The HR profession was named the overall winner at the 2021 CIPD People Management Awards because of the way HR leaders and teams helped steer their organisations through the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic. As we move into 2024 — with the way of work about to shift again — a new opportunity arises for HR leaders to leverage their ‘seat at the table’ and lead the way once more.
Take Copilot for Microsoft 365, the everyday generative AI companion that’s integrated into the productivity apps people use every day, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Teams, and Excel. Since Copilot was announced in February 2023, we have seen huge interest, with hundreds of large enterprises signing up to the early access programme. We have been tracking the feedback from staff taking part, and found that 70% of Copilot users said they were more productive, and overall, users were 29% faster at a series of tasks (searching, writing, and summarising). Also, 68% said it improved the quality of their work, with 85% of users saying Copilot helps them get to a “good” first draft faster, whether someone is creating a speech, email, spreadsheet, or presentation. And 85% say the effort needed to complete tasks was reduced.
The sheer scale and beneficial impact of this technology for people, on par with the arrival of the PC or the Graphical User Interface (GUI), means the deployment and adoption of generative AI will create a cultural shift within organisations. It’s more than just an IT project: it’s a core area where HR must lead.
An HR led strategy for cultural change
Key processes will need to be updated to achieve long-term adoption of AI tools, including onboarding, learning and upskilling. Doing these well is crucial for attracting people’s interest, bringing them along on the journey and keeping them engaged. So here are four important elements of a successful AI strategy which HR can lead.
Understand the business needs, departmental use cases and scenarios
Where will the organisation benefit most from using generative AI?
A significant driver of AI success is the extent to which the organisation has defined and prioritised business objectives and use cases. Rather than looking first at what AI can do, HR and fellow senior business leaders should begin by considering their business goals and then how AI can help.
Fostering relationships with subject-matter experts across a spectrum of competencies will ensure AI projects genuinely serve business objectives and deliver value to staff and customers. Beginning here will help HR professionals collaboratively develop an operating model for AI, with a plan that’s backed by leadership.
Create a culture of experimentation and change management
Strengthen your organisation’s ability to manage change
Organisations that get the most out of AI are usually companies whose HR and business leadership recognise the opportunities of AI and support this with words, actions — and resources. Initiatives can start from the top, with senior people leading by example or work as a more bottom-up grassroots approach that gradually builds momentum.
HR leaders must create an atmosphere that encourages people to experiment responsibly with generative AI and learn by doing, aiming for improvement rather than perfection. If a new AI enabled workflow, output or process saves time or delivers increased value — that’s a good starting point.
Have a strong learning and skills plan to use generative AI across the organisation
Encourage continuous learning with sustainable, accessible learning
HR can help protect training budgets for AI-related skill-building and learning — and make continuous learning and respected certifications as accessible as possible. If every training course happens offsite, it’s harder for staff to make time, so bitesize daily learning that can be done online for 15 minutes during the workday should be part of the mix. Training also unlocks more value from AI by enabling staff to use prompts more effectively. Specifying the goal, context, expectations and source will generate richer, more useful results.
Succeeding with AI is about building new, sustained improvements to your organisation’s capabilities. As AI adoption matures, people will naturally move from fixing problems to optimising solutions.
Measure how AI transforms the employee experience, not just productivity
Staff feeling less strained and having more energy are vital metrics
HR teams can create value by ensuring leadership considers more than just productivity, and measures how AI improves the employee experience. Pulse surveys can track if generative AI users are getting increased satisfaction from completing tasks and enjoying work more. Are staff feeling more energised, and less tired because AI is preserving their capacity for more valuable and rewarding work? Do they feel less strained?
New tools, such as the Microsoft Copilot Dashboard, powered by Viva available in early 2024, can support HR’s work by capturing adoption and usage metrics combined with collaboration data. It offers out-of-the box reports for HR leaders, using before and after behavioural data and insights from staff surveys. The dashboard will show how many employees are eligible and ready to benefit from Copilot based on Microsoft 365 app usage, break down Copilot usage across apps, and deliver early signals on Copilot impact on productivity based on meetings, chat, email and documents.
HR can lead discussions around responsible AI
HR leaders have a crucial role to play in instilling a responsible approach to AI in their own organisation. As with any significant new technology, AI must be built on a foundation of security, risk management, and trust. Companies seeking to reap the greatest benefit from AI must discuss and develop their understanding of the data governance, security, and responsible AI implications of their decisions, regarding both risks and opportunities.
Microsoft has also published its own principles for responsible AI which will be useful reading for anyone looking to lead in this space.
HR leaders, in partnership with IT, should seek assurances from technology and AI providers about how HR and company data is protected end-to-end, from platform to applications and users. At Microsoft, we don’t use customers’ data to train large language models (LLMs), because we believe your data is your data. Plus, our customers’ information is protected by the most comprehensive enterprise compliance and security controls in the world.
If you’d like to learn more about how AI is being used to boost productivity, improve employee engagement and empower HR teams with more data-driven insights, please visit the Microsoft Copilot hub.