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This all-women panel tackled one of the biggest questions of our time: HR & Talent Acquisition AI (artificial intelligence). Discussing subjects include the elimination of human bias, the “humanity” of AI in HR, and the future of automatic recruitment.
Below is the full recording of this session, as well as a quick summary to learn more about the various topics discussed.
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Presenters: Anjali Pendlebury Green (VP of Digital Employee Operations Practice Lead, Capgemini’s Business Services); Christine Wright (SVP & National Strategic Advisor, Hays) Manisha Singh (Global Director Digital HR, Schneider Electric)
Do you think AI will eliminate bias in HR?
Panelists agreed that AI has a role to play in furthering a diverse and inclusive workplace. But AI is not a catch-all solution.
- By objectively assessing candidate skill sets, experience, & behaviors, AI prioritizes finding the most qualified candidate. In this way, AI acts as a “color blind” judge. The tech creates a level playing field for all applicants.
- However, AI cannot escape human bias. The algorithms underpinning AI technology are designed to react to users. Therefore, AI technology can actually learn our own unconscious biases. It can also help us act on them.
- The only way to eliminate bias in recruiting is to educate ourselves on bias. Then we need to work to combat these shortcomings. If we teach AI technology to strive for progress & diversity, then the AI will respond. But first, we must understand how to accomplish this diversity ourselves.
How do you think AI can complement the “human” in human resources?
Unanimously, panelists were encouraging. Artificial intelligence makes human resources more human, not less.
- AI is commonly referred to as the “augmented workforce.” That is to say, it does not replace our current workforce. It only augments our ability to work faster, smarter, and more productively. This is because AI assumes complete ownership of repetitive tasks.
- AI helps us perform distinctly human jobs. Instead of sinking hours into manual data entry, we are now free to focus on human jobs. And in HR, these jobs are endless. They include engaging with candidates, talking to clients, managing interviews, and more.
- AI has not, and will never, eliminate the “human” from “human resources.” Such an idea would have an extremely negative impact on the workforce. As humans, our choices contribute to, and change, society and culture. And these choices cannot be made by AI.
How can talent acquisition & HR professionals leverage AI to navigate crises such as COVID-19?
As a public health crisis, COVID-19 brought forth a distinctly human concern in the workplace. The health and safety of employees and their families. And yet, panelists agreed that AI was indispensable in navigating the crisis.
- The overnight shift in business model from mostly office-work to enforced work-from-home had the potential to kill productivity. But AI kept many manual, operational tasks afloat during times of transition. When employees had adjusted to their new environment, everything was in place to begin work again.
- AI has helped maintain, and even strengthen, relationships during COVId-19. Technologies powered by AI, such as chatbots, proved critical to maintaining 24/7 customer service and company-wide communication.
