McLean & Company's New Resources Support HR Leaders in Navigating Generative AI

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Nov 08, 2023, 13:36 ET

New resources from the global research and advisory firm provide direction on preparing employees for a generative AI-enabled work environment. McLean & Company has pinpointed the use cases with the strongest opportunities for generative AI implementation within the HR function based on value, risk, and task alignment.

TORONTO, Nov. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - McLean & Company, the trusted partner of HR organizations around the world, has identified a myriad of potential generative AI use cases for HR leaders in a new industry resource, HR Generative AI Use Case Catalog. In addition to the new catalog, the global research and advisory firm has also recently published the Key Skills for Generative AI Infographic, which highlights seven key skills employees need to use generative AI effectively.

McLean & Company advises that the emergence of generative AI presents an opportunity for HR organizations to increase productivity and focus more on valuable, strategic tasks that will support the broader organization. The firm has highlighted seven key skills that employees need to use generative AI effectively, as outlined above. (CNW Group/McLean & Company)

"Organizations are increasingly looking to HR as a strategic leader to support long-term organizational success," says Will Howard, director of HR Research & Advisory Services at McLean & Company. "The use cases and skills identified in the new resources can be employed to identify opportunities to leverage generative AI within the HR organization to streamline and improve its capabilities, further strengthening its strategic contributions to the broader organization."

McLean & Company's catalog includes a detailed breakdown of use cases across a variety of applications, such as organizational effectiveness, employee experience and inclusion, learning and development, talent management, talent acquisition, total rewards, HR technology and analytics, core services, and auxiliary services.

The new resource explains that, regardless of application, HR use cases for generative AI fall into two categories:

Task augmentation: Employees use the technology to enhance the productivity or efficiency of existing tasks, such as helping to draft emails more quickly.
Task substitution: The technology replaces the need for human touchpoints in a process, such as a chatbot serving as the first point of contact for potential employee candidates with inquiries, thereby reserving customer service agents for more sensitive interactions.

When used in conjunction with McLean & Company's complementary resources, Harness the Potential of Generative AI in HR and HR Management & Governance Framework, the new use case catalog helps HR leaders brainstorm around the use of generative AI within their unique organizations.

The seven key skills for HR identified in the associated infographic are outlined below:

Generative thinking: Producing new and creative ideas and solutions to combine multiple viewpoints and concepts to create something new.
Critical thinking: Evaluating ideas and solutions produced from generative AI, verifying statements, and testing assumptions to filter out misinformation and detect bias.
Subject matter knowledge: Understanding the specific field or subject area to effectively direct questions and evaluate responses.
Data literacy: Understanding the critical information to put into the generative AI model, interpreting the output, and using compelling storytelling to communicate insights to influence business decisions.
Structured questioning: Asking questions in a specific order to guide the interaction, uncover new directions for questioning, test assumptions, and verify assertions.
Prompting: Formulating effective questions and statements for language models and other AI systems to guide the model's behavior to produce desired outcomes.
Learning focused: Continuously seeking opportunities to learn, being open minded and curious with the ability to operate in uncertainty, and embracing failure as a learning opportunity to adapt to evolving generative AI technology.

As the future of work continues to trend increasingly digital, McLean & Company advises HR leaders that generative AI is a rapidly changing field, and the understanding of where it can be applied may shift significantly in the months and years ahead.

To access the full catalog, visit HR Generative AI Use Case Catalog.

In addition to data-backed resources, McLean & Company also offers workshops to support HR professionals in program building and navigating other nuances of their roles. For more information, please visit mcleanco.com/workshops.

Media interested in connecting with McLean & Company analysts for exclusive insights and commentary on generative AI in HR, the future of work, and more can connect with Senior Communications Manager Kelsey King at [email protected].

About McLean & Company

Through data-driven insights and proven best-practice methodologies, McLean & Company offers comprehensive resources and full-service assessments, action plans, and training to position organizations to meet today's needs and prepare for the future.

McLean & Company is a division of Info-Tech Research Group.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and over 200 industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected].

SOURCE McLean & Company