Job Doc

AI and HR

Pattie Hunt Sinacole weighs in on the impact of AI

Ask the Job Doc. Boston.com

May 27, 2024

2 minutes to read

Q: I don’t get how AI is going to affect how my company works. I am hoping to get into HR, but I am afraid my job will go away and I will be replaced by AI. Please explain. My parents keep telling me jobs will go away with the use of AI.

A: AI, or Artificial Intelligence, will likely impact all of our workplaces over the next several years. Most larger organizations are already using AI, or some type of automated platform, to source candidates. An AI tool can help scan resumes for key words, or location of a candidate. Sometimes an AI pool can help broaden your talent pool, as resumes that slip past hiring managers. Screening resumes can be time-consuming. Even though a posting may say “Onsite Required, Framingham, MA,” a talent acquisition professional is still receiving resumes from Dallas, Toronto or further.

There are some AI tools that can help draft job descriptions. Usually, the draft of the job description is about 80-85% accurate with AI, but some information will likely be missed. A human often reviews this draft and then finalizes it to produce the final version.

Some AI tools can also have a positive effect on the engagement of employees. Some platforms offer employee surveys to measure feedback on anything from employee policies to a new employee benefit offering. Some of our clients have implemented “flash” surveys. Thie type of survey is known to be short and targeted. It may ask about an employee referral program one week and the employee assistance program (EAP) the next week. Employee surveys can also yield feedback on training needs, since employees often respond in an anonymous manner. Additionally if morale is poor in one department vs. the other departments, an AI tool could measure the likely hoolk of employee retention in that group. There is data which suggests that shorter surveys have a higher response rate, particularly if they are brief and specific. As many of us know, when a survey contains too many questions, and takes too much time, we often abandon the survey. Some AI tools have the ability to predict the future, but it is not a perfect tool. Likelihood and predictions are not a guarantee of future behavior.

Although AI will undoubtedly impact our workplaces, though AI is not perfect. Sometimes human input is required. And it takes an employee, or employees, to manage these AI platforms.