Sifting through ‘the noise’: AI tools for HR are evolving fast – here’s how to catch up

Every day new tech vendors are popping up in HR professionals’ inboxes, touting how their newest generative AI tools can help them overcome workplace challenges.

It’s a lot to keep up with. And like with all emerging tech, sorting the useful from the useless, is critical and time-consuming. While there is plenty of excitement at what efficiencies generative AI can bring to workforces, if implemented poorly it could just exacerbate existing tech challenges for HR, like app sprawl and fragmentation. 

“I go back to when the App Store first launched and every company built an app,” said Tom Shurrock, product director, AI, skills, and workforce planning at talent lifecycle management platform Beamery. “It was ‘we need an app because everyone else has an app.’”

WorkLife has previously reported on how HR can get organized in creating an efficient tech stack that avoids app sprawl across its many functions including recruiting, onboarding, performance management, employee engagement, compensation and benefits, and more. 

Yet, there are still new capabilities being announced by companies every single day. Are they actually helpful for HR leaders, or are they just adding to the noise? We spoke to multiple vendors and workplace experts to get our finger on the pulse. 

Endless options

Most workplace management software incorporates AI in some way. For example, recently Miratech launched an AI digital assistant for HR compliance, Beamery announced a suite of new products to elevate and enhance HR functions, Canva is offering new products for HR leaders, The Access Group has introduced a new AI-enabled product for HR teams to reduce admin load, Rising Team announced a conversational AI leadership coach, and A.Team has a new generative AI hiring tool. 

“At first glance, it seems like there has been an explosion of AI tools coming into the market and being added to existing products, and it is creating a lot of noise and clouding how companies and HR leaders specifically see themselves being able to use AI in their workflows,” said Jesse Harriott, executive director of Workhuman iQ and global head of analytics at employee recognition software company Workhuman.

"There has been an explosion of AI tools coming into the market and being added to existing products, and it is creating a lot of noise and clouding how companies and HR leaders specifically see themselves being able to use AI in their workflows.”

Jesse Harriott, executive director of Workhuman iQ and global head of analytics at employee recognition software company Workhuman.

That’s why it’s important to ask yourself key questions during adoption. Harriott suggests starting with: if a product has an AI tool, does it solve an existing problem? What type of AI is the tool using?

“If it’s more about a company being able to say they’re experimenting with AI, they’re cutting edge, it’s not going to cut it with consumers and the lack of tangible benefits is going to show up in a workflow, or even in a demo,” said Harriott.

A promise to help HR execs

While caution is needed in any workplace decision, there are some exciting opportunities within products that are now leveraging AI. While HR leaders are navigating what the best tools might be for them, the product developers are figuring out how to have a competitive advantage.

That might just mean making the product easy to demo. “Most HR folks are strapped for time right now,” said AJ Thomas, A.Team’s CXO in residence. “You don’t have a lot of time to experiment, you don’t have a lot of time to learn another tool, you don’t have time to get on another 15 minute phone call with a sales rep to tell you what they have to bring to market.”

Ironically, most if not all the tools claim to save HR professionals a substantial amount of time. For example, Rising Team’s new conversational AI leadership coach, aRTi, answers questions for employees so that they don’t need to go to HR.

“People leaders should prioritize learning about these technologies, vetting any potential privacy or security implications, and ultimately exploring how best to leverage AI to enhance recruitment, employee engagement, and communications.”

Katya Laviolette, CPO at 1Password. 

“Most HR teams just can’t handle the weight of all the questions that come their way,” said Jennifer Dulski, CEO of Rising Team. “AI coaches can be extremely effective ways to help them. AI coaches might already have more information and detail to help you craft a structured response than your HR team will.”

It also reduces bias, something that HR has been responsible for for a long time: “How do we make the workplace a fairer place in general?,” said Shurrock. “How do we actually process so much data that goes into making large-scale talent decisions? We see GenAI and AI in general as a vehicle to make that happen.”

Slow and steady adoption or ASAP?

At 1Password, a password manager software company, its people team admits that they are still just in the early, exploratory stages of AI, quickly realizing most AI-powered HR solutions are still evolving. 

“Current tools may not yet fully meet the needs of people leaders and professionals, so in investigating or even implementing AI into processes, they should be aware that the technology will likely require ongoing refinement,” said Katya Laviolette, CPO at 1Password. 

Her advice to people leaders? Approach these emerging technologies with an open mind. 

“People leaders should prioritize learning about these technologies, vetting any potential privacy or security implications, and ultimately exploring how best to leverage AI to enhance recruitment, employee engagement, and communications,” said Laviolette. “Only after that can they make more informed decisions before integrating it into their tech stacks.”

Some say slow and steady wins the race, which is likely true with AI adoption in certain functions. However, HR is up against another challenge that they’ve faced for years: proving that they deserve a seat at the boardroom table. Tom Debenham, managing director at employee engagement consultancy People Insight, says that AI adoption might be the perfect place to prove forward-thinking skills that show they’re not messing around.

“It’s a race to be the first to impress the chief exec with a truly additive use of AI,” said Debenham. “Multiple functions will be competing to win that prize.”

By choosing the right product, that HR executive can end up really standing out. 

“So as an HR person or as a talent leader, it can make you more credible with your technology leaders because you found something that saves time and gets people back to focusing on the roadmap,” said Thomas.