Despite automation being centuries old, we always gasp when it appears somewhere new. On one side of the fence, a chorus of anxious voices predict our demise; on the other side, they look to the heavens, full of optimism. With automation, there’s no middle ground.
Human resources is the latest sector disrupted by automation and other AI-related tech. By the initial response from the industry, it’s a disruption openly welcomed. If you’re new to the HR space, the thought of letting tech perform more and more of your job might seem ominous. It need not. This guide looks at ways you can leverage automation to excel in your HR role.
Table of Contents
HR automation: A definition
We know automation as using technology to perform tasks automatically. HR automation is using tech to perform tasks an HR manager is responsible for. A recent study has found that administrative tasks account for 57% of an HR manager’s workload. HR automation aims to streamline the tasks and processes that traditional human resources management is often mired in. Think onboarding new employees, compliance management and payroll.
Revolution in process: How AI technology benefits HR management
You and I are the greatest potential asset to any company. An HR manager’s role is to make sure we meet and exceed this potential. Their work is shaped around building frameworks that let us thrive in our roles, that let us thrive together as a team. An HR manager thrives when they can focus on the team. Here are a few proven ways AI technology lets them maintain this focus.
Improves efficiency
Paperwork. Mention HR and it’s the first thing that comes to mind. With good reason. HR is defined by document-driven tasks and processes. Before automation, these tasks were done manually. The thought alone is enough to make you groan.
Efficiency is the big winner for HR managers when they implement automation. Done right, the HR department can climb above the mountains of paperwork and focus on what they do well. Enriching workplace culture, enhancing employee benefits and being the communications experts they’re hired to be. Trays stuffed with resumes, hours spent chasing physical signatures, the list of things an HR manager can do away with will grow the more they embrace automation.
Data-driven insights
Despite HR management being a role steeped in human communication, there are undeniable benefits to embracing the power of data. Clean, reliable data underpins every process and interaction within a company. Automation lets an HR manager improve their work based on the data they receive.
Consider employee benefits. It’s not uncommon for staff to feel shy when voicing their opinions on the matter. Data has no such stage fright, confidently showing HR which benefits staff enjoy most. It’s all about actionable insights.
The catch? The data must be clean and reliable. No excuses. Poor data, regardless of how much you collect and how quickly you collect it, will always lead a company astray.
Fewer errors
Repeat any process enough and you’re bound to make errors. Competing for your attention is often whatever else is happening in your life, and whatever else is rarely insignificant. Automation frees an HR manager from these repetitive tasks, letting the freezing breeze of variety grace their workday.
Whether it’s grammar and spelling errors or a process missed during onboarding, automation will reduce the error rate, in some way. The important thing is not getting carried away by AI-powered capability.
For human resources management, this technology is designed to assist, not replace. The skills of an HR manager qualified with an online Master’s degree in Human Resource Management will always be in demand. The human touch isn’t going anywhere. Â
The tasks that benefit most from HR automation
Automation was born when someone asked ‘There must be a faster, easier way to do this’. It’s not a question of laziness, though time is something you always gain when you embrace automation. For an HR manager, it’s about knowing where to invest the time that automation has freed for you. Here are a few HR tasks you can optimise through automation.
Hiring new employees
Success in business starts with hiring the right people. If the right people have the patience to last the recruitment process. Recruitment is often a drawn-out sequence, for no other reason than it takes time to manually complete the tasks. With automation, an HR manager can streamline job posts, CV screening, and schedule interviews.
Automation can even help with unconscious bias, an issue systematic to all hiring processes. Textio, an AI-powered writing tool, is great for evaluating job posts for unconscious bias.
Onboarding
Once you’ve hired that gem, the onboarding process begins. Again, too often this process leaves new employees feeling like they’re stuck in quicksand. Automating this process through an onboarding app lets new employees complete tasks quickly and efficiently, without feeling overwhelmed. It also lets the HR manager focus on making the new employee feel at home, instead of hounding them with company formalities.
Compliance management
Onboarding isn’t just for new employees. As a company evolves to meet changes in legislation, so must the people already working for it. Automation removes the need for the HR team to chase people around the office waving unsigned compliance forms. This is critical when your HR team deals with interstate or overseas offices. The quicker you can ensure everyone is compliant, the better.
A note on privacy
We’ve already praised data as a path to operational efficiency. The flip side is the data falling into the wrong hands. Any automation software you engage with should come with reliable data security features. There’s too much at stake to ignore this fact.
Also, if you collect your employees’ data, you must be transparent about this. An employee who shares personal data with HR does so on the (justified) assumption that this data will be kept safe and not exploited. Be clear with your team about this from the start, and you won’t find your HR office buried under complaints.
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The Industrial Revolution brought us the first wave of automation; we’ve been experiencing waves of varying size and power ever since. AI-powered automation is the latest wave, and its power and momentum suggest it will reach the shores of every industry, eventually. The question remains, do you ride the wave? Or, do you brace for the impact and hope it passes? For HR professionals, the evidence points toward the former. HR automation offers too many benefits to be dismissed as a fad that vanishes with the next tide.
