AI in the workplace: Smarter, people-centred decisions

AI in the workplace: Where intelligence becomes understanding

92% of organisations plan to increase their artificial intelligence (AI) investments over the next three years, but only 1% of leaders are AI-mature, according to a McKinsey report. It’s clear that AI is here to stay. But how exactly should we use it?

Everyone from individual contributors to the C-suite can find ways to weave AI into their workflows. But HR teams are uniquely placed to improve every aspect of working life, from strengthening company cultures and plugging skills gaps to optimising payroll and improving scheduling. AI gives HR teams the opportunity to put workforce understanding to work.

What is artificial intelligence in the workplace?

AI is already part and parcel of your personal life. If you listen to personalised playlists on Spotify, get reminders from Alexa, or receive smarter suggestions when you shop online, AI is the technology behind all of these features.

AI in the workplace is just as magical. Used responsibly, AI works alongside the people in your organisation to amplify productivity and build real workforce understanding. You’ll know what your people need, how they respond to particular situations, and create strategies to improve their experience.

How is AI being used in the workplace?

Smart technologies like generative AI answer critical questions and produce content drafts to fast-track employee productivity at work. Meanwhile, machine learning and large language models analyse your data to spot patterns and then use the information to make better decisions more quickly.

For HR teams, AI is your trusted adviser. Built into your HCM system, it provides essential support and intelligence throughout every aspect of your workforce management.

• Talent acquisition: Find qualified candidates faster, write more inclusive job descriptions, and streamline recruitment decisions with AI-powered recommendations.
• Onboarding: Tailor the onboarding experience to each role or region, helping new hires feel supported from day one.
• Employee engagement: Spot shifts in sentiment, identify early warning signs of disengagement, and help managers take the right action at the right time.
• Workforce planning: Forecast turnover, address skills gaps, and plan proactively with predictive insights
• Scheduling: Build smarter, fairer schedules that balance labour demand with employee preferences, so you always have the right people in the right place at the right time.
• Time and attendance: Reduce manual work and errors with AI-assisted tracking and exception handling.
• Labour optimisation: Align staffing with organisational needs by predicting demand and adjusting resources in real time.
• Payroll error detection: Identify anomalies and potential issues before payroll is run.
• Cost forecasting: Use AI to anticipate payroll costs and model the impact of changes.
• Compliance support: Stay ahead of evolving labour regulations with intelligent risk detection and alerts.

Top 5 benefits of AI in the workplace

Organisations have only scratched the surface of how AI can be used to improve work. Its potential is limitless. But we’re already seeing the incredible benefits of using this technology to support anything from daily tasks to long-term strategic planning. These include:

Improved employee experience

AI reveals unseen ways to improve what work looks and feels like for your people. It might analyse your data to discover moments of friction in the employee journey, like slow onboarding or burnout risks, and help you design more meaningful, personalised experiences.

It’s inclusive, too. When every employee can converse with an AI assistant, knowledge and answers are available to all.

Greater productivity

Your team members don’t need to be there to press every button or read every line of a report. People-centric AI takes on tasks that consume your resources, enabling you to automate repetitive manual work and create additional capacity for the work that matters.

Enhanced decision-making

Lack of reporting and insights puts stress on everyone from the front office to the front line. With AI, you can access the information you need, whenever you need it. Whether recommending the best next hire, flagging potential compliance risks, or predicting labour needs, AI helps you move from gut feel to data-backed action.

Stronger workforce planning

AI helps you anticipate what’s next. It might forecast turnover, highlight skills gaps, or model the impact of shifting labour costs, so you’re always ready to respond. With this kind of workforce intelligence, HR and operations leaders can plan with precision and agility.

Confident compliance

Compliance should not keep you up at night, and with AI, it will not. The technology monitors changing employment laws and alerts you to important updates or deadlines, so you don’t miss anything important. It also warns you when you’re approaching key thresholds, like overtime limits or part-time hour caps, so you can get ahead of any issues quietly, and in real time.

What are the challenges of using AI in the workplace?

As with any powerful technology, take a careful approach to rolling out how you use it in your workplace. Here are some common challenges you might encounter.

Reassuring your workers

Your workers may be understandably concerned about AI eliminating their roles. Since the launch of tools like ChatGPT, over 70% of all workers believe that generative AI will change 30% or more of their work within two years.

Anxious workers may be reluctant to adopt the tools they perceive as a threat. Clear and empathetic communication from leaders and managers should focus on how AI supports rather than replaces people. Explain the purpose behind the technology: to remove friction, reduce repetitive tasks, and free up time for more meaningful work.

Involve your people early. Let them trial tools, provide feedback, and see how AI can make their work easier, not disappear.

Deciding when to delegate

When should you rely on AI rather than a human to complete your work? No handbook can make this decision for you, but there are a few good rules of thumb.

Use AI for tasks that are repeatable, data-driven, and low risk, like summarising survey feedback, flagging timesheet anomalies, or generating draft content. If the work involves empathy, judgement, or sensitive context, it’s better left to people.

Start by using AI to support decisions, not make them. Let it offer recommendations or automate the groundwork, while your team provides oversight and final approval. As confidence grows, you can expand where and how you delegate, without compromising human accountability.

Controlling access to the technology

Once you’ve unleashed AI in your organisation, it can spread quickly, and not always how you intended. McKinsey reports that employees are three times more likely to be using AI than their leaders expect.

Overcome this risk by setting clear guidelines for how your workers should (and shouldn’t) use AI, and ensure the tools you provide are trusted and built with your workforce in mind. Empower people to explore, but within guardrails that protect your data, your people, and your brand.

Providing adequate training

Nearly half of employees say they’re receiving only moderate or minimal support when it comes to AI, and yet 48% say training is the single most important factor in helping them adopt generative tools.

Training does not need to be technical. It needs to be relevant. Focus on real-world use cases, not just features. Show people how AI can make their work easier, whether drafting a policy, creating a rota, or spotting workforce trends.

And do not treat training as a one-off. Make it continuous, accessible, and tailored to different roles. The more confident your people feel, the more value you’ll get from the technology.

Keeping clean data

True workforce intelligence is only possible if AI is working with accurate data. Even small issues, like mislabelled shifts or incomplete employee records, can skew results and reduce trust in the insights you're getting.

Before you scale AI, take the time to review the data it’s built on. Commit to standardising key fields and resolving any data inconsistencies to ensure your systems are speaking the same language. This foundation makes everything else more reliable, from predictions to recommendations.

What AI software features should HR teams look for?

The right AI solution understands your organisation to a tee. It builds on a foundation of deep, reliable data about your people, how they work, and what they need to thrive, using:  

Built-in intelligence 

AI should work where your people already are, within your HCM, payroll, and workforce management systems. Embedded capabilities make it easier to act on insights without switching between tools or copying over data. That’s why UKG Bryte AI is built directly into the flow of work, helping you make smarter decisions at every stage of the employee journey.

Workforce intelligence you can trust

Insight depends on the quality of the data behind it. Look for AI that draws from deep, real-world workforce experience. UKG Bryte AI is powered by more than 30 billion front-line interactions per year, $700 billion in payroll processed every month, and input from more than 20 million employee voices a year. That’s how we deliver guidance grounded in how people actually work.

Transparent decision-making

Rather than accepting what AI tells you as gospel, work with an AI tool that explains its recommendations clearly and supports fair outcomes. UKG takes an ethical-first approach to AI, helping you build trust across your workforce, so adoption is always safe.

Scalability for what’s next

The AI you choose today should grow with your organisation. Whether you are exploring generative tools, conversational interfaces, or predictive modelling, your platform needs the flexibility to adapt. UKG Bryte AI is designed to evolve with you, delivering innovation without disruption. 

Frequently asked questions