A study of HR professionals by technology company Sapia.ai found that 56% felt AI relieved some administrative burden. We’re still exploring which tasks AI is suited to augment, but there are promising use cases that will continue to gain momentum.
Recruiting and hiring
As AI advances, its ability to rapidly parse CVs and cover letters will help HR professionals streamline their manual processes, saving time and resources. Even LinkedIn recently launched an AI-powered recruitment tool. Pairing this tool with our discernment as talent evaluators will unlock a new pool of non-traditional candidates.
Read more: HR trust in AI hiring improves
As AI changes how we work, companies will have the opportunity to hire based on potential rather than credentials. My company, InvoiceCloud, operates on the payments side of utilities, and we’ve gained many insights from working with those in other sectors across utilities.
However, our recruitment tactics don’t always connect us with these candidates, because their experience may not check every box on an application. AI tools can help applicants see our job posts and rise to the top of the pile by flagging alignment around potential and industry experience for further human review, so we can benefit from diverse perspectives and skillsets.
Because AI can perpetuate biases when used without human insight, it’s important to regularly audit AI systems, establish clear ethical guidelines, and balance AI with human judgment.
Benefits streamlining
In HR, we often field employee questions like: 'Where is my benefits card?' or 'How do I find the parental leave policy?' during high-stress moments when they need answers fast. Over the past year, my team received these types of questions an average of three to five times per day. This led us to experiment with an AI-powered chatbot to provide answers conversationally. By automating answers to simple but important queries, we can help employees get the information they need while freeing up our team for more strategic work.
Earlier this year, US-based insights firm Gartner found that nearly half of HR leaders have implemented or plan to implement employee-facing chatbots. In 2025, I expect HR professionals will continue to hone these bots, and will use the data they gather to track common themes among employee queries. Tools like Microsoft Copilot, which can summarise vast amounts of written information, will improve how we collect and collate employee feedback by turning pages of feedback into clear takeaways based on common and high-priority sentiments.
Taking all feedback into equal account, rather than listening more to the 'loudest voices in the room', helps us avoid bias in determining which takeaways should be prioritised. For example, if multiple employees express interest in upskilling programmes, Copilot will flag this trend so that HR can invest resources where they’ll make the most difference.
Read more: Navigating AI: what support do HR leaders need?
It will also help us streamline individual employee reviews and performance management. Many employees and managers are amazing at their jobs but less skilled at summarising strengths, weaknesses, and goals in writing. AI makes it possible to draft reviews, analyse self-evaluations and transform feedback into personalised, targeted action plans that boost development opportunities and encourage engagement.
According to McKinsey, HR is the department that has seen the greatest cost decrease thanks to AI tools. In 2025, AI will save HR professionals time and resources, so we can focus on better supporting and connecting with employees.
Jessi Marcoff is chief people officer for InvoiceCloud
