6 applications of artificial intelligence for HR

1. Recruitment and selection

One of the most promising applications of AI in HR is in recruitment and selection. It’s difficult to review hundreds of applications when you are also facilitating employee inductions, handling compliance activities, and attending local job fairs. The good news is that AI tools can manage much of the screening for you, giving you more time to focus on interviews, background checks, and pre-employment assessments.

For example, many AI tools rank applicants based on how well they match the requirements listed in your job advert. Instead of reviewing dozens of applications yourself, you can shortlist the five or 10 highest-ranked candidates and move forward from there.

You can also use AI to set up a chatbot on your company’s careers portal. With the right training, this bot can answer common questions from jobseekers, eliminating the need for HR staff to handle routine queries. This not only saves time but may also improve your company’s reputation by giving jobseekers quick answers rather than making them wait days for a response.

2. Benefits administration

Although HR information systems have made it easier to manage employee benefit schemes, benefits administrators still often face a heavy administrative burden. They must design benefit plans, manage the annual enrolment process, and track changes in benefits eligibility. One of the best uses of artificial intelligence in human resources is reducing this workload.

For example, if you are trying to decide which benefits package offers the best balance of coverage and affordability, you can use AI tools to perform a side-by-side comparison. AI can also verify employee eligibility without human intervention, leaving your HR team more time for strategic planning.

Once your benefits programme is in place, AI can analyse utilisation rates to help you determine whether adjustments are needed. For instance, if only 4% of your workforce uses the budgeting services in your employee assistance programme (EAP), you may decide to replace them with something more useful.

3. Training and development

If you’re interested in artificial intelligence for HR, consider using AI tools to enhance your company’s training and development initiatives. AI can enhance your company’s training and development initiatives, from designing training curricula to conducting post-training assessments. For example, if you need to create a quiz, AI can generate multiple-choice, true-or-false, or fill-in-the-blank questions. If you’re unsure what to cover in your next training programme, AI can suggest relevant topics.

Artificial intelligence has several other training-related applications, including the following:

• Data analysis: with the right AI tools, you can quickly calculate your training cost per employee or the course completion rate.
• Content creation: if you’re responsible for creating training programmes, you can use AI to generate presentation slides, handouts, and other types of content inclulding training evaluation forms. With the right tool, you may even be able to create unique scenarios for role-playing exercises.
• Learning paths: you can use AI tools to analyse training data and create tailored learning paths for each employee. For example, if you have an entry-level employee who wants to progress through the ranks at your company, AI can help determine the best way to prepare them for their next role.
• Content summaries: if an employee misses a training session, you can use AI to create detailed summaries of the material. This way, you don’t have to deliver the training a second time, and the employee still gains the knowledge or learns a new skill.

4. Legal compliance

HR professionals must comply with a variety of local and national laws. This includes legislation designed to prevent employment discrimination and protect employees from unsafe working conditions. As part of your compliance activities, you may need to submit reports to government agencies, carry out in-depth background checks, or display posters and other materials in your workplace.

Although HR information systems have made it easier to comply with relevant laws and regulations, compliance remains one of the most challenging aspects of HR. You must stay on top of reporting deadlines and keep up with changes in legislation, all while managing other responsibilities. Artificial intelligence for HR can assist with these tasks. For example, an AI tool can send reminders one week, one month, and one day in advance of a critical deadline, helping ensure important reports are submitted on time.

5. Employee health and safety

HR professionals have long recognised that an employee’s personal problems may affect their performance at work. As a result, many companies now offer employee assistance programmes (EAPs). EAPs typically provide access to mental health counselling and other services to help employees manage personal challenges. Some programmes also include free legal advice and budgeting tools.

EAP administrators have numerous responsibilities, including selecting the services included in the programme, monitoring usage and handling complaints. AI can simplify many of these tasks, improving efficiency. The right AI tool may even enhance the effectiveness of an EAP. For example, it can compare several options and determine which best meets custom parameters. AI can also calculate utilisation rates and aggregate feedback from EAP service providers.

6. Succession planning

When you are focused on filling current vacancies, it’s easy to overlook the importance of succession planning, which involves identifying your company’s future staffing needs. As part of this process, you need to review your current workforce to pinpoint potential gaps.

This allows you to determine what adjustments are required in recruitment and training programmes. For example, if you anticipate a senior manager role becoming vacant in two years, you may need to provide management training to current employees so one of them is prepared to step into the role.

AI makes it easier to analyse your workforce, assess each employee’s skills, and determine the actions needed now to ensure critical positions can be filled in the future. For instance, AI tools can identify current employees who possess the skills and qualifications likely to be required in the coming years. If your company plans to launch a new product, you may need someone with advanced product design or marketing expertise. Rather than searching employee records manually, an AI tool can quickly identify all employees who meet your criteria.