Human Resources Vs AI: Which is Better?
The comparison between artificial intelligence and human resources has led to ongoing debates within both the industries. The result stays undecided though!
When comparing with human resources and artificial intelligence — the first question that comes to mind is — are the two even comparable?
The one-word answer to that question is ‘No!’
Then on what grounds are they being compared with each other. Well, the ground is based on the functions that each perform and can do better than the other.
Yes, there are no similarities between AI and human resources, still, a debate has sparked comparing the two.
Reason:
- AI helps in automating numerous mundane HR tasks including but not restricting to screening and shortlisting of applications that gave room to an HR professional to concentrate on more strategic jobs
- Managing a database of employees that AI can do better than an HR professional along with other tasks like answering new employee
- Keeping a track of every employees’ mental and physical health needs
While these are just a few of the functions that AI can do better than a human resource professional on their own. However, there are numerous tasks where both HR and AI need to shake hands and ensure that there are proper AI and talent management in an organization.
So what are the specialties of HR that stand apart from AI? Let’s have a look!
Before we delve into what tasks or functions of HR can’t be overtaken by AI let’s understand that the work of an HR professional is not only crucial but also incorporate all the functions related to the organization’s personnel including recruitment, training, welfare, compensation among other functions. HR leaders understand the importance of their work and thus depending on the size of the organization there are HR business partners or there is one individual HR professional who takes care of all the tasks.
So before the comparison is drawn between human resources and AI let’s understand that there are few HR functions that AI needs HR professional touch. Here is the list of those tasks that need human intervention.
👉Recruitment and Placement of new employees
👉Training and Development programs for employees
👉Compensation and benefits of employees
👉Welfare and Engagement of employees
👉Human Resources Information System aka HRIS
These apart, there are other functions that an HR Professional can perform better than AI and the areas where AI can never replace HR professional.
Reason:
- Usually, an HR professional is a human with both IQ and EQ.
- An HR professional will be able to hold more clear, precise, and direct communication with the employees.
- An HR professional will also possess a better capability to both comprehend and relate to the employees as she is also a human.
- While AI can do a good job of screening employees, an HR professional will be able to do a good job of evaluating them as well during the recruitment process.
- A human will definitely be able to understand and solve the psychological problems of the employees better than an AI bot.
- Additionally, an HR professional will be able to judge potential candidates better based on their skills and attributes as compared to an AI bot.
There is no doubt that AI is an efficient technology that can give leverage to numerous HR functions but there are some functions that still need a human touch. Yes, HR leaders can blend numerous HR functions with AI to ensure better AI and Talent Management resulting in talent retention and also attracting top talent in an organization.
There are other aspects of the HR department where either HR professionals can make a difference or join hands with AI to make a significant difference in the work environment and work culture of an organization.
1) Employee Experience
Employee Experience or EX refers to the employees’ overall association with the company or with an employer on numerous aspects like physical, cultural, and technological right from the time an employee joins to the time she leaves the organization. An HR professional is capable of giving a more empathetic employee experience as compared to an AI bot. No doubt that AI systems will be able to enhance the overall experience of an employee but the human touch can only come from an HR professional.
2) Workplace Diversity
An HR professional will be able to impact workplace diversity and increase it more efficiently as compared to an AI-based system as there will be more conscious of hiring. With AI AI-based stems the hiring can be biased as it is based on pre-installed algorithms that may or may not be diversity-friendly.
3) Data Security
An HR professional has to maintain lots of data some of which is confidential as well. So this is where AI and HR professionals can join hands and offer better data security and data encryption. HRIS or Human Resource Information System is the name given to the collaboration of technology and HR that ensures better data security.
Now that we have a clear understanding of where HR is better than AI or where AI can help HR become better in their functions, it is clear that there is no comparison between the two and if they both act as partners then they can do wonders in talent management.
