AI – PPMA

AI & Leadership: Getting It Right

PPMA — Fri, 31 May 2024 06:22:36 +0000

Hello PPMA members and friends

How we get the most out of AI is on everyone’s agenda and in this post our good friends and supporters Real World Group explore some of the pros and cons to consider, especially around it’s use in leadership assessment.

In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, the integration of AI into various business functions is inevitable. However, the question remains: should AI replace traditionally human-directed activities, particularly in leadership assessment?

While AI offers efficiency and data-driven insights, relying solely on it for leadership evaluation can be problematic. Leadership is inherently human, involving emotional intelligence, empathy, and contextual judgment—qualities that AI cannot fully replicate. Here’s why:

The Human Touch in Leadership

Leadership involves more than just metrics and performance indicators. It requires understanding team dynamics, motivating employees, and making ethical decisions. These nuances are difficult for AI to capture. Human leaders bring empathy, intuition, and personal experience to their roles—elements that AI lacks.

The Limits of AI

AI excels at processing large datasets and identifying patterns. However, it falls short in areas requiring subjective judgment and ethical considerations. For example, AI might identify a high-performing employee based on metrics but may overlook issues like team morale or workplace culture.

In addition, the insights AI can provide on individuals within a company depends on the quality of information that is input into the computer system. Few companies have the maturity of culture that mean there is sufficient quality data being captured on a routine basis about employee behaviours for AI to be able to conduct analyses in a useful way for understanding effective leadership.

Conclusion

Incorporating AI into leadership assessment can enhance decision-making, but it should not replace human judgment. Leaders should leverage AI as a tool while retaining the essential human elements that define effective leadership. This hybrid approach ensures a more holistic and accurate evaluation of leadership capabilities.

For a deeper dive into why leadership assessment should not solely rely on AI, you can read the full article here

Juliette Alban-Metcalfe, CEO, Real world Group

Revolutionising the UK Public Sector: The Impact of AI in HR …written by ChatGPT!

PPMA — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 06:48:47 +0000

Hello PPMA members and friends.

The discussions around the impact of AI are becoming more prevalent as we become more familiar with how it may be used. In fact Andi Britt from IBM was a keynote speaker at our conference in Birmingham earlier this year, talking about how it is already being used in HR. So we thought that it would be interesting to try it out and we asked one of the more well know AI chatbots ChatGPT to write a blog post for us.

The accuracy of the output is determined by what you ask it to do, so we used the terms ‘Write a 700 word blog post on AI in HR in the UK public sector’, below is what it produced (in less than 2 minutes). We’d love to hear your thoughts on the content of the AI generated post, does any of it resonate with you? And also we’d like to know if you’re already utilising AI at the moment and how you see it’s uses in the future …positive and negative? Here’s the post:

The United Kingdom’s public sector plays a vital role in the well-being and functioning of the nation. With millions of employees working across various government departments and agencies, managing human resources efficiently has always been a monumental task. However, the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has ushered in a new era in HR management, transforming the way HR functions operate within the UK public sector. In this blog post, we will delve into the profound impact of AI in HR within the UK public sector, exploring the benefits, challenges, and future prospects.

The Rise of AI in HR

Artificial Intelligence has rapidly gained ground in various industries, and HR is no exception. In the UK public sector, the implementation of AI in HR operations has been steadily increasing over the past few years. AI-powered tools and systems have streamlined processes, increased efficiency, and allowed HR professionals to focus on strategic aspects of their roles rather than administrative tasks.

Recruitment and Talent Acquisition

One of the most significant areas where AI has made an impact is in recruitment and talent acquisition. AI algorithms can analyse resumes and job applications, identifying the most suitable candidates based on predefined criteria. This not only speeds up the hiring process but also reduces biases that can sometimes affect human decision-making.

For example, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) has adopted AI-driven recruitment tools to match candidates with job vacancies more effectively. These tools evaluate qualifications, experience, and skills to ensure that the right people are placed in the right positions, ultimately improving patient care.

2. Employee Engagement and Satisfaction

Maintaining employee engagement and satisfaction is crucial in the public sector, where employees often deal with high-stress environments and demanding workloads. AI-driven chatbots and sentiment analysis tools can monitor employee feedback and sentiments, helping HR departments identify issues and areas for improvement.

Moreover, these AI-powered tools can provide personalized recommendations to enhance employee well-being, such as suggesting mental health resources or professional development opportunities. This proactive approach to HR management can boost morale and productivity among public sector employees.

3. Data-Driven Decision Making

AI has revolutionised HR analytics by providing powerful data-driven insights. In the UK public sector, HR professionals can use AI tools to analyse workforce trends, predict turnover rates, and identify skill gaps. These insights enable HR departments to make informed decisions about recruitment, training, and resource allocation.

For instance, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in the UK has adopted AI-powered analytics to assess the readiness of its workforce. By analysing data on personnel skills, training, and deployment history, the MoD can ensure that it has the right personnel with the right skills in the right places to respond effectively to national security challenges.

Challenges and Ethical Considerations

While AI in HR offers numerous advantages, it also comes with its share of challenges and ethical considerations that need to be addressed.

Data Privacy and Security

Handling sensitive employee data is a fundamental aspect of HR, and AI systems need to ensure data privacy and security. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the UK imposes strict regulations on data handling and protection, requiring HR departments to implement robust data security measures when using AI.

2. Bias and Fairness

AI algorithms can inadvertently perpetuate biases present in historical data. For example, if past hiring decisions were biased, AI algorithms trained on this data may continue to make biased selections. Public sector organizations must invest in AI solutions that actively combat bias and promote fairness in HR practices.

3. Skills and Training

Implementing AI in HR requires a skilled workforce capable of developing, maintaining, and using AI systems effectively. HR professionals may need training to understand AI tools fully and leverage them for better decision-making. Public sector organizations should invest in upskilling their HR teams to make the most of AI technology.

Future Prospects

The future of AI in HR within the UK public sector is promising. As technology continues to advance, we can expect further integration and innovation in HR practices:

1.Enhanced Employee Experience

AI-driven virtual assistants and chatbots will become even more sophisticated, providing employees with personalized support and information. This will lead to improved employee experience and satisfaction within the public sector.

2. Predictive Analytics

AI will continue to play a vital role in predictive analytics, helping HR departments foresee workforce trends, employee turnover, and skill gaps. This proactive approach will enable public sector organizations to plan and allocate resources more efficiently.

3. Continuous Learning and Development

AI-powered learning platforms will become more prevalent, allowing employees in the public sector to access tailored training and development programs. This will help address skill shortages and promote career growth within the sector.

Conclusion

AI has already revolutionized HR operations within the UK public sector, offering benefits such as streamlined recruitment, improved employee engagement, and data-driven decision-making. While there are challenges and ethical considerations to address, the future of AI in HR looks promising. As technology continues to evolve, public sector organizations must stay at the forefront of AI adoption to enhance their workforce management practices and ensure the well-being and effectiveness of their employees. By embracing AI responsibly and strategically, the UK public sector can continue to deliver essential services efficiently and effectively.

Love it or hate it, AI is here to stay and if it’s used well perhaps it can bring many benefits to our profession. We look forward to your thoughts on this!

3 Reasons Why People and Machines are Smarter Together

PPMA — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 10:23:05 +0000

Hello PPMA friends

Our friends and supporters at Oracle led a brilliant session all about technology at our Conference in May and to follow this, Yazad Dalal, their Head of Strategy, EMEA, has written an excellent piece for us about the role of AI in the workplace.

“We read a lot about how AI, machine learning, robots and automation in general are changing the workplace – and how many people seem to be afraid of what that change represents.

As someone who works for a company whose technology is helping to enable this change, I think about this a lot. The fear, to me, is misplaced, in part because people don’t stop to consider three important things about work and technology.

CHANGE IS INEVITABLE

Technology-driven change in the workplace is inevitable. The workplace of today is remarkably different from even the recent past and the pace of change is accelerating, with zero pauses.

Most of what we think of as blue-collar jobs only came into existence about 200 years ago, as technology made factories possible, and have evolved ever since. The majority of white-collar jobs today didn’t exist just 100 years ago. Back then, there was only a thin layer of office workers on top of a cadre of support staff and blue-collar workers. Today, we work in the knowledge economy: the social media expert sitting next to you couldn’t have been there even 20 years ago.

There will always be technology-driven change in the workplace, and it will be cyclical change as technologies develop and mature. Sometimes that change takes generations; other times, like now, change occurs during a single career.

I come from a line of steel mill workers – my ancestors did that job until they retired. My father worked at IBM for 30+ years – and he’s had four jobs since. What he was working on last year was nothing like what he worked on when he started his career. So already my father had to engage in continuous learning, while my grandfather had to master just one career. That’s even more important for people of my generation and those coming into the workplace today.

MACHINES WORK BETTER WITH PEOPLE IN CONTROL

I share the view of Nick Thompson, the Editor-in-chief of Wired, that human intelligence and ability is at its maximum when it is combined with machines.

When IBM’s Deep Blue first beat world chess champion Garry Kasparov, it made headlines and was the subject of a documentary. But as author Clive Thompson noted in his book “Smarter Than You Think,”[1] when machines and humans worked together, even two mid-level players were able to beat a computer playing alone. The key was that the humans had learned how to use their computer as a highly effective tool for the task.

The same thing applies to the workplace. Email may have eliminated the need for pools of secretaries, stenographers, typists and mailroom clerks, but it is only a tool. It isn’t more powerful than its user; it does nothing alone. So, as we put more automation into the workplace, rather than fear that it will replace what we do now, we should think about how to acquire the skills to use these new tools. That will make us even more valuable in the future.

In fact, we need a paradigm shift in how we even talk about these changes. People’s fear happens when they look at technology-driven change and say, “I’m going to lose my job.” Instead, we should be talking about how that job has become obsolete, and develop new skills that work smarter, not harder, using the technology around us. We need to be looking ahead constantly, thinking about what we are going to do next and the skills we need for the next thing we do.

ADAPTATION IS EVERYWHERE

Some worry that there are people who are either culturally or generationally unable to understand and adapt to working with new technology. Well, in my family, the person most devoted to her smartphone is my mother. And the fastest adoption of the latest technology is happening in developing countries.

I spend a lot of time working in South Asia, watching smaller companies just leapfrog technology. They can move fast, with culturally less entrenched resistance to overcome, and are eager to adapt. I remember back fondly to a day in 2017 when T-Mobile announced that it would roll out 5G mobile technology in the US over the next three years. In Sri Lanka, their roll out plan stated it would be the hunger to adapt, adopt and learn creates a lower tolerance for delay

With the evolution of technology, we are enabling all economies to develop and grow. Connecting the world to the right people around the globe has become so much easier, enabled by data and technology, but empowered and instructed by people.

So, as we look backward, we’ve seen this pattern over and over: as automation changes some jobs, others are created. The first Industrial Revolution changed the work and skills our predecessors needed from handicraft to working alongside machine manufacturing. The Digital Revolution that my father worked through in the 70s, enabled him to move from a career in steel to a white-collar job in IBM.

This is our Revolution, often referred to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Just like our parents, and those before them, the art is to keep looking forward, keep learning, and change as the workplace changes. Work with technology and machines, not against them.”

Find more information on Oracle’s Human Capital Management platform, and Oracle’s UK Public Sector website.

Yazad Dalal, Head of Strategy, EMEA for Oracle

[1] Clive Thompson. Smarter Than You Think: How Technology is Changing Our Minds for the Better. Sep 2013 Publisher: William Collins