"AI in HR management" in the Circle Community

"We should use the time freed up by AI for and with employees." This ambitious closing statement marked the end of the Circle Community's first HR event. Around 70 HR professionals engaged in a controversial discussion on the use of AI in HR management during a panel discussion and the subsequent networking aperitif.

According to Florian Dreifus, Chief Operating Officer at SAP Switzerland, it should not be forgotten, that it is the current shortage of skilled labour that is challenging many HR departments and not AI that is causing this "stress". Because: "AI can do little about this. But what it can do is making the relevant processes more effective."

 AI as corporate transformation

"AI is here to stay," said Michael Gerlich, Head of the Centre for Strategic Corporate Foresight and Sustainability at SBS Swiss Business School. And this despite the fact that, according to surveys, 70% of employees in Switzerland express fears in connection with AI. According to Gerlich, companies should therefore see the implementation of AI not simply as a development project, but as an organisation-wide transformation. Felix Anderegg, Head of Technology & Innovation at HR Campus, gave a concrete suggestion on how this can be achieved: "First of all, it is worth choosing a use case that creates acceptance by making work easier for many employees and that can be communicated transparently." 

There are several opportunities for such acceptance-creating use cases in HR:

• Support in the creation of job advertisements and job descriptions
• Supplementing the selection process
• Increased efficiency in expense management
• More intelligent document search through chat bots for employees

How much human, how much AI?

Contrasting views emerged on the question of where the ethical boundaries of AI should be in human resources. While some panelists were critical of using AI in personnel decisions such as hiring or promotions, Berit Gerritzen, Director AI & Data at Deloitte, posed the critical counter-question of whether we humans are actually less biased than AI? Moreover, we should also consider how such processes can be made less susceptible to discrimination.

The evening was hosted by Daniel Thüler, Editor-in-Chief of HR Today, Switzerland's leading HR magazine. The exciting discussions continued seamlessly after the panel discussion at the networking aperitif. Interrupted only by some virtual reality gaming and working experiences in the 7th Space Virtual Reality & Lounge in The Circle. This location turned out to fit the theme of the networking event in two respects: there is also more and more AI behind VR and VR offers ever more versatile possibilities in HR and for companies, for example in the form of virtual event and meeting rooms or for virtual employee training.

 

5 questions for Berit Gerritzen, Director AI & Data at Deloitte and key note speaker at the Circle Community HR event

 

Where do you see the greatest potential for AI in HR?

In recruitment support, in the form of chat bots for employees and in the creation of job adverts. But it always depends on what is strategically important for an organisation.

And how do companies find out? How do they get started with AI?

I recommend starting by thinking about where AI can bring the greatest added value to the company – taking into account feasibility and potential risks in the specific context. What companies should rather not do: Simply launch AI projects here and there without first creating a strategic perspective.

Can SMEs also utilise the opportunities offered by AI?

It is SMEs in particular that benefit from it. With AI support, they are able to offer services that only large companies were able to offer in the past. In addition, SMEs are often particularly agile in such change processes. And it's really easy to get started: for example, by providing employees with an enterprise version of a large language model (e.g. Chat GPT, editor's note) for their work – with appropriate instructions and training on how to use it responsibly in their day-to-day work.

Is it that easy?

Employees want to be closely supported in this process. Their reservations must be taken seriously. But overall, there are huge opportunities, especially in interpersonal encounters. As these become less frequent due to AI and remote work, they become more valuable and offer more potential.

Your AI tip for human resources?

AI must be viewed as a company-wide transformation. Business, IT and HR should see this AI transformation as a joint task that should also be fun – and is not just designed to increase efficiency.