From onboarding to gifting: how automation and AI is transforming HR

There was once a time when timesheets, payroll, and training were all manual, offline tasks - but these days, automation and AI is transforming HR even further…

As with any emerging technology, there’s a fair bit of scaremongering about automation and AI. Will it replace our jobs? Can we control it? Will everything go a bit ‘Terminator’ if we’re not careful? Certainly, we have a lot of work to do to make sure we work safely and effectively alongside new technologies, but - for now at least - automation and AI are nothing short of a best friend for those working in HR and People Ops.

To shine a light on the immensely helpful side of automation and AI, we’ve taken a look at some of the ways it can transform the way you do your job.

Payroll

A good place to start is payroll, not because it’s new or exciting anymore, but because it’s useful to remind ourselves that there are some functions that have been automated for quite some time. Can you imagine having to calculate wages, deductions, and taxes for each employee manually? I think we’re all pretty thankful that’s not the case anymore! And as well as saving you time, automation reduces the risk of paycheck errors which have historically been a major cause of frustration for employees.

Onboarding

By automating most - or all - of your onboarding methods, you can not only save time but provide a more seamless experience for new joiners. For instance, platforms like BambooHR and WorkBright streamline the onboarding process, automating paperwork, facilitating electronic document signatures, and ensuring that new hires have access to necessary resources from day one. Of course, it’s always important to offer face-to-face time to enable people to fit in and ask any questions they might have, but things like training, accessing programs, and enabling hardware are all things that can work better when automated. Platforms like Enboarder will connect new starters with the buddies who will help them succeed in their new role and even deliver a personalised onboarding experience based on data.

Employee Assistance

In the era of employee assistance, AI-powered chatbots emerge as indispensable tools. For example, TeamHouse resolves 50% of employee support requests instantly, providing accurate answers based on existing policies, guidelines, and handbooks. If the assistant can't help, TeamHouse intelligently assigns the work based on the suitability, availability, and priorities of your team, ensuring a prompt and effective resolution. As well as saving heaps of time, these AI tools also massively improve the overall employee experience through streamlined and efficient processes.

Performance tracking

Performance tracking is a great example of how human and automated actions work well together. To get a reliable view of an employee’s performance, you, of course, need human observation and experience. But automated performance reviews and tools that enable you to monitor - and be automatically notified - of changes in patterns can take hours off your own workload. Take, for instance, a software like 15Five, which utilises automated check-ins and feedback loops to provide a comprehensive view of employee performance, streamlining the evaluation process and ensuring timely recognition of achievements.

Employee Engagement

In the realm of fostering employee engagement, leveraging automation can be a game-changer. Platforms like Mo and Culture Amp showcase how utilising technology enhances the overall employee experience, creating a positive and collaborative work environment. For instance, Mo automates prompts to remind individuals to share updates, celebrate successes, or provide feedback to colleagues. Culture Amp, on the other hand, utilises automation to gather and analyse employee feedback, providing valuable insights to improve engagement strategies.

Hiring

Streamlining the recruitment process, AI plays a pivotal role by automating CV screening, identifying suitable candidates, and even conducting initial interviews. This not only accelerates the hiring process but also ensures a better match between candidates and job roles, contributing to long-term employee engagement. Take, for example, Personio, an excellent illustration of how AI can revolutionise recruitment practices.

 

Employee Gifting

We all know that gifting is a really effective way to enhance the employee experience, but it’s difficult and time-consuming to manage at scale. It’s tricky to keep track of hundreds of birthdays, anniversaries, new joiners, and other key moments in the employee journey - moments which can be transformed into valuable employee engagement opportunities. It’s also even trickier deciding what to get everyone. However, automated gifting platforms like CakeDrop let you schedule and automate gifts for any occasion, so that everyone gets a treat on their special day.

 

CakeDrop's platform integrates with over 50 HR systems to sync key dates, dietary requirements, and addresses, so there is no need to export data, share spreadsheets, or manually update any changes to your workforce. As with all good automated processes, you’re then free to forget all about it, and rest assured that your delicious branded gifts will arrive on time with your team members.

If you’d like to find out more about our automated gifting service, visit our website.