AI in HR: A Practical Guide to Driving Efficiency and Engagement
During the third Financial Services Online Benefits event, Reeva Misra, the founder of Walking on Earth (WONE) supported Aon by leading a discussion on the role of AI in supporting HR functions.
38% of HR Leaders Reported They Are Piloting, Planning Implementation, or Have Already Implemented Generative AI.*
The session aimed to uncover the opportunities AI offers, evaluate whether perceived threats and challenges are myths or realities, and explore the cultural shifts needed to successfully integrate AI into the workplace.
*AI in HR: How AI Is Transforming the Future of HR | Gartner
Will AI replace HR expertise?
A predominant theme within this event focused on whether AI represents a threat to human expertise, or instead should be viewed as a superpower.
AI excels at identifying patterns, managing large datasets, and automating repetitive tasks, making it a powerful tool for tasks like screening candidates in the recruitment process, automating metrics based performance tracking, and creating personalising recommendations from a suite of benefits.
However, AI is not a replacement for human reason and judgement. Especially in complex situations involving empathy, nuanced decision-making, or deep cultural understanding, AI can offer insights, but HR professionals must interpret these insights within context and ensure they align with organisational values and ethics. Understanding these limitations is key to leveraging AI responsibly.
Attendees explored what they could do with the time they could get back following implementation of AI solutions. By automating tasks, workloads could become more manageable, allowing HR leaders to reinvest that time in strategic thinking and people-centric priorities. Organisations best positioned to thrive are those that thoughtfully integrate AI to enhance - not replace - human intuition and expertise.
The rate of AI adoption
76% of HR leaders believe if their organisation doesn’t implement AI solutions within the next 2 years they will be behind in organisational success*.
The rate at which companies are adopting AI into their workforce varies. Many attendees shared that their blockers to AI software adoption was partly due to risk averse business cultures and lengthy procurement processes, but also partly due to a fear and scepticism of the unknown. There was some discussion of AI-washing - with some solutions exaggerating their AI capabilities, and some discussion around whether the capabilities of AI themselves have been exaggerated. One guest pointed to the launch of spreadsheets in the 1980s, sparking fears they would make finance teams redundant - fears that ultimately proved unfounded - whilst another pointed to ‘hallucinations’ or inaccuracies that are experienced by AI and which result in a general sense of unreliability.
Yet, throughout this conversation, there was a genuine desire amongst the audience to overcome these barriers and fears. There was an acknowledgement that AI is not only here to stay, but that when AI-powered solutions are chosen and implemented correctly, there is great potential for positive impact on HR roles and the overall employee experience.
*AI in HR: How AI Is Transforming the Future of HR | Gartner
How AI is driving employee experience
Because of its ability to synthesise and make inferences from large datasets, AI can personalise an employee’s experience beyond the level of current automation platforms, by learning over time what an employee prefers and adapting its recommendations accordingly. It will not only signpost employees to benefits of interest, but market in the most effective manner to that individual.
Netflix for example, is just one company that uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to identify patterns to recommend your next watch.*
Another example is WONE, a Stress Coach that utilises the power of AI to recommend targeted health interventions for employees, based on their unique needs. The software obtains data points from an employee questionnaire and with wearable data (such as smart watches) and employee engagement within the platform. AI learns from the individual’s data, behaviour within the platform, and preferred types of interventions. Because of this personalised approach, WONE’s impact improves stress scores for 74% of its user base. WONE is able to provide employers with anonymised and aggregated data and benchmarking, to enable business decision making around company culture, training and enhanced wellbeing support.**
Tighter budgets have placed a greater emphasis on solutions like WONE that can demonstrate genuine impact and positive return on investments. One example shared from the group about the benefits of preventative action focused on a case study that reduced the cost of health claims. The firm calculated the average cost of a cancer case including PMI, GIP, sick absence and potential interim replacement costs, and used this to justify the investment in preventative education on breast cancer and prostate cancer. Through proactive 1:2:1 chats with nurses, they were able to find a number of cases of abnormalities, resulting in faster action to begin necessary treatment, reducing longer term treatment times and costs.
A significant emphasis was placed on the critical role of data in shaping and enhancing employee experiences. High-quality data is the foundation for improving AI recommendations, enabling the technology to deliver more accurate, personalised insights that resonate with employees' needs. Additionally, robust data analytics empower organisations to measure the success and impact of their initiatives, providing clear metrics to justify investments and guide continuous improvement. By leveraging data effectively, businesses can create employee experiences that are both meaningful and measurable.
*How Netflix Uses Artificial Intelligence - Argoid
**How WONE uses AI to power their Stress Coach
Practical Applications of AI for HR teams
A focus of the event was to provide attendees with immediately actionable tools to begin using AI within their roles. Here are some examples discussed during the session that HR teams can explore today:
Fireflies for Meeting Summaries
Fireflies is an AI-powered tool that records and transcribes meetings, providing automated summaries and action items. HR teams can use it to capture discussions during strategic planning sessions or employee feedback meetings, ensuring no critical points are overlooked and reducing the time spent on manual note-taking.
ChatGPT for Communication Training
HR teams can leverage ChatGPT to train junior employees in effective communication with senior leadership. By simulating real-world scenarios, ChatGPT helps employees practise crafting succinct and professional messages, improving their ability to convey ideas clearly and confidently in high-stakes conversations.
Personalised Health Recommendations
During the session, attendees experienced a live demo of a customised ChatGPT tool designed to deliver personalised health recommendations, from WONE. By integrating a predefined set of questions, responses, and criteria, the tool provided tailored health advice to employees. This application showcased how AI can support well-being initiatives by offering scalable, individualised support.
Microsoft Co-pilot for Productivity
Microsoft Co-pilot integrates with tools like Word, Excel, and Teams to assist with daily tasks. HR teams can use Co-pilot to draft reports, create polished presentations, and analyse data, saving time and improving accuracy. For example, Co-pilot can quickly generate analytics dashboards or reformat employee policies for better readability.
Workday AI for HR Operations
Workday AI offers a range of features tailored to HR needs, including talent optimization, workforce planning, and employee engagement tracking. It can analyse employee performance data to identify skill gaps or recommend personalised learning paths, making it a valuable tool for HR professionals seeking to align talent strategies with business goals.
AI for Writing LinkedIn Posts
AI tools like ChatGPT or Jasper can be used for personal branding by generating polished, engaging LinkedIn posts. HR professionals can leverage these tools to share thought leadership, highlight company initiatives, or celebrate employee achievements, ensuring their content resonates with their audience.
