Workers are comfortable with artificial intelligence (AI). This is according to a report by Oracle, which found that despite employees being willing to take orders from robots in the workplace, HR departments aren’t doing enough to introduce it.
It follows recent research by Deloitte, which found that although 72 percent of business leaders it surveyed see AI in the workplace as an important topic, only 31 percent feel ready to address it.
So what can these teams do to help implement AI in businesses?
workers ready and willing
The Oracle study - titled ‘AI at Work’ - found that while professionals now understand that the benefits of AI go beyond automating manual processes, organizations are not doing enough to help them embrace the technology. This will inevitably result in reduced productivity, skill set obsolescence and job loss, according to the research.
It revealed that while 70 percent of people are using some form of AI in their personal life and 93 percent would trust orders from a robot, just six percent of HR professionals are actively deploying AI and only 24 percent of employees are currently using some form of AI at work.
What this means for organizations is that employees are willing to embrace new methods of boosting productivity and enhancing their own performances, but this is not being facilitated for them.
HR leaders want AI
HR leaders do see the benefits that AI could have on their organization, with Oracle finding that 27 percent believe it would positively impact learning and development, and 26 percent thinking it will boost performance management. Meanwhile, 18 percent think it could have a positive impact on compensation/payroll and 13 percent believe the same for recruiting and employee benefits.
However, these companies are still not implementing the technology to boost performance. Oracle pointed to 90 percent of HR leaders voicing concerns that they will not be able to adjust to the rapid adoption of AI as part of their job, and that they are not currently empowered to address an emerging AI skill gap in their organization.
what can HR departments do?
Emily He, senior vice president of the human capital management cloud business group at Oracle, said: “To help employees embrace AI, organizations should partner with their HR leaders to address the skill gap and focus their IT strategy on embedding simple and powerful AI innovations into existing business processes.”
Meanwhile, Dan Schawbel, research director at Future Workplace, explained that if organizations want to take advantage of the AI revolution, while closing the skills gap, they will have to invest in AI training programs.
One of the most useful things HR leaders can do to introduce AI to their organizations is to make more use of it in their own departments. There are huge opportunities for HR to integrate AI into its processes and practices. Once they are more familiar with the technology, they will undoubtedly feel more comfortable helping other teams make use of it.
Randstad Innovation Fund participants Allyo and Wade & Wendy are examples of how the technology could help your business achieve better recruitment conversions, improve the candidate experience and reduce the administrative tasks your HR leaders are required to carry out.