What are the pros & cons of AI for HR?

Imagine being asked to urgently shortlist candidates for a role from a long list of applicants.

What if a virtual assistant could quickly sort resumes, identifying the ones best suited for a role?

That's where AI for HR steps in and makes life easy for you.

AI can not only streamline the HR processes but may also save time, allowing you to focus on other tasks that demand your attention.

What is AI?

Artificial intelligence is the science of making machines that can think like humans. It can do things that are considered 'smart.'

— Aruna Pattam, AI & data scientist

In other words, an AI system has an intelligent brain that can quickly process and interpret data that you give it. It then offers back the output or result that you're looking for.

HR, or human resources, is a function responsible for managing every aspect of an organization's employees.

So how does AI come into the equation in helping HR?

HR roles and responsibilities:

• Hiring and supporting employees

• Providing necessary training and development

• Conducting performance reviews

• Processing payroll and overseeing benefits

• Analyzing data and predicting employee behavior

How AI for HR can help:

• Analyzing resumes and shortlisting candidates

• Providing tailored learning and development programs

• Managing onboarding and offboarding documentation

• Tracking and evaluating employee performance data

Image created by the author using Canva

AI for HR can help make everyday tasks easier and boost efficiency for HR teams.

You can use AI to:

• Automate routine tasks such as resume screening and interview scheduling.

• Save costs through quicker decision-making and streamlining work.

• Create and provide personalized learning paths and career growth recommendations to employees.

• Analyze data to predict employee behavior and formulate required policies.

• Increase employee engagement through AI-powered chatbots.

While AI for HR is a powerful resource, it's important to acknowledge its potential drawbacks:

• With no human touch,AI lacks empathy and may falter in handling sensitive issues.

• If the data used to train AI has certain gender or race biases, it can lead to discriminatory decision-making and compliance concerns for the company.

• AI-powered systems can be very expensive to set up and maintain.

• AI uses a large amount of data, so there is a risk of data breaches and security lapses.

• Too much reliance on AI can result in errors if the system malfunctions.

• Employees may fear job displacement or resist learning new technologies.

If you are a senior HR professional, you must know how to best use AI in your role and how to prepare your group members to use it not just efficiently but also safely.

Whether you're taking advantage of the pros of AI for HR or addressing the cons of implementing it at work, it's important to use AI responsibly.

Tips to ensure safe use of AI for HR:

• Data security is a major concern for HR personnel. Adhere to legal frameworks like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR ) to protect employee data.

• Avoid over-relying on automated resume screening, as it may overlook deserving candidates.

• Don't make decisions based solely on automated performance reviews without allowing employees to improve or explain.

• If you feel the AI system is generating biased results, don't use those results to make important decisions.

AI is transforming the HR landscape. There is a vast amount of information on the pros and cons of using AI for HR. To understand these pros and cons better, check out the following resources: