The Dutch version of this article was originally published on CHRO.nl.
It is amazing what technology can do nowadays. Think, for example, of the potential of predictive analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, and the impact these technologies can have in the field of human resources. However, the actual adoption by HR is still very low.
Of course, I see more and more organizations using dashboards. With these, you can monitor the development of issues such as absenteeism and turnover. You can answer the question ‘Do we have a problem?’ and the question ‘Where is the problem?’. But a dashboard does not help you with the question: ‘How do I get rid of the problem?’.
However, it can (already) be much smarter. Actually using data in daily operations and systems. Unfortunately, I still see this only sporadically. This is despite the fact that there are already various application possibilities:
- Automating manual, administrative processes with so-called robotic process automation (RPA);
- Smarter design of the job website with algorithms that show visitors the most relevant vacancies and make recommendations on which vacancies might (also) be interesting;
- Installing a chatbot that can answer the most common questions from applicants and your employees;
- Using algorithms to perform data quality checks and show possible improvements during data entry or when using a file;
- Integrating predictive models into your ATS to identify the most suitable applicants, or into your talent management system to discover talents that managers may have missed.
With the arrival of ChatGPT and the possibilities that these and similar techniques offer, some of the above options are only getting better. For example, chatbots can provide better answers with the ChatGPT API, and the quality check of texts can be greatly improved by ChatGPT’s language model.
By using such solutions, time can be freed up for HR professionals so that they can focus on more strategic issues. So why is it not happening yet? There are probably several reasons for this, ranging from “The technology is still new and in development” to “We currently do not have the time or budget to invest”, but often also because we are actually just a little afraid of data.
What can help to take the next step?
I asked ChatGPT (“What does HR need to start using data and technology?”). Perhaps some obvious answers, but they are correct. I just did not quite agree with the order, so I adjusted it.
- Start by aligning HR and business goals. This way, you can demonstrate the value of HR data and technology to the company and secure investments and support;
- Then look for the main HR challenges the organization is facing and identify areas where data and technology can help solve these problems;
- Invest in technology and data infrastructure and in data quality and security;
- And finally, develop data literacy within the HR team.
Is this still a step too far for your organization?
Then start simply with your own work. Have you tried ChatGPT yet? With it, you can create texts, but also make them simpler and clearer. For example, let ChatGPT convert your texts to language level B2 or B1. Handy for drafting information for employees.
Or ask ChatGPT for some suggestions for solving an HR problem that comes up from an HR dashboard. This will undoubtedly give you ideas to take the next step in further improving HR processes.
