The Beginners Guide to Conversational AI's Effect on 5 Core HR Functions.

While there's no denying the potential of conversational AI to revolutionize the HR industry, its widespread adoption and integration will take some time. Some skeptics argue that its implementation may be hindered by privacy and data security concerns. Some have even measured its bias as, let's be real, its core data source is years and years of the internet. Others suggest that it may need to be able to replace the human element of HR fully. Despite these challenges, it's essential to recognize that AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT are continuously evolving and improving and will undoubtedly play an increasingly significant role in the future of HR operations. However, it's also essential to acknowledge that any changes brought about by ChatGPT will take time. HR professionals must navigate these challenges with care and caution to ensure that their organizations reap the maximum benefits of this technology.  

By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and natural language processing, ChatGPT has the potential to revolutionize HR operations by streamlining processes, improving employee experiences, and driving better business outcomes. Its ability to process vast amounts of data, generate insights and automate various tasks can help organizations optimize their HR processes and improve employee experiences.

The integration of AI into HR operations can provide significant benefits to organizations. Chat GPT can help organizations optimize their HR processes and improve the employee experience by automating routine tasks, generating insights, and providing personalized support. As such, organizations should consider the potential benefits of Chat GPT and explore how it can be integrated into their HR operations.

It can also backfire in an instant. But I'll be Debbie Downer another day and focus solely on what this AI is all about, as not everyone understands the concept of conversational AI and its infamous first-to-market success story.

Prereq: WTF is GPT?

ChatGPT, or Generative Pre-trained Transformer, is a state-of-the-art natural language processing (NLP) model developed by OpenAI that uses a transformer-based neural network to generate human-like responses to natural language inputs. This makes it stand out from other AI bots as it is specifically designed to process and understand human language and generate responses that are contextually appropriate and relevant. Additionally, ChatGPT's training data consists of an enormous amount of diverse content from the internet, which allows it to produce a wide range of responses to a wide range of inputs. This makes ChatGPT incredibly versatile and adaptable, and its ability to understand and generate human-like responses has made it a powerful tool for a wide range of applications, including in the realm of human resources.

Some people may have reservations about ChatGPT's ability to fully replace the human element of HR, as it may be perceived as impersonal or insufficiently empathetic. Others may be concerned about potential job loss or the need to learn new skills to adapt to the technology. But no matter the outcome, it's safe to say that its impact on the evolution of HR will be on par with that of COVID-19. Maybe greater.

With the help of some friends, let's dig into 5 areas where I see ChatGPT disrupting and evolving the HR tech landscape.

Recruitment

The initial stages of the recruitment process are often time-consuming and resource-intensive, involving screening resumes and shortlisting candidates. However, Chat GPT can automate these processes and significantly reduce the workload of HR teams.

"What if I told you there is a free AI tool that can write and improve your candidate outreach messaging, your job descriptions, and your recruitment marketing content, help you develop persuasive language to work with unrealistic hiring managers, and generate appropriate interview questions? [ … ] If that sounds like crazy talk, you haven't tried ChatGPT.”

-- Glen Cathey, SVP, Consulting Principal, Workforce Advisory and Digital Strategy (source) 

Using natural language processing (NLP), Chat GPT can analyze and understand the content of resumes, allowing it to screen candidates for specific skills and qualifications. It can also identify any gaps in the candidate's experience or education and flag any potential issues for further review by HR teams. This can help to streamline the recruitment process and ensure that only the most qualified candidates are shortlisted for further consideration.

In addition to screening resumes, Chat GPT can also be used to conduct initial interviews with candidates. Using NLP, Chat GPT can analyze the candidate's responses to interview questions and assess their fit for the job and organization based on their communication skills, personality traits, and cultural fit. It can also analyze the tone and sentiment of their responses, helping to identify any red flags or areas for further investigation.

To implement Chat GPT into the recruitment process, HR teams need to provide the language model with a dataset of job descriptions, company values, and a list of skills and qualifications for the job. This allows Chat GPT to learn the specific requirements of the job and organization, and use this knowledge to screen resumes and conduct interviews.

There are ridiculous benefits of using Chat GPT to automate the initial stages of the recruitment process. Firstly, it can significantly reduce the time and resources required to screen resumes and shortlist candidates, freeing up HR teams to focus on more strategic activities. Secondly, it can drastically reduce bias in the recruitment process, ensuring that candidates are selected based on their skills and qualifications rather than any preconceived notions or biases. Finally, it can provide a more seamless and efficient experience for candidates, improving their overall impression of the organization. 

This leads to a powerful tool for automating the initial stages of the recruitment process. By screening resumes and conducting initial interviews using NLP, it can help to streamline the recruitment process, reduce bias, and improve the candidate experience. As such, organizations should consider the potential benefits of Chat GPT and explore how it can be integrated into their recruitment process.

Employee Engagement

"What are employees REALLY talking about? How are they spending their time? How are they learning new skills? With whom do individuals collaborate?  The use of AI means one can analyze, at a high data-driven level, employee sentiment and behavior allowing an organization to uncover themes and trends that the majority of employees find either fulfilling – thus propelling their performance and improving their employee experience! – or lacking."

— Robin Schooling, Director of Talent Strategy, Humareso

Effective employee engagement is crucial to the success of any organization. It can improve productivity, reduce turnover, and enhance the overall employee experience. However, traditional methods of gathering feedback and measuring employee engagement can be time-consuming and may not provide accurate insights. Chat GPT can be used to create personalized and interactive conversations with employees to better understand their needs and gather feedback, as well as conduct pulse surveys to collect data on employee engagement.

Imagine the ability to create personalized and interactive conversations with employees through chatbots or virtual assistants. By analyzing employee data, such as performance metrics, learning preferences, and feedback, Chat GPT can provide employees with relevant and targeted information to support their development and career progression. It can also assist employees in navigating company policies, benefits, and other relevant information. These personalized conversations can enhance employee engagement and improve the overall employee experience.

Chat GPT can also be used to gather feedback from employees in a more efficient and effective way. By engaging employees in personalized conversations, Chat GPT can gather feedback on specific topics, such as job satisfaction, training needs, or career progression. It can also provide employees with a platform to express their opinions and share their thoughts and ideas, which can help to foster a culture of open communication and trust. This feedback can be used to identify areas for improvement, address employee concerns, and drive HR strategies.

In addition to personalized conversations, Chat GPT can also be used to conduct pulse surveys to measure employee engagement. Pulse surveys are short and frequent surveys that can be used to collect data on employee engagement and other key metrics. By analyzing the data collected through pulse surveys, HR teams can identify trends, track progress, and identify areas for improvement. This data can be used to develop targeted HR strategies and initiatives to improve employee engagement and the overall employee experience.

AI then becomes a powerful tool for improving employee engagement and enhancing the overall employee experience. By creating personalized and interactive conversations with employees, gathering feedback, and conducting pulse surveys, Chat GPT can provide HR teams with valuable insights into employee needs and preferences. This can help organizations to optimize their HR processes, address employee concerns, and improve employee engagement. As such, organizations should consider the potential benefits of Chat GPT and explore how it can be integrated into their HR operations.

Performance Management

Performance reviews are an essential component of any organization's human resources process. They provide a means of evaluating employee performance and identifying areas for improvement. However, the performance review process can be time-consuming and resource-intensive, involving the analysis of large amounts of data and the generation of insights. These powerful language models can be used to automate the performance review process, providing HR teams with valuable insights into employee performance and training and development needs.

"We have mountains of data on the activities and inactivities of each and every one of our employees. Not only can we determine HOW the top performers succeed, but monitor those who might begin to slip and instantly curate ways to set them back on the right path."

— John Baldino, President, Humareso

Chat GPT can analyze substantial amounts of performance data, including employee feedback, goal tracking, and performance metrics, to generate insights that can be used to identify training and development needs. By using natural language processing (NLP), Chat GPT can identify trends and patterns in the data, and provide HR teams with a comprehensive view of employee performance. This can help HR teams to identify high-performing employees, as well as those who may require added support or training.

Conversational AI can also be used to provide feedback to employees and managers on performance-related issues. By analyzing performance data, Chat GPT can generate personalized feedback for each employee, highlighting their strengths and areas for improvement. This feedback can be used to provide employees with a clear understanding of their performance, as well as to set goals and objectives for the future. It can also be used to provide managers with insights into the performance of their team members, allowing them to identify areas for improvement and make more informed decisions.

Training and Development 

By using Chat GPT to analyze performance data, HR teams can identify training and development needs for employees. This can help to ensure that employees have the skills and knowledge they need to perform their roles effectively, as well as to progress in their careers. Chat GPT can generate personalized training recommendations for each employee, based on their performance data and individual learning preferences. This can help to ensure that employees receive the training they need to improve their performance and achieve their career goals (and better yet, prevent excess training on topics the employee already knows.)

"One of the vendors I talked with last week is using a derivative of GPT-3 to create automatic quizzes from courses and serve as a ‘virtual Teaching Assistant. […] This kind of work typically takes a lot of cognitive effort by instructional designers and subject matter experts. If we ‘point’ the AI toward our content, we suddenly release it to the world at scale. And we, as experts or designers, can train it behind the scenes."

– Josh Bersin, president and founder of Bersin & Associates (source)

Chat GPT can forever change the performance review process, providing HR teams with deep insights into employee performance and training and development needs. By analyzing performance data and generating personalized feedback and training recommendations, Chat GPT can help to improve employee performance and support the individual professional development of employees. I cannot sit here and say that the performance reviews will eventually write themselves. Or can I?

It goes without saying that organizations need to ensure that their employees have the skills and knowledge they need to succeed and eventually evolve. Training and development programs can play a crucial role in supporting employee learning and development. However, developing and delivering personalized training programs can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. What if these AI models can be used to create personalized learning experiences for employees, based on their learning needs, preferences, and performance data?

Well, Chat GPT can analyze performance data, employee feedback, and individual learning preferences to identify areas where employees require additional training and development. By using natural language processing (NLP), Chat GPT can identify patterns in the data, providing HR teams with insights into the learning needs of individual employees. This can help HR teams to develop personalized training programs that target specific areas of need.

It can also deliver on-demand training and development programs, allowing employees to learn at their own pace. By analyzing individual learning preferences, Chat GPT can generate personalized training recommendations for each employee. These recommendations can be delivered in the form of interactive e-learning modules, videos, or other formats, tailored to the individual learning style of each employee. This can help to ensure that employees are engaged in the learning process and are able to apply the knowledge they acquire to their work.

That's the golden ticket every learning management system has tried to sell you in the last 5 years and failed. What if it's now within reach? HR teams can develop personalized learning experiences for employees. These experiences can be tailored to the specific needs and preferences of each employee, providing a more engaging and effective learning experience. By using interactive chatbots and other technologies, Chat GPT can create a conversational and personalized learning experience, allowing employees to learn in a way that suits their individual learning styles.

The end product can be a valuable tool for creating personalized learning experiences for employees. By analyzing performance data, employee feedback, and individual learning preferences, HR teams can develop training and development programs that are tailored to the specific needs and preferences of each employee. By delivering on-demand training and development programs in a conversational and interactive format, employees can learn at their own pace, engaging in a more effective and engaging learning experience. As such, organizations should consider the potential benefits of adaptive learning and explore how it can be integrated into their training and development programs.

Employee Support

Let's not forget the Chat aspect of ChatGTP. Providing support and information to employees is an essential part of the HR function, but it can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. With the rise of AI-powered chatbots, organizations can now provide real-time support to employees, reducing the workload of HR teams and improving the overall employee experience.

“Conversational AI in general and ChatGPT in specific will help tab an area that HR people and business owners care about, but they don’t have the time or capacity to cover with the human capital they have. It’s a disruptive technology that will help businesses unlock areas they focus on while maintaining their business effectively.”

— Mohammad Rabay’a, Chief Product Officer, Harri

It's easy to see how it be used to answer employee questions and provide relevant information, quickly and efficiently. By using natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning algorithms, Chat GPT can understand employee queries and provide accurate and timely responses. This can include everything from providing information on company policies and benefits to answering questions about the status of their requests or concerns.

By automating the process of answering employee queries, Chat GPT can once again reduce the workload of HR teams, freeing up HR staff to focus on more complex and strategic tasks, such as developing HR policies and programs that help to attract, retain and develop employees. 

Providing real-time support to employees can help to improve the employee experience. When employees have immediate access to information and support, they feel more valued and engaged. This can help to boost employee morale and productivity, leading to better business outcomes.

But the real fun comes when Chat GPT can be trained to provide personalized responses to employee queries. By analyzing the language used by employees, as well as their past interactions with the chatbot, Chat GPT can provide responses that are tailored to their individual needs and preferences. This can help to create a more personalized and engaging experience for employees.

You then have an indestructible tool for providing real-time support to employees, reducing the workload of HR teams, and improving the employee experience. By automating the process of answering employee queries, organizations can ensure that employees have access to the information they need, when they need it. This can help to boost employee morale, productivity, and overall job satisfaction. As such, organizations should consider the potential benefits of Chat GPT and explore how it can be integrated into their HR support functions.

The exciting thing about conversational artificial intelligence is that it will never stop evolving and improving.

As it interacts with more people and processes more data, it is constantly learning and refining its understanding of language and human behavior. With every conversation, ChatGPT becomes more sophisticated and capable of generating more human-like responses. And as new advances in NLP and machine learning emerge, ChatGPT will be able to incorporate them, making it even more powerful and adaptable. This means that the possibilities for using ChatGPT to enhance HR operations are virtually limitless; it's only a matter of time before this incredible technology transforms the way we work and live.                        

About the Author

Jamie Aquila is an award-winning technologist, designer, architect, and 4x CTO . He is the Lead Technologist at Humareso, and his projects have been named a LinkedIn Top 50 Startup in 2018 and a Startup Of The Year “Top 100 Startups” in 2020.