AI isn't just for tech giants like Google and Amazon anymore. Forward-thinking companies like Hilton, Starbucks, and Unilever are already using AI to boost HR.
This is why we have six practical tips to leverage AI in HR right now.
From streamlining recruiting to providing awesome employee experiences, AI can make your life easier while delivering serious benefits to the business.
We’ll cover:
- Which companies are already deploying AI in HR?
- 6 ways to use AI in your HR department
- The best AI for HR — Lindy
Let’s dive in!
Which companies are already deploying AI in HR?
Saying that AI is the future is a complete understatement. AI has already transformed HR profoundly.
Here are a few examples:
- Unilever: Unilever has used AI-powered tools to improve its recruitment process, from initial screening to final interviews, resulting in a more diverse pool of candidates and a faster hiring cycle.
- IBM: IBM uses its AI, Watson, to enhance HR functions like talent acquisition and onboarding. Watson helps in analyzing candidate resumes, matching skills to job requirements, and even answering candidate inquiries, enhancing the recruitment process. The commercial side of this tech is called OrchestrateX.
- Intel: Intel uses AI for various HR tasks, including workforce analytics and predictive analytics, to better understand employee attrition and create a more inclusive workforce.
- Paradox: Paradox's AI assistant, Olivia, automates candidate communication, scheduling, and other recruitment tasks, enabling HR teams to focus on strategic initiatives.
The lesson here? AI in HR is happening, and it's happening fast. Time to adapt!
6 ways to use AI in your HR department
#1. Make recruiting easier with AI screening
Want to save time and money on the often mind-numbingly boring (and expensive) process of screening candidates? AI can step in and handle the initial applicant review.
How?
- AI-powered tools can analyze applications and automatically reject unqualified candidates, so your team only spends time interviewing people who are actually a good fit.
- AI can check that candidates have the necessary skills, experience, education, and more to match what you’re looking for in the role.
- This type of AI screening allows your recruiters to focus on the human side of hiring — assessing candidates’ soft skills, motivation, culture fit, and long-term potential. While AI handles the initial logistical screening, your team can have more meaningful conversations with promising applicants.
#2. Onboarding support for new hires
One of the best ways to use AI in HR is to have it support new hires during the onboarding process.
How?
Introduce them to the company culture. Have your AI send personalized welcome messages to new team members on their first day. Share some details about company values, traditions, and what makes your organization unique. This helps employees feel like they’re joining an inclusive community from day one.
Provide a helpful orientation checklist. Nobody enjoys filling out piles of HR paperwork and waivers on their first day of a new job. Have your AI generate an interactive digital checklist for new hires with all the required forms and resources to get oriented. This checklist can guide them through important steps like setting up their email, logging into essential systems, and introducing them to key contacts.
Offer a friendly face for questions. Starting a new job can be overwhelming with so many new people, processes, and technologies to learn. Your AI system can provide a helpful point of contact for new hires to ask any questions they may feel silly asking another human. Whether they need help adjusting an office chair or have a quick question about the dress code, your AI can offer a fast, friendly response. This type of support helps new team members feel more at ease as they transition into their role.
#3. Use AI chatbots to improve the overall candidate experience
Another of the easiest ways to use AI in HR is by using chatbots. Chatbots can handle many of the repetitive questions candidates have, like “What’s the status of my application?” or “What documents do I need to submit?”
How?
- Have an AI answer FAQs. Candidates will appreciate getting quick answers to their questions, and your HR team will appreciate not having to deal with that major timesink.
- Chatbots are versatile too. You can use them on your career site to greet candidates and point them to helpful resources. Or have them handle initial candidate screening by asking a few questions to determine if they meet the minimum qualifications. They can even schedule interviews by finding a time that works for both the candidate and the interviewer.
- The key is to keep your chatbot light and casual. No one wants to feel like they’re talking to a stiff robo-butler. Give it a friendly name and personality to make the experience more human (like Bob!). And be sure to have a human take over for more complex issues — you don’t want to frustrate candidates with an AI that can’t actually understand their needs.
#4. Use AI for performance reviews
Performance reviews can be tedious and time-consuming for HR managers. AI-based tools can analyze performance data, detect trends, and even suggest customized feedback for employees.
How?
- AI streamlines the review process: AI automates repetitive tasks involved in performance reviews, such as gathering data, summarizing key metrics, and generating initial drafts. This frees up HR managers to focus on providing strategic guidance and mentoring.
- Provides personalized feedback: AI analyzes employee performance data and generates tailored feedback for each individual. This ensures that employees receive specific, actionable insights that help them improve.
- Increases objectivity and fairness: AI-powered reviews rely on data-driven analysis, minimizing the potential for bias or subjective interpretations. This promotes a more equitable and transparent performance evaluation system. It calls it like it sees it, yes, but it tends to get it right.
#5. Data summarization and analytics
So you have all this data about your employees, now what? It’s time to get your analytics on!
How?
- Mine for insights. Dig into your data to uncover patterns and trends in your workforce. Look for things like which teams have the highest turnover, what skills are most in demand, or which locations hire the fastest. Insights like these can help you build a smarter talent strategy.
- Predict the future. Use your data to anticipate HR issues before they happen. For example, if you notice a spike in absenteeism and lower productivity, it could indicate dropping employee engagement. Get ahead of the problem by improving recognition programs or strengthening manager relationships.
- Share the knowledge. Spread the wealth! Share reports and dashboards with executives and managers so they can utilize data in their own decision-making. Data transparency leads to a culture where people make choices based on facts, not feelings. And that, my data-savvy friend, is the kind of culture HR dreams are made of!
#6. Use AI tools to get a feel for employee sentiment
AI can help get a feel for how your employees really feel. Rather than waiting for the next engagement survey, AI tools can analyze data like emails, chat logs, and meeting notes to detect themes around morale, stress levels, and job satisfaction.
How?
- Analyze surveys and feedback forms: AI can analyze both open-ended text responses and numerical ratings on surveys, identifying common themes, trends, and areas of concern. This provides a more comprehensive understanding of overall employee satisfaction.
- Monitor social media activity: AI can track employees' social media posts (within ethical guidelines) to glean insights into their attitudes towards work, company culture, or specific initiatives.
- Analyze communication patterns: AI tools can analyze the language, tone, and frequency of employee emails, instant messages, and chat transcripts to gauge sentiment. For example, a drop in communication frequency or negativity in emails may indicate declining morale.
- Real-time sentiment tracking: Advanced AI tools offer real-time sentiment analysis, providing immediate alerts when potential issues arise. This allows HR to address concerns proactively, preventing them from escalating.
The best AI for HR
Forget those generic AI bots that make you want to pull your hair out. Lindy is different.
Here's why it's the perfect upgrade for your HR team:
- Lindy gets your lingo. It can tap into your existing knowledge bases, learning the ins and outs of your company policies, procedures, and even your office slang. No more awkward bot conversations that sound like a clueless intern wrote them.
- Adapts to your needs. Lindy is incredibly flexible. You can mold it to fit your specific HR workflows, ensuring a perfect match for your unique processes.
- It's a super-efficient assistant that knows exactly how you like things done. Lindy learns your preferences and tailors its actions accordingly.
- Frees up your team (finally!). Tired of those mind-numbing admin tasks? Lindy automates them all — answering FAQs, sorting applications, even drafting performance reviews. Your HR team can finally focus on what matters: Building relationships and making a strategic impact.
- Plays well with others. With over 3,000 integrations, Lindy connects seamlessly with your favorite HR tools, like Workday and Slack. No more toggling between platforms — it's all in one streamlined workflow.
- A team player. Need multiple Lindies for complex HR stuff? No problem! Its "Societies of Lindies" feature lets different AI assistants collaborate like a well-oiled machine. Talk about seamless teamwork!
- It's always learning. Lindy analyzes data and feedback, becoming even smarter and more efficient over time. It's like having an HR assistant who gets a promotion every month!
Summing up
So, are you thinking it’s time to put Lindy to work in your HR department?
You don’t have to go full-on: Start small, see the benefits, then think bigger. We’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to the potential of AI in HR.
One thing’s for sure: with AI’s capabilities increasing by the minute, you can’t afford not to use it.
