Learning to Prompt AI: How can HR Boost Efficiency and Employee Engagement

Published in

Cut the SaaS

6 min readApr 16, 2024

One of the functional areas where AI can have an impact is Recruiting & HR. 76% of HR leaders believe that they need to adopt AI in the next 12–24 months if they want to stay relevant and in sync with advancements like generative AI.

And the benefits are clear.

It has been estimated that using generative AI in HR processes can result in a 40% reduction in employee request-approval time and 60% cost savings in delivering high-quality video content for Learning & Development (L&D) initiatives.

How is generative AI transforming the HR function?

According to a BCG report, generative AI is allowing HR professionals to focus on strategic initiatives by automating tasks and powering self-service options. These AI-powered tools can also create conversational and personalized experiences for employees, leading to higher adoption rates and a more productive HR team overall.

Here is how large language models are making its impact on the HR function:

However, if HR executives want to capitalize on language models’ capabilities, they first need to learn AI prompting.

‍AI Prompts for HR: Enhance employee lifecycle and daily workflow

Prompts are the instructions that trigger AI models (like ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini) to generate relevant responses. The more accurate and precise your prompt is, the better the response you receive from generative AI. This is true for all professionals, including HR.

Here are three use cases where AI can add value to the world of HR:

1. Automate every stage of the recruitment process

Recruitment and the interview process serve as the first experience of an organization for the potential employee. Every HR professional aims to ensure these experiences are positive and seamless. Yet, for the HR team, the recruitment process can involve a multitude of repetitive manual tasks — which can be automated by ChatGPT. Below are some examples:

Interview questions: Generate ideas on screening questions that are personalized to the job title, skill set, experience, etc. You can follow a 2-step approach while prompting. First, ask for ideas and then follow up with specific instructions until you get the desired result.

Create 10 screening interview questions for [job title] to evaluate [skillset 1], [skillset 2], [skillset 3]

Candidate screening: Leverage ChatGPT to “interact” with the resumes and completed assignments to assess candidates for specific roles. Prompt ChatGPT to help conduct a comparative analysis of potential candidates by sharing details of their professional experiences, interview assessments, and assignments, to make an informed decision.
Ensure that the uploaded resumes or documents are in a standardized format so that it is easy for ChatGPT to read and process them.

Summarize the qualifications and experience of candidates in these resumes related to the [job role] [Upload PDF files]
Followup prompt: Conduct a comparative analysis of the uploaded resumes of the candidates for the role of [job role]. Focus on key areas such as relevant experience, technical skills, educational background, and achievements. [Upload/Attach PDF files]

2. Develop personalized learning and development initiatives

Learning and Development (L&D) is essential for organizational development as well as employee career growth. When planned and executed well, L&D initiatives can increase employee engagement by 21%, leading to higher employee retention. ChatGPT can help with:

Individualized career growth plan: Create customized training content and development plans for an employee aligned with their and the organization’s goals.

Draft a career development plan for an employee, detailing necessary skills, and milestones. Details: Department: [Add detail] Current Position: [Add detail] Desired Position: [Add detail] Total experience: [Add detail] Current skills: [Add details].

‍Experiment with different content formats for L&D initiatives: Generate different types of content with language models such as text-based content, interactive quizzes, engagement surveys, instructional videos, and even illustrative images.

Design a module for a leadership training program focusing on conflict resolution, including a brief introduction, scenario-based activities, and reflection questions.

3. Content creation for HR communication, policy development, L&D material, etc.

Editing initial drafts is often faster and simpler than creating content from scratch. For this reason, content creation is the most popular task among individuals when seeking AI assistance (HR professionals included). With the right prompt and accurate context, you can:

Create personalized content: Whether you’re looking to create presentation content for onboarding or quarterly meets, emails for HR communications, or draft job descriptions for a specific job portal like LinkedIn or Indeed, you just need to prompt it to create drafts of the content and generate ideas or suggestions.

Onboarding email: Draft a welcome email for [Employee Name] joining for the position of [job title] next week.
[Add essential details for the email, such as an overview of tasks for the first week, key contact information, and links to training materials, among other relevant information]
FAQ document: Create a FAQ document with detailed responses to the top ten frequently asked questions by newcomers about the leave policy. [Include the questions]
Job description: Generate a job posting for LinkedIn that promotes diversity, detailing responsibilities and required skills for [Job Title].

Check for grammar and inclusivity: Proofreading documents for grammar, punctuation, branding consistency, and inclusivity guidelines can be a demanding task. ChatGPT can review your documents as per your guidelines, streamlining the process to ensure error-free and inclusive content.

Check this copy for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors following the rules of US English. Change the tone of communication to [tone/style].
[Upload document/Add URL/Copy-paste the text]

https://www.aihr.com/blog/chatgpt-prompts-for-hr/

GPT Builder and ChatGPT Plugins

Mastering the art of effective prompting can enable HR professionals to capitalize on different features of ChatGPT, such as ChatGPT Plugins and GPT Builder.

Leveraging these tools can open new avenues for inter-departmental collaboration and boost employee engagement at reduced costs, significantly transforming HR’s approach to daily tasks.

HR can use GPT Builder in scenarios where you:

Need to handle high-volume repetitive tasks efficiently
Require specialized knowledge or a database to complete a workflow
Want to create an enhanced employee experience

GPT Builder enables you to create personalized GPT models specific to your functions and needs, optimizing workflows and driving impactful outcomes.

For example, you can create a custom GPT model for automating the initial screening process of job applications as per your requirements, position, and shortlisting criteria.

These GPTs can be private to your enterprise or published on the GPT store.

Some of the GPTs that you can explore are:

PDF Ai PDF: Upload multiple PDFs and converse with them
HR Business Strategy Copilot: Assists HR leaders with talent strategy

Note: While using public GPTs, be vigilant about the data you share. Follow your company policies while using public GPTs.
‍

ChatGPT Plugins:

ChatGPT plugins are extensions that enable ChatGPT to interact with external applications, data sources, and services. It acts as a bridge between ChatGPT and other applications, expanding ChatGPT’s capabilities beyond its standard function. As an HR professional, you can use the ChatGPT plugin for Zapier to automate and integrate Google Calendar, Google Sheets, Google Docs, etc. in your workflow. This would allow you to use the ChatGPT interface to automate the scheduling process.

As HR departments navigate the complexities of modern workforce management, learning to prompt AI tools can significantly improve their workflow — from strategy to execution. It’s important to note that OpenAI’s commitment to privacy ensures that all interactions with ChatGPT respect user data confidentiality, however, do make sure to follow the best practices of your organization for data privacy and security.

Have you used ChatGPT or any other AI tools in your daily workflow?

Let us know your experience.

Download HR Cheatsheet