Three-in-five human resources leaders say that automation and AI are their top priority for the next two years. But they are also aware that a failure to recruit talent capable of making the most of AI could mean their firms do not enjoy the full potential of the technology.
Human Capital management (HMC) software provider Avature has surveyed over 100 human resources (HR), talent acquisition (TA) and talent management (TM) leaders and practitioners to find what their priorities for the next two years will be. The survey examined respondents’ roles, responsibilities, and organisational demographics, and found that the majority of firms still see streamlining HR processes around AI as a leading priority – but they are also aware that hiring new human talent will be key to realising such a shift.
According to the researchers, 60% of HR professionals consider automation and AI their top strategic priority, while 74% already use or plan to incorporate AI solutions into their function. Among the most common use cases for integrating AI tools, were business leaders using or looking to use AI tools to identify potential candidates for specific roles at 61%, while 56% said they would use generative AI, and 48% said they would deploy chatbots in the recruitment process.
Source: Avature
As optimistic as these professionals seemed about the possible advances AI could offer to their work, however, some were still not having their expectations met by the technology. Even as 42% of those that have implemented AI and its variants said it had increased their productivity, 27% said they were yet to see the positive results from implementing AI or machine learning (ML) – highlighting the importance of well-defined strategies to maximise the potential of these technologies.
To that end, many HR professionals seem aware they cannot neglect the old-school demands of their work, even if they are to make the most of the latest digital tools. Illustrating this, while 45% of respondents considered acquiring top talent their second priority, more than half added their efforts in this area could be “improved.” In particular, this may relate to shifting HR policy to source skills specifically aligned to helping make the most of AI.
Source: Avature
As the third priority, then, 42% of HR professionals highlighted the need to address skill and competency gaps and improve strategic workforce planning. This underscores the importance of adapting to changing labour market demands, favouring skills-based approaches.
Dimitri Boylan, CEO of Avature, commented, “AI has the power to transform how we work, but its implementation must be accompanied by a clear strategy .With our study, we aim to highlight the importance of applying this technology in the HR sector to optimise talent allocation, improve employee and organisational experience, and significantly enhance retention strategies.”