Shahriar Rahman
Chatbot
13 May, 2023
As the day progresses, we become more and more inclined towards digital transformation. HR is no exception. The immense responsibility any HR department faces could now be shared with a smart, ai powered HR chatbot. Our article today points light on this rather new side of technological advancement. Let’s dig deep into the world of chatbots for HR
Contents
Let’s ask the simple question first, what is a chatbot? If we open up the online dictionary it will tell us
– Chatbot is a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users, especially over the internet.
However, with the power of machine learning an Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot today is much bigger than this simple definition. The amazing capability of virtual assistance is often used by different organizations, especially in the customer service area. From E-commerce to travel, real estate, banking, healthcare, or public industries, the usage of chatbots is everywhere to provide top-notch service to the client.
An HR Chatbot is a special branch of chatbots that can stimulate a conversation with potential candidates and existing employees on behalf of the HR and automate events like candidate screening, interview scheduling, replying to common employee queries, etc. At the core, an HR Chatbot is an assistant to the HR which makes the communication process smoother and faster on behalf of the HR team.
Employees are the heart of any organization. The department that looks after the recruitment, wellbeing, and overall experience of the employees of an organization must be of utmost importance. No wonder, that the Human Resources (HR in abbreviated form) department holds a major key for the growth of any company.
An HR department performs well when it can hire the best resource as well as take care of existing resources. With the immense responsibility an HR team faces, an AI-powered Chatbot is nothing but a blessing for them. When the simple queries are automated and available 24/7, thanks to the excellent conversational ability of a machine learning-powered Chatbot, it helps an organization in multiple ways. On one hand, the employees get their questions answered, and queries solved without any delay, any time of the day. Additionally, when it comes to complex issues, with the responsibility shared with a chatbot, the HR team is available in person to solve that in real time. The whole process helps increase employee satisfaction and reduce operational costs which brings an excellent ROI when you decide to invest in an HR Chatbot platform.
Chatbots for HR Services can have multiple ways of contributing to its cause. We’ve listed a few below.
Recruitment is part and parcel of any HR team. An HR Chatbot can assist streamline and automate this process. Here is how
Most of the time the initial screening is a repetitive job that every hr individual has to go through. An HR chatbot can engage with candidates and ask them initial screening questions. These could be questions about their qualifications, experience, and job preferences. Relevant questionnaires can help filter out candidates and select potential ones.
Questions can arise from both sides, be that the recruiter or the applicant. HR chatbot can play a vital role here too. Candidates often have questions about the length of the recruitment process, the status of their application, or the benefits offered by the company. An HR chatbot can help answer these questions quickly and accurately, providing a positive candidate experience and creating a positive image of the company.
Chatbot for HR services can help schedule interviews by checking and aligning the availability of the candidate and the hiring manager. If enabled, it can also send reminders to the candidates to ensure that they show up for the interview on time.
For the candidates not selected, feedback can be provided easily for their rejection. The selected candidate’s onboarding process can speed up as HR Chatbot is capable of guiding the new recruit through the process of filling out paperwork, setting up their accounts, and familiarizing themselves with company policies and procedures.
It’s the current employees who keep any company afloat. Let’s see some HR Chatbot use cases for their benefit.
HR chatbots can provide employees with quick and accurate answers to relevant questions. Questions on benefits leave policies, remaining leaves, company policies, and more.
Filling out forms, updating personal information, and tracking performance evaluations are all common HR processes. These can be automated through an HR Chatbot easily.
If an HR chatbot is unable to assist an employee with a particular issue, it can connect the employee with an HR representative who can provide further assistance. As Chatbot takes up a huge chunk from the plate of an HR personnel’s plate of responsibility, s/he has more time to address the particular issue.
So what’s in it for the team that this Chatbot is designed for? Time to find out
The HR team has to handle various recurring works which could provide a lot to their workload. This can be addressed with a modern AI-powered HR Chatbot. As discussed before, it’s capable of automating many routine tasks including answering frequently asked questions, assisting in routine activities, scheduling interviews, and onboarding new employees. By handling these tasks, the HR team can save time and focus on more strategic & complex activities.
Work is work but routine work can be boring and time-consuming. The human brain is not designed to do the same thing again and again for an unlimited time, it gets tired, distracted, and makes errors. However, a computer program is a master at doing repetitive work. So, all HR Chatbots can be programmed to provide accurate and consistent responses to common queries, reducing the risk of errors or misunderstandings. This eliminates unexpected human errors and increases efficacy.
Unlike a human, a Chatbot can work tirelessly all day long. This means it can handle HR queries outside of regular business hours resulting in better experience for both the employees and the HR.
Be a giant organization or a fledgling start-up, everyone wants to spend less and get more. As no company can run without employees, recruitment is a process always going on. The cost of recruitment and onboarding can be significantly lowered when an HR Chatbot assists with screening, interview scheduling, or replying to common queries. With reduced workload, the HR Team can function more efficiently which returns with employee satisfaction as well as excellent recruits. These two things combined results in cost-effectiveness in the long run.
Data can tell stories and make wonders. With an AI Chatbot in action, and access to data on different employees’ necessities, their thought process is much easier. This helps the overall management and growth of the organization. It also provides crucial insights for decision-making.
With prompt and authentic responses an HR Chatbot platform bolsters the transparency and trust between employees and employer.
In this era of digitalization, any organization investing in new technologies is viewed differently. It shows they are ready to adapt for the better which actually contributes to the betterment of the brand image. When an HR Chatbot communicates with a potential candidate or provides necessary info to an employee it definitely builds a positive reputation for the employer.
Ideas and benefits discussed above are not only theories, in fact, some giant corporations have already implemented and shared their amazing experience regarding HR Chatbots usability.
Tech giant IBM has implemented their in-house HR Chatbot called Watson Recruitment Assistant and it did wonders for their HR Team. The chatbot is always learning through NLP and upgrading itself to answer queries. IBM has reported a reduction in the time taken to fill a position and an increase in candidate satisfaction since implementing the chatbot.
Another giant corporation Unilever has also utilized the availability of Microsoft’s NLP Framework called Bot Framework and created their own Unabot, which reimagined HR services using artificial intelligence (AI). According to Keith Williams Unilever’s former HR Services Technology Director, Una is their Digital Colleague who is always available for any internal communication of the organization. It works with internal data like company guidelines, schedules, policy documents, employee FAQs, etc.
The famous Bank of America has its own chatbot called Erica. The vast ability of this chatbot includes assisting employees with their financial queries. It can provide information on employee benefits, retirement plans, financial wellness programs, and more.
Those who can foresee the future and adapt to new technological advancements, flourish in their endeavors. AI and Machine Learning are here to shape our future. The use of futuristic HR chatbots can bring countless benefits to an organization. From improving employee engagement and satisfaction to reducing the workload of HR personnel and improving efficiency, a chatbot will work as a valuable tool for any HR department. There is no doubt that investing in an HR chatbot will not only save time and money but also enhance the overall HR experience for both employees and HR personnel. So, the benefits of using one is excellent.
Be that with a pencil & a paper or a keyboard with a display, you can find the best version of Shahriar when he’s writing. After working on various niches including website templates, real estate, cybersecurity, customer service etc. for more than six years, Shahriar has turned his focus on the vast world of SAAS.
Be that with a pencil & a paper or a keyboard with a display, you can find the best version of Shahriar when he’s writing. After working on various niches including website templates, real estate, cybersecurity, customer service etc. for more than six years, Shahriar has turned his focus on the vast world of SAAS.
