Three practical steps to “future-ready” HR for Generative AI technologies
Companies can significantly augment their team's capabilities with GenAI technology allowing them to focus on strategic and high-value tasks while automating repetitive and low-value activities.
It’s clear that GenAI will drive the next phase of how humans interact with technology. However, powerful new GenAI HR tools are only as effective as the information they access, and only successful with strong implementation and governance strategies used to deploy and support them. If your knowledge articles, policy documents, or data sets are inaccurate, outdated, poorly constructed and not routinely updated, it negatively affects the success of any GenAI technology you deploy. Furthermore, if your implementation plan doesn’t account for how GenAI will access and use your content and data through an end-user lens, you may not achieve your ROI.
Here are three practical things HR leaders can do now to be future-ready.
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Have a plan: Create an HR Digital Strategy to drive and support your employee experience
Companies can implement GenAI technologies in many ways but you’ll need to establish ownership, set priorities on which technologies to deploy and how to best do that based on your current HR platforms and vendor contracts. We often see clients with overlapping technologies deployed within HR silos. For example, Payroll, Benefits, Compensation, Recruiting and the Learning and Development teams often have their own technology solutions that claim to improve or drive the employee experience. However, HR often doesn’t understand how these technologies work together or overlap as they were purchased and deployed in silos. Each HR segment may in fact require a specialized platform but thinking about how they seamlessly work from an end-user perspective is often a missing ingredient.
You need a digital strategy focused on the employee experience that aligns with the overall business goals of your organization. After you align within HR, share and discuss your strategy with Corporate Communications and Information Technology. Together with HR, no one has a bigger effect on the employee experience than this powerful trifecta.
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Gather evidence: Needs assessments, and gap analysisDefine the problems you’re trying to solve by uncovering your pain points. Conduct “voice of the employee” surveys to find out what employee’s value and where they need the most help. Collect data that shows you what labor-intensive tasks on which HR team members spend their time. It might surprise you. Having evidence of the gaps, challenges, and waste that exists within your current systems and processes will crystalize the need for change. Consider all of this evidence in your digital strategy.
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Build the foundation and maintain it: Content transformation and governanceAny technology you deploy is only as good as the content and data it sources. Transforming your content into well-managed, up-to-date, and accurate knowledge sources is just as important as the employee experience technologies that bring them to life. A “Tier Zero” employee service experience begins with unobstructed access to the entire landscape of information, tools, and resources across the enterprise. Forms, knowledge articles, FAQ lists, policy documents, and intranet webpages need to be audited, reviewed and updated to support your strategic employee experience goals. Once you address the content and data sources, have a governance approach that keeps everything timely and up to date.
Don’t get caught off guard!
Whether you’re able to choose exactly which GenAI technologies HR can deploy or if you need to adapt to the features and functionalities of a solution that’s already been selected by IT or Corporate Communications, having strategic goals, understanding the pain points that need to be addressed, and getting your content (no matter where it exists) up to date will set HR on the path to success. Get these three things done and be prepared:
- Create an HR Digital Strategy
- Conduct a Needs Assessment and Gap Analysis
- Execute on Content Transformation
specializes in change communication and employee engagement strategies that help organizations future-proof their human capital investments. His area of expertise is implementing digital solutions that unlock the employee experiences that help drive human-centered transformation.
is a member of Mercer’s Change and Communication team within Mercer’s Career business. He develops and deploys change and communication strategies and tactics with clients across a range of change approaches. These include Change vision/messaging and leadership alignment; Change impact and readiness assessment; Stakeholder engagement and tactical communication; and training strategy, design and delivery.