Human Resources is the backbone of any company, ensuring employees are supported and processes run smoothly. But HR teams often find themselves stretched thin with administrative tasks like onboarding, payroll, and recruitment. Imagine if automation and AI could handle these routine processes, freeing up time for HR to focus on strategic goals.
Let’s follow Sarah, an HR Manager at a mid-sized company, as she experiences a day before and after AI and Automation.
9:00 AM – New Employee Onboarding
Before AI: Sarah’s day begins with onboarding new hires, a process that used to involve back-and-forth emails, paperwork collection, and setting up training. Each new hire required hours of coordination to ensure all tasks were completed, making the onboarding experience tedious and error-prone.
With AI: Now, automation takes over. The system sends personalised welcome emails, gathers documents, schedules training, and guides new employees through an interactive portal. Sarah reviews the final onboarding steps, focusing on making new hires feel welcome and supported, not bogged down by paperwork.
11:00 AM – Payroll Processing
Before AI: As payday neared, Sarah would spend hours calculating salaries, deductions, and benefits manually. Any error could delay payments, creating stress for both her and employees.
With AI: The payroll system automatically pulls attendance data, calculates deductions, and processes payments. But beyond that, AI reviews payroll for inconsistencies, such as overtime overpayments or missed deductions, proactively flagging issues for Sarah’s review. By catching these discrepancies early, AI not only saves time but also reduces the risk of costly errors.
1:00 PM – Performance Reviews
Before AI: Preparing for performance reviews used to mean hours of gathering feedback and performance data from various sources. The process was labour-intensive, leaving less time for meaningful feedback and discussion.
With AI: Automated tools compile performance data, manager feedback, and project outcomes into a comprehensive report. AI analyses strengths and improvement areas, even suggesting development plans. Sarah now spends her review meetings providing data-driven insights and setting actionable goals.
3:00 PM – Recruitment Screening
Before AI: Screening applications and resumes was time-consuming, often overwhelming Sarah as she sifted through hundreds of documents to find qualified candidates.
With AI: The AI-driven applicant tracking system (ATS) scans resumes, shortlisting top candidates based on skills and qualifications. Sarah can now focus on the human side of recruitment, building relationships and finding the best cultural fit, while AI takes care of the initial screening.
4:30 PM – Employee Engagement and Wellbeing
Before AI: Assessing employee engagement and wellbeing involved manual data gathering from surveys and feedback, which often delayed responses to concerns.
With AI: Automated tools compile data from pulse surveys, feedback forms, and performance metrics, offering Sarah a clear view of engagement trends and wellbeing insights. AI recommends actions to boost morale, such as team activities or additional support, allowing Sarah to be proactive rather than reactive.
5:00 PM – Wrapping Up
Before AI: Sarah’s end-of-day checklist included sending reminders, updating records, and consolidating information from various systems. It was a labour-intensive process that often extended beyond office hours.
With AI: Automated reminders, scheduled interviews, and payroll updates are already handled by the system. Sarah logs off on time, confident that tomorrow will be just as productive and seamless.
Conclusion: Transforming HR with AI
Sarah’s day highlights how AI and automation can transform HR by taking on routine tasks like onboarding, payroll, and performance reviews. By freeing up HR professionals from administrative duties, AI allows them to focus on enhancing engagement, culture, and employee development.
The future of HR is here—and it’s powered by AI. Is your team ready to embrace the change?
How to Get Started…
Is your team ready to embrace the change? At Shiny Blue Box, we offer workshops like the AI Ideation Workshop, where we help you identify the tasks/processes that are ripe for AI and automation, validate your ideas, and create a clear roadmap. You don’t have to jump without a parachute—we’re here to make sure you start on the right foot and land safely.
Start your journey today! Click here to learn more and book a consultation with Shiny Blue Box.
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