Tips on how to keep the edge with AI
HR in the Era of Pervasive AI
Powering up HR systems to remain competitive…and save your job
Garry Mathiason Esq
July 28, 2020
Imagine it is August 1, 2025 and you are the Director of HR for a medium sized company.
If you had decided to wait on the use of AI in HR until the systems are well established,
you very likely would not be a Director of HR on August 1, 2025!
—Garry Mathiason, Senior Partner at Littler Practicing Employment & Labor Law
with Emphasis on Workplace Artificial Intelligence & Robotics
“You are looking through some old AI articles and you come across this July 26, 2020 Forbes article regarding the incorporation of AI into departments and business functions beyond IT.
Hopefully, your reaction will be to smile and say to yourself: “Of course, AI was needed to power HR systems to remain competitive, using diverse teams, mitigating risks, and challenging third-party AI vendors as the article suggests.”
If you decide to wait on the use of AI in HR until the systems are well established, you very likely will not be a Director of HR on August 1, 2025!”
Tips on how to keep the edge with AI:
Pursue creative approaches. “Take inspiration from inventive use cases to develop solutions that are both useful and novel.”
Push boundaries. “Expand your view of what may be possible to accomplish with AI technologies. Try to pursue a more diverse portfolio of projects that could potentially enhance multiple business functions across the enterprise.”
Create the new. “Look to develop new AI-powered products and services that take advantage of the technologies’ ability to learn and solve problems that humans can’t.”
Expand the circle. “Move AI beyond the IT department by involving more of the business in AI efforts. Look for new vendors, partnerships, data sources, tools, and techniques to advance your efforts.”
Leverage a diverse team. “Include both technical and business experts in selecting AI technologies and suppliers. Having a broad perspective from developers, integrators, end users, and business owners can help ensure organizational alignment and a focus on business outcomes.” Along with any vendor support consider using working groups, dedicated leaders, or communities of practice.
Actively address risks. “Developing a set of principles and processes to actively manage the range of AI risks can help build trust within your business and with customers and partners.”
Challenge vendors. “While it is important to build trust and transparency with providers of your AI-powered systems, it can be equally essential to ensure that what they provide is aligned with your organization’s ethical principles.”