Leveraging the latest tech can help improve talent management processes and boost retention, though thoughtful implementation is paramount.
By Maggie Mancini
As most business leaders can attest, it’s hard to escape the artificial intelligence (AI) craze. Organizations are increasingly taking advantage of the technology to help improve productivity and increase efficiency among workers, bridge talent and skills gaps, reduce bias, and prepare for the future of work. For HR leaders in particular, the ability to leverage AI is becoming increasingly important to helping managers and their employees achieve better performance outcomes, says Traci Chernoff, senior director of employee engagement at Legion Technologies.
“The key word here is leverage,” Chernoff says. “There are so many ways that HR leaders can improve talent management and retention by leveraging AI, including with scheduling and workforce management, employee learning and development, and talent acquisition. Managers can spend less time scheduling employees when AI supports them with workforce management tools, and this allows them to reinvest their time with their teams by being on the frontlines with them.”
Additionally, AI can support learning and development and talent acquisition efforts through data management and analytics—whether it’s with resume screening, chatbots for candidates, or customized onboarding and career growth for new hires, Chernoff says.
Chetan Jain, principal and U.S. HR transformation leader at Deloitte, says that AI can assist employees in visualizing potential career paths within their organization based on their current skill sets and aspirations.
“AI can analyze employee feedback, engagement levels, and turnover trends to identify potential issues and recommend solutions,” Jain says. “For example, if certain skills are associated with high turnover rates, AI could suggest targeted retention strategies or training programs.”
By tailoring recommendations to an employee’s competencies and interests, the technology can help keep employees engaged and motivated to continuously upskill.
When considering any implementation of AI technology in the workplace, it’s important to be thoughtful of both employee needs and business values, Chernoff says. This means that HR teams shouldn’t just take any AI tool and integrate it into their tech stack. Instead, they should think about what their current needs are, predict their future needs, understand their business’s values, and see how their teams respond to operational changes.
“There should also be consideration to include change agents to champion, or pilot, the new technology so there’s greater understanding and appreciation for the new tool and what the intention is in adding it,” Chernoff says. “All these steps can empower others to drive the innovation forward and help to further implement the technology within the factions of the business. Also, teams seeing investments from their leaders intended to improve employees’ daily experiences can help drive retention.”
Though many employees remain fearful of AI, a 2022 study from MIT Sloan Management and Boston Consulting Group finds that 85% of people who report that their organization benefits from AI say they also find value in using the technology. When people see the value of AI tools in the workplace, their companies are more likely to benefit as well.
“There is much hesitation, especially from HR leaders, about AI because of a fear that AI technology will replace HR jobs, but this is untrue,” says Chernoff. “Like all tools, AI technology is designed to support our efforts and improve the way we work. When we see AI as an agent for change, process improvement, and increased employee engagement, we’re allowing ourselves to focus on aspects of our jobs that have a greater impact on the business and are a better spend of our time and energy.”
