Artificial intelligence in HR: Now & Next

In a matter of months, generative AI (GenAI) has fundamentally changed the world of work. March 2023 saw the release of the revolutionary ChatGPT-4, and upgrades to rival models quickly followed. The first HR-focused GenAI tools appeared around the same time – Cielo launched Digital Accelerators™, a suite of AI tools purpose-built for talent acquisition (TA), in November 2023.

AI is now integrated into business processes at multiple levels, and the impact is beginning to expand into HR and TA. This has shifted how talent leaders talk, strategize and act regarding GenAI and technology more broadly. But much of AI’s potential for talent functions remains untapped, with many leaders still unsure where to focus their efforts.

Where we are with artificial intelligence

GenAI is now used in many HR and TA teams, with increasing frequency and impact, but few apply it at scale. The early majority are experimenting with new use cases and experiencing benefits, including:

Creating high-quality experiences for candidates, recruiters and hiring managers
Allowing people to spend time on more strategic aspects of the hiring process and deeper analysis of candidates
Reducing lead times and increasing how many candidates talent teams can assess in a given timeframe

Artificial intelligence in HR can now handle interactive tasks once seen as uniquely human, like screenings, Q&As with candidates, and even interviews – having full conversations without human intervention at times. And this isn’t limited to text. Advancements in synthetic voice technology make verbal conversations possible without impacting candidate experience. These continuing improvements and fundamental changes in how the models work are paving the way for full agentic capabilities that‘ll unlock transformation similar to the industrial revolution and the internet.

The progress has been rapid – and it’s only accelerating.

An opportunity for HR & TA

There’s a narrowing gap between what we’ve come to expect from consumer experiences and what we can offer candidates and employees – in no small part thanks to AI talent tools.

The opportunity (and strategy) for HR and TA is simple: drive better experiences for all.

How talent leaders can drive change in AI

Many leaders see the potential of artificial intelligence in HR and talent functions, investing in exploratory testing phases. Now, it’s time to take action and apply GenAI at scale.

Be specific: Focus on experience

It’s easy to get carried away with the hype and try to apply technology everywhere, all at once. This is a mistake. Instead of trying to automate everything or force AI into areas where it’s not needed, be discerning and implement AI tools where there’s real potential to improve things.

The golden rule: focus on experience, not just dollar value and efficiency gains. If you improve this aspect, the others will naturally follow.

Adopt a “more with the same” mindset

An important step is having the right mindset. For most talent leaders, this should center on a desire to achieve more with the same. Artificial intelligence for HR and recruitment is about enhancing your work, empowering your recruiters, and improving hiring for everyone.

Make responsible decisions

A key role for any talent leader is to make responsible decisions about AI, accounting for risks and following regulations when choosing providers and where to implement it. This involves setting and following clear guidelines for responsible AI use.

Don’t be put off by over-hyped risks and see everything as a barrier to innovation. Regulation, legislation and guidelines are there to help you implement GenAI in a responsible, impactful and sustainable way.

See AI as an opportunity to make hiring “more human”

Counter to what you might think: view this incredible new technology as an opportunity to get ahead of a bottleneck in hiring, not a departure from human-led recruitment. This is a chance to make the industry “more human.”

In TA, great experiences are about personalization, responsiveness, warmth and convenience – all things we associate with human interaction. But no organization or recruiter has 24/7, 365-day-a-year availability. Until recently, after-hours interactions were, at best, low quality, inconvenient and lacked customization. At worst, they were impossible to access. Now it’s possible to offer high-quality, convenient and hyper-personalized interactions to all – even after hours – improving hiring for everyone involved in the process and helping you stand out from competitors.

Set a shining example

AI tools for HR and TA are here to stay, and the potential to improve hiring for all is huge. Talent leaders can apply GenAI at scale by embracing a “more with the same” mindset, improving experiences, and following clear guidelines to bring about responsible, sustainable change.

Guided by the right strategy, AI will make the world of talent more human – not less. Now is the time to explore and apply the transformational benefits it can offer your recruiters, your candidates and your organization.