From Sweaty Palms to Confidence: My Journey with AI in HR
I’ll be honest, the rise of AI in the workplace has made me both intrigued and nervous. Like many of us in HR, my first thought was: How on earth do I guide others and a workforce through this evolution while also setting the right boundaries?
For a while, I overthought what the policies, processes, and protections should be. My palms would literally sweat just trying to figure out where to start. I had plenty of conversations within my network, listening, learning, and listening some more. Along the way, I gained valuable perspectives which helped tremendously, though I was still stuck in my head.
Every now and then, one piece of advice lands at exactly the right time and things “click”. This simple yet pivotal nudge came from a trusted new connection, Kelvin Wong, a global HR leader, who said, “Just start playing with it. Adopt and experiment early so you can lead later.”
Slowly, the unknown stopped feeling intimidating and started feeling empowering. I began to dip my toes and experienced meaningful results that strengthened my confidence and deepened my commitment to continuous learning.
I first started using conversation summaries during virtual meetings, such as Companion AI via Zoom or Google Meet AI Note Taker. The summary of the conversations and action items captures key points in a succinct and timely way while allowing me to process information more meaningfully.
In addition, I began using platforms to analyze HR data in aggregate, adding another layer of insight beyond what our consultants already review and interpret. It has been a way to validate and deepen our understanding of organizational trends without losing the nuance of human judgment.
Another hands-on experience came during an employee experience assessment. I interviewed multiple employees using PlaudAI after getting everyone’s permission and inviting them to be part of the journey. I found myself not buried in notes. I could truly listen to their tone, pace, and emotion. The insights, summaries, and visual maps helped me see patterns and trends while underscoring points I had heard or needed to hear again.
More recently, I’ve been experimenting with custom GPTs that adapt to my style and instructions to refine existing content. It’s been an evolving process that feels like fresh eyes and helps me see my work in a new angle, with at times options for consideration.
These efforts have led to more meaningful outcomes by expanding human connection and enriching conversations with leadership. I have experienced, in real time, how technology can elevate, not replace, what we do best as humans.
Today, I use tools that enhance learning, analysis, and communication, such as Gemini, ChatGPT, PlaudAI, and AI-powered analytics in SurveyMonkey. I’m particularly interested in how these platforms can elevate performance management and training, while remaining curious about how their potential might extend even further across the HR landscape for efficiency and trends.
I’ve realized once again, in this journey of life, that the key isn’t to fear change but to explore it thoughtfully. Stay curious. Be courageous enough to play, learn, and lead through doing.
Reflections Worth Keeping:
1. Start Small, But Start Now: Don’t wait for perfect clarity or polished policies, begin exploring AI hands-on, safely of course. Experimentation builds the understanding, confidence, and credibility you’ll need to guide others.
2. Let Technology Amplify Our Interactions and Impact: AI’s real power is in enhancing what makes us human, meaning, our empathy, insight, and connection. Use it to listen better, analyze smarter, operationalize more efficiently and surface deeper trends without losing the nuance of human judgment.
3. Lead with Curiosity and Courage: The pace of change won’t slow down, though your willingness to explore and adapt will set the tone. Stay curious, stay open, and model the kind of learning mindset that helps others adapt, follow, and implement appropriately for your organization and team.
In closing, if you know of or are using trusted tools, approaches, implementation strategies, “lessons learned” and/or platforms worth exploring, I’d love to hear about them.