How is AI impacting your role & organisation?
Back in May 2023, I wrote my monthly article about AI and how it might influence people management. At the time I plugged that question into ChatGPT and it gave me five headings and a paragraph for each. I then spent 15 minutes‘ topping and tailing’ the content and re-phrasing things so it sounded like me.
I’ ve just read that article back and the biggest area I’ ve seen changes in due to AI, isn’ t even mentioned in that original list! For most of my community of independent HR professionals, the area where we’ ve seen the most change is in Employee Relations. For those of you that aren’ t People Professionals, let me explain what I mean by Employee Relations and how things have changed, particularly in the past 12 months.
What is Employee Relations? Employee Relations is about managing the day-to-day relationships between an employer and their employees. Some might call it the sharp-end of people management, where you’ re dealing with performance, absence, conflict and change whilst at the same time making sure you handle issues fairly and in line with employment law. You are also trying to do all of that in a humane way so that problems don’ t escalate into a dispute, a resignation or worse still, a tribunal.
How does AI come into that? Managing performance issues that might result in a disciplinary; or complaints that might turn into formal grievances has always been a delicate and time-consuming part of the work of People Professionals. What we’ re seeing now though are much more complicated issues, taking much longer to resolve and that’ s partly down to AI. Imagine having an issue with your line manager, perhaps you don’ t like the way they speak to you, perhaps you feel they are unfairly allocating you work, maybe you think they’ re micromanaging you. These are all difficult matters to raise with someone who is senior to you. In larger companies, employees would often go to HR to discuss the concerns and, if at all possible I would always encourage mediation to try and resolve things. Much better to get people talking as adults, with a facilitator – than getting bogged down in a formal grievance process.
What I see happening now is an employee loading a few of their concerns into ChatGPT( other LLMs are available!) and within a few seconds a three-page complaint letter is produced. These letters typically include a SAR( subject access request) a whistleblowing allegation and a discrimination claim. If you’ re using ChatGPT regularly, you get familiar with the layout and wording and when an employer receives one of these letters I can spot AI a mile off. Sickness absence often ensues with an employee preferring to communicate via email rather than have a meeting and then of course all their subsequent communications can be drafted using AI.
Why is this happening? I have several theories: 1. AI is free and easy, you can use it with zero effort whereas drafting a grievance letter yourself is hard work and can be stressful 2. The general state of the economy makes people worried for their roles. They might prefer to move roles but they take a look around and see there aren’ t many jobs out there – maybe they should just stay put 3. Everyone is feeling the pinch, so if a pay increase is off the cards and there aren’ t any higher paid jobs elsewhere, perhaps they can get the employer running scared and frightened enough to make them a payment to avoid a claim Are people becoming more individualistic? And does AI encourage that? Why would I bother discussing my problems with others when I can plug it into ChatGPT and it will support me, no questions asked?
All I know is that, whereas experts keep telling us AI will save us time and remove the low-level, grunt work – at the moment it’ s creating more work for People Professionals. In some ways I guess I shouldn’ t complain, that’ s all jam to me, right? But I can’ t help thinking we’ re losing the art of conversation, healthy debate and discussion. What do you think?
I’ m always here to help with your people priorities, do get in touch if you’ d like a chat.
Ruth George- HR Consultant- ruth @ ruthgeorge. com | 07899 920075
© Ruth George HR Consulting. This is not legal advice and is provided for general information only.
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