Unlocking Gen AI Potential in Human Resources

In this episode of the Business Excelleration^® Podcast, Anthony Snowball, Lee Derryberry and Franco Girimonte explore how generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) is revolutionizing human resources (HR). From optimizing recruitment processes to personalizing employee development, these technologies are reshaping HR operations. They discuss how AI algorithms analyze data to identify top talent, predict performance and enhance engagement strategies. Ethical considerations, including bias and privacy, are also examined.

Welcome to The Hackett Group’s “Business Excelleration Podcast,” where week after week we hear from experts on how to avoid obstacles, manage detours and celebrate milestones on the journey to world-class performance. This episode is hosted by Anthony Snowball, AI market leader for The Hackett Group. He is joined by guests Lee Derryberry and Franco Girimonte to share their insights and experiences on Gen AI in human resources (HR).

To begin, Franco explains that Gen AI is at the center of the opportunity to automate capabilities, including predictive automation, task automation, intelligent optimization and conversational assistance. The first step for businesses looking to get started on their AI journey is seeking education on the subject and determining what the organization is hoping to achieve. Then, they should understand where and how they will deliver value back to the business. Finally, there must be a focus on the goal and a clear road map to communicate with the rest of the organization. 

Through working with organizations directly, Lee has observed them employing more foundational use cases to generate the most value with things like job descriptions. Understanding the client context helps organizations derive the most value from these technologies. Franco shares about an organization eliminating their talent acquisition and onboarding challenges by leveraging AI. Then, Franco expands on some of the challenges he sees organizations face when implementing AI – concerns around data privacy. Many of these technologies also require a technical understanding that is somewhat lacking in the marketplace. The final challenge is implementing new Gen AI with existing AI tools and knowing which tools to choose.

Next, hear how organizations are actively protecting their data. While there is a lot of excitement around the good things that AI can bring to a company, it’s worth noting that its use can also be scary. We owe it to our people to be transparent in the areas they have concerns. It is critical that there is human oversight of these algorithms to best mitigate biases. There must be clear governance in regard to handling data privacy. Before wrapping up, Franco offers an example of how clients are using AI to achieve optimal efficiency. In addition to generative capabilities, AI is inclusive of many legacy technologies that have been around for some time.

In closing, Lee and Franco look on the optimistic side of the future of AI. It’s important to keep in mind that the human brain will always have its place in operations and can actually strengthen AI even further. We should see it as an opportunity to think about how we can embrace talent and functions, and use them differently in the future to make good investments. In doing this, we can eliminate monotonous work and get closer to the real purpose of the HR role, which is to communicate, nurture, guide and coach.

Time stamps:

0:49 – Welcome to this episode hosted by Anthony Snowball.

1:54 – What is the impact of Gen AI on HR?

4:21 – How to get started on an AI journey.

8:13 – Getting the best return from Gen AI.

13:35 – Benefits and opportunities from AI.

18:00 – The challenges of implementing AI.

21:55 – How organizations are protecting their data.

26:34 – Success stories.

33:40 – Looking optimistically toward the future of AI.