Will ChatGPT Replace HR Professionals?

OpenAI-created ChatGPT is making headlines, and it has become a topic of discussion on many platforms. What attracts people to it is its ability to interact with users in a tremendously realistic manner. From writing a poem to a basic software code and providing information on inquiries, ChatGPT can accomplish many tasks. Hence, it has raised many questions among people regarding its impact on jobs.

Will ChatGPT affect jobs?

People have always been skeptical about whether technology will replace human resources. However, HR leaders say that while AI or artificial intelligence will transform human resources departments, it will not replace humans. It’s because the role of human resources is not just shortlisting and interviewing a candidate. The human resources’ role includes many other things comprising providing employee experience. HR is about the intangibles in every aspect, from acquisition to off-boarding, and expecting that ChatGPT will replace the functions is not real. At least in the initial stages, it will only have a limited role. 

ChatGPT is indeed a significant shift in artificial intelligence (AI). But to match human intelligence and behavior, it has to go a long way. To begin with, data entry jobs, entry-level copywriting jobs, customer care, and entry-level software developers may be at risk.

Major Benefits of ChatGPT for Businesses

ChatGPT can be a great tool for knowledge workers to create and work together on preliminary ideas in their creative works. Businesses that benefit from creative writing will be able to use it. For example, sales professionals can use it to write better pitches, HR professionals can use it to create better email communications, and marketing professionals can use it to write better content. ChatGPT can bring speed and efficiency to content generation. So, it is helpful for all functions in organizations. HR experts say that all products that deliver personalized communication can benefit from it.

ChatGPT will also aid functions like customer support, employee training, etc. Businesses using chatbots for a long time will benefit from ChatGPT’s technology to improve the existing products in the market.

However, they warn that since its accuracy is not yet proven at a high level, it would be better if organizations use it for brainstorming and output validations. But, since ChatGPT is owned by OpenAI, a profit-driven organization, its development will also depend on the company’s investment and product decisions.

ChatGPT Vs. HR professionals

HR experts opine that machines and technology will not abolish HR jobs but will augment HR jobs. Many HR leaders predict an impressive partnership between AI and human resource in managing issues on time and swiftly. HR experts feel ChatGPT technology can help streamline HR processes by automating certain repetitive tasks, allowing HR professionals to focus on strategic, more important and high-value activities. Also, human resources teams can leverage ChatGPT to perform the initial screening of candidates.

HR leaders are optimistic that ChatGPT may help HR in streamlining recruiting strategy. However, they caution that very specific inputs will be needed to get the desired results. Hence, HR can use ChapGPT to write job descriptions, HR policies, and even draft contracts. However, every output will be based on the input one gives. With ChatGPT, organisations may need lesser HR resources to accomplish the intended work, especially at the entry level.  

While ChatGPT will be able to come up with JDs, do initial screening of candidates, and more, HR professionals will still be in demand as they would have to describe to ChatGPT what they want to create. It would trigger demand for smart and driven HR professionals who are adept in what they do.  

Though ChatGPT may enhance the functions of HR, a downside may be that it might not understand the context, which will cause bias in the model’s predictions. When HR depends on such decisions, it might cause problems. Similarly, when it is trained on a dataset with an uneven number of resumes from a particular demography, the chances are high that it might recommend candidates from that group. Such issues will lead to creating non-diversity among the candidates and workforce. Similarly, if the input going into the ChatGPT is not correct, it will generate biased job descriptions. Over time, it would deny opportunities to get good talent for the organization.

According to HR experts, it will take time for people and companies to fully understand the ChatGPT tool’s capabilities and adopt it in their daily operations because it is still in its early stage of development. They are also concerned about the data privacy risks that must be addressed.

Today, every tech person has an opinion on ChatGPT. While some believe it will not have much of an impact, others consider that AI like ChatGPT will soon transform work.

However, HR leaders concur that the evolution of ChatGPT won’t happen overnight. It’s like how mobile phones have invaded lives. The first mobile phone was almost two decades ago. But today, no one can imagine a world without a mobile phone. Similarly, the impact of ChatGPT will happen, little by little, in an incremental manner and will engulf us.

Collaboration of ChatGPT with HR Technology

The scope of ChatGPT in HR technology can be vast. For instance, answering questions from employees during training, developing materials for learning and development, adjusting the automated interactions from HR with candidates, and many other things can be accomplished using it. But for all of these use scenarios, the tool would need to be extremely accurate. But it is in the evolving stage. So, HR will have to wait until the tool evolves.

Since ChatGPT and HR are in the early stages of development, HR leaders believe that it cannot replace human touch. There is no substitute for human touch, intuition, and verbal and nonverbal signals/inputs.