How chatbots could be used in the HR department

Chatbots in HR and employee engagement

Chatbots is a term that's been making headlines for quite some time, but there is still a massive misconception when it comes to the topic. A typical example is how customer-facing departments should not deploy ‘robots’ to speak to their candidates or existing employees as it takes away the human aspect. Well, the reality is that in such an ever-changing, fast-moving environment, businesses which put customer service and engagement at the top of their priority list will have to utilize artificial resources to help them keep up, get the job done and free up some time for increased (and more effective) human interaction.

Gone are the days where human resource managers are required to process admin and communicate with candidates and existing employees via email from time-to-time. Incorporating chatbots into your communications strategy is not a literal case of getting rid of human interaction and replacing it with an automated bot, but rather a case of allowing chatbots to help business operations run smoother. AI or chatbots can do much more than automate paper-driven tasks. It’s one of the fastest growing ways for businesses to streamline all processes and meet your employee management goals with ease.

How HR has evolved over the years

Updates in technology are constantly improving HR professionals’ lives when it comes to communicating with people and creating streamlined approaches to employee management. Take recruitment, for example, there is usually an influx of applications for a specific position. In order for human resource departments to organically keep up with responses and engage prospective candidates (in the most transparent way possible), businesses need to maximize the benefits of chatbots for their organization.

With internal processes, there have been plenty of innovative user-interfaces and complex designs on CRM tools that could potentially help human resource professionals to do the job better and more efficiently. But the trouble with these tools is that they require hours of employee training before you can make use of them. Most companies cannot afford for their workflow to come to a halt because of this.

Switching to chatbots

Chatbots can revolutionize the way business solutions are supposed to operate, making them simple, intuitive and engaging. Be it with siloed systems, functional onboarding, better recruitment practices, increased employee engagement, data and analytics management, employee retention or scaling, an artificially intelligent resource can help you to overcome all of these obstacles and give you more time to perfect processes that require human assistance and presence.

With more companies shifting solely into the digital space, employing a chatbot to automate and streamline processes will be a good step towards digital transformation. Instead of forms and surveys, employees can now share their feedback through chat, which has proven to be a very effective way of connecting with the millennial generation. And, one of the greatest benefits of all is that chatbots can easily be integrated into many of your company’s existing communication platforms, to create a better customer experience for those involved.

Here are the key benefits of using chatbots in your HR department

They dominate repetitive tasks

Knowing that chatbots excel in repetitive tasks does not infuriate humans. There are always going to be tasks that machines could do more accurately, so why not leave those mundane, low-skill tasks to a bot that is able to complete them at lightning-fast speed? By delegating time-consuming tasks, your HR managers will be able to focus their attention and energy on more complex, strategic tasks. Simply having a ‘presence’ that follows up and responds to employees and candidates will give them a good sense of satisfaction.

They’re super fast with data

As mentioned, chatbots are able to capture numbers and analyze data in the blink of an eye. Something that could take humans hours to complete can get done in minutes (or even seconds). This type of assistance will help humans to react quicker and respond better in the moment. Once you’re able to process information faster and get things done without wasting time, you’ll be able to analyze these processes and see how your team can improve business operations.

They’re always online

Well, this is one of the biggest advantages of chatbots. While employees work designated hours, consumers don’t. They expect businesses to connect and engage with them the minute they’ve sent you a message. This, of course, is humanly impossible. Bots, on the other hand, are available 24/7. Once you’ve taught your bot how to respond intelligently, they’ll be able to keep in touch with your customer until the need for a more complex response.

They help with recruitment

Talent management is a lengthy process. If your company wants to hire the most talented individuals who are fit for the position, they’re going to need to go through various testing processes to see whether or not they meet your criteria. Having a chatbot which can assist with these online interview processes and pool the best candidates can free up plenty of time for recruiters.

Using AI to deliver better working experiences

Even though chatbots have been around for quite some time, the HR department is only starting to experience substantial benefits in enhancing employee experience in the workplace.

The more companies and employees embrace chatbots and AI, the easier it will be to improve business operations for the better. And, although many individuals are concerned about the prediction of chatbots replacing HR professionals over the upcoming years, there will always be various cognitive and technical challenges that simply cannot be tackled by chatbots. Even if they were to become more advanced, their assistance will not hinder performance but rather improve the outcome of repetitive tasks, and streamline workflow so that HR managers can do their jobs more effectively. It’s up to business owners to decide which role chatbots will play in their business, if, of course, they’re the right fit.

The bottom line is that companies and individuals should view these tools as a helping-hand to focus more on strategic, high-profile projects. Your people are your most important asset, and technology is only as useful as you make it. Learn more about the benefits of chatbots for your business, and how chatbots and humans work better together.