HR chatbots automate the boring administrative stuff so you can focus on empowering your team

Between juggling administrative tasks, employee inquiries and strategic company initiatives, HR is hard work. That’s why HR chatbots are being deployed by many of your peers.

HR chatbots are powerful tools for streamlining processes, improving efficiency and reclaiming valuable time, potentially creating a more productive work environment for both your employees and your HR team.

Imagine an AI-powered virtual assistant that leverages natural language processing to understand employee and candidate questions and reply with relevant information. HR chatbots can be integrated into your organization’s communication channels, such as your website, intranet or messaging platform, to provide 24/7 support.

Other key areas where HR chatbots help

But HR chatbots can take care of much more than answering frequently asked questions about benefits and policies. Chatbots can also lighten your workload by:

Automating repetitive, routine tasks. Chatbots can schedule appointments, process leave requests and provide payroll information (depending on the chatbot’s specific functionalities and company privacy protocols). The time saved frees up HR to take on more complex tasks and provide more personalized support to the employees who need it.

Streamlining the recruitment process. Chatbots can screen candidates – allowing recruiters to focus on just the qualified candidates – schedule interviews, handle pre- and post-interview communication and answer basic application questions.

Enhancing employee engagement. Chatbots provide quick access to information and support, facilitate peer-to-peer recognition and offer resources for employee well-being – all of which improve employee experience, paving the way to a more engaged work environment.

Reducing costs (which will grab the attention of your CEO and CFO). Chatbots can automate tasks that previously required dedicated personnel, potentially leading to cost savings.

Getting started with HR chatbots

Here’s a small sample of HR chatbots that are on the market:

• MeBeBot
• Humanly
• Paradox.ai, and
• Ask HR.

Some chatbots that turn up in your search will be components of HR software platforms, while other chatbots will be more general-use in nature and not specific to HR. So when considering an HR chatbot, it’s crucial to:

Identify your needs and goals. Determine which tasks and processes the chatbot will address to ensure it aligns with your HR department’s needs – especially if you’re an HR department of one

Choose the right tech. Of course it needs to integrate seamlessly with your existing systems, but be sure to take it for a good, long test drive to ensure it has the functionality you require, that it’s user-friendly and provides clear and accurate information (AI is infamous for making things up when it doesn’t know the answer), and

Sign up for the HRMorning webinar “HR and AI: Harnessing the Power of AI.” There are potential compliance issues when using AI in HR.

And if you’re concerned that HR chatbots might be used to replace the humans in human resources, read this.