is through freeing-up HR time for meaningful conversations, and mentoring and supporting people. This is what the responsible adoption of AI looks like, and when done correctly, HR can enjoy time savings, a greater automation of tasks, increased productivity, process improvements, and powerful strategic insights.

Worryingly a new report* found that an incredible 69% of U.K HR professionals are still in the early AI exploration or experimentation phase with 10% not using AI at all (and having no intention of using it). Just 20% of HR professionals are readily using AI in key areas, with it most frequently used for recruitment and talent followed by employee listening.

As it stands, HR is one of the slowest adopters of AI compared to other business departments. So what’s holding the profession back?

HR is under strain!

HR teams are under considerable strain from greater workloads and in many cases, smaller teams and so they are too busy firefighting to investigate the potential uses of AI. 43% of HR professionals report that their teams have reduced in size over the past year, leaving limited capacity to explore new technologies and take a more strategic approach to implementation. And so while the desire to explore AI may be there, the time and resources are not, holding HR teams back.

There are also organisations that simply haven’t formulated a clear business case for AI and as a result, it’s being adopted in a piecemeal fashion rather than in a considered, strategic manner. HR would benefit from a thoughtfully considered board-level AI strategy so it’s apparent how AI can and should be harnessed across the business, and the steps needed to achieve this clearly set out.

‍

Read full article here