AI is your colleagues who embrace it will

Artificial intelligence has been a hot topic in recent years. And as the use of AI continues to grow, many people fear automated processes will steal their jobs.

But according to recent research from Harvard and MIT, AI won’t take away jobs, but rather make everyone work more efficiently. Another study from Oracle found that 79 percent of HR leaders and 60 percent of employees believe a failure to adopt AI will have negative consequences on their own careers, colleagues, and overall organization. In other words, employees who adopt AI will thrive, while those who don’t will fall behind.

While some employers and employees are hesitant to embrace AI, there are several key benefits of adopting AI in the workplace, including the following:

Automate Manual Processes

Employees across industries and roles spend a significant amount of time on tedious, manual tasks that could easily be automated using AI For example, rather than going back and forth via email to schedule a meeting, AI solutions can integrate with employees’ calendars to find a time that works for everyone who needs to attend the meeting.

Note taking is another time-consuming tasks that can be made more efficient using AI. It can also distract employees from fully paying attention in a meeting. AI tools like AISense automatically record and transcribe meetings, and publish the notes as searchable text. Overall, this saves a significant amount of time while ensuring all meeting participants receive detailed notes.

Automation also comes into play with recruiting. HR decision makers spend an average of 12 hours a week on administrative tasks, such as answering calls, responding to emails and updating spreadsheets. And one of the most time-consuming steps of the recruiting process is reviewing every applicant. To save time during this step of the process, automated prescreen surveys can be sent as soon as an applicant applies. Once complete, the surveys are automatically scored and only the most qualified applicants move on to the candidate stage for review by the HR team or hiring manager.

These are just a few of the many ways AI can be used to save time and increase efficiency through automated manual processes. And employees who embrace these and related technology will contribute to increased productivity in the years to come.

Despite the many benefits, there are a few challenges associated with adopting AI in the workplace. For example, automated note taking might mean employees overlook writing down an important thought that they otherwise would have noted. And when it comes to prescreen surveys for hiring, employers need to make sure questions are inclusive to all job seekers, or risk the prescreen surveys introducing bias into the hiring process.

Increase Employee Engagement

Data from Gallup shows that nearly 70 percent of employees are not engaged at work. And one of the most common tactics HR leaders use to improve engagement is employee surveys. But all too often, these surveys are manually reviewed by HR teams, which can take time and lead to overlooked employee engagement insights. Ultimately, not having a full understanding of employee feedback can cause employees to feel frustrated and unappreciated.

Instead of manually collecting and reviewing employee feedback data, HR leaders can tap into automated survey tools to gain more comprehensive insights and, as a result, keep employees engaged. For example, employee engagement platform CultureAmp uses smart algorithms to provide employees actionable insights based on employee surveys, and TinyPulse uses analysis tools and machine learning to highlight key employee feedback trends.

While automated tools can be helpful to analyze employee feedback and increase engagement, it’s important for HR leaders to have personal connections with employees. For example, if the surveys include any open-ended questions, HR leaders should read through the comments and meet with employees to make them feel valued and engaged.

AI will continue to have a significant impact on the workplace in the coming years, and by embracing it, you can increase productivity and profitability for the long haul. How is your organization tapping into AI?

Source: Inc.