helping or hurting?
Hi y’all!
Another Monday, we meet again.
It’s sunny, I have my iced coffee in hand and I’m ready to tackle my very long to-do list which consists of launching our summer reviews and not losing my mind.
Just a normal day in HR!!
Here’s something that could bring you joy if you’re as stressed as me…
📺 HR Therapy this month will feel make you laugh and feel seen. The theme this month is welcome to the sh*tshow aka what happens when your onboarding is a mess and employees don’t know wtf is going on.
Moving on to this newsletter, the topic de jour is AI!
Will it hurt or help your culture?
CULTURE
Is AI helping or hurting your culture?Copy anchor linkCopied
Not a day goes by where I don’t read something about AI and think about how it’s going to completely reshape the way we work.
It’s exciting and honestly a tiny bit terrifying…
We’re on the brink of what I think will be some serious changes at work. AI has the opportunity to disrupt how we do EVERYTHING and significantly impact your company from the org chart down to your culture.
See why I say terrifying?
HR, more than any other function, needs to be ready to navigate these times and fully understand AI’s impact because it directly influences things in the workplace like:
- Culture
- Employee experience
- Talent management
Whether or not we like it, AI will transform how work gets done.
HR must be involved in guiding these changes because we are also the champions of things like human connection, trust, and engagement. You know, the things that make work better!!
Being prepared means HR can strategically integrate AI into processes to enhance performance, productivity, and employee growth AND address any challenges or concerns that come up. That’s a tall order, but if any function is up for a challenge, it’s HR.
One place where AI could have a significant impact?
Your culture.
My big question for today is: Is AI improving or disrupting your company culture?
How it can help:Copy anchor linkCopied
Okay let’s start on a HIGH note, it is Monday after all.
AI can bring some benefits to your organization, and IF (big word there, IF) used thoughtfully, it can help your company culture in a few ways. Like:
⚡ Empowering employees: The biggest use case we hear about AI is how it can automate repetitive tasks. When those tasks are automated employees actually have more time for deeper, more creative and strategic work. The actual dream.
By reducing the burden of admin work employees can focus on the things that require other skills which can actually help foster a sense of purpose and fuel your culture. BIG PRO to me.
🧮 Data insights: AI can analyze data like employee sentiment, performance, and feedback in real-time, giving insights into the health of the company culture. By identifying patterns, HR & leaders can make informed decisions that help foster a positive environment, improve engagement, and drive performance.
Think about how much of your data lives in different systems. Imagine using AI to analyze that data without you having to spend hours in various spreadsheets. Spending less time on your data analysis could actually give you more time to build the solution to your problems.
🪴Personalized growth: AI can help provide personalized development programs tailored to each employee’s needs, fostering a culture of continuous learning. We’re in the age of personalization, the standard one size fits all career paths aren’t cutting it anymore!
But think about every one in your org - do you have the time to build custom plans for each person?
Probably not… Could AI help you do this? Absolutely.
And your culture will thrive when employees feel that the organization is invested in their individual development and success. When employees receive tailored learning opportunities, they will feel valued, supported, and more engaged, which we know fuels great cultures.
Now, every rose has its thorn… So how could AI hurt your culture?
How it can hurt:Copy anchor linkCopied
Part of working in HR means having a healthy distrust of things. I said what I said!! We have to be cautious of new ideas, tools and trends because we have to assess the potential risk and opportunities to our org.
So naturally, I have my list of ways AI can hurt an org and its culture. Like:
❤️ Loss of human connection: At its worst, AI can contribute to a depersonalized work environment. If teams rely toooo heavily on AI tools for communication, decision-making, or feedback there’s a chance employees will end up feeling disconnected or undervalued.
NOTHING and I mean NOTHING grates my nerves more than someone who decided to go ask AI what it thought of an HR thing then proceeded to try to tell me what AI said as they’re an expert. Now imagine if that’s happening to all your employees… work will become depersonalized in a way that hurts your culture.
Strong company culture thrives on things like relationships, trust, and authentic interactions and those are elements that AI simply can’t replicate.
⚖️ Bias and inequality: AI systems are only as unbiased as the data they’re trained on. If your AI tools are analyzing hiring, promotion, or performance data, there’s a risk they could further perpetuate existing biases in your organization. This can harm diversity, create inequalities, and ultimately erode trust among employees.
No one wants to work somewhere where they feel like everything is stacked against them!
🏢 Erosion of job security: As AI takes on more roles within organizations, employees may feel threatened by job displacement. We’ve all read the headlines about what could happen to entry level jobs and others! One exec even predicted 20%+ of unemployment…
This can foster anxiety, reduce morale, and ultimately affect productivity. HR has to manage the narrative around AI’s role in the workplace to prevent a culture of fear and uncertainty.
Quick gutcheck: are the pros outweighing the cons or are they balancing out?
I think that answer depends on the person and your current org!
What HR can do:Copy anchor linkCopied
If you are concerned about AI’s impact to your culture here are three things to consider trying:
✅ Set clear expectations: Clear expectations are the key to almost everything at work. Communicating openly with employees about how AI will be used and its impact on their roles can help manage any anxiety or resistance. It’s okay if you don’t have all the answers (no one does). What’s not okay is not saying anything at all because that will cause fear to fester.
✅ Monitor AI implementation: This can be everything from looking at usage to asking your employees why they do or do not want to use AI. We included a question in our pulse survey to capture employee sentiment about AI usage! You should also regularly assess AI systems for biases and ensure they align with company values. This can help prevent negative cultural impacts like unfair treatment.
✅ Prioritize upskilling: Provide training programs that empower employees to work alongside AI tools, ensuring they feel more confident and equipped to thrive in an AI-driven environment. We did something as simple as lunch and learns and are continuing to build on that! It’s informal but got a lot of conversations happening and employees are willing to share what they know or don’t know about AI. There are formal courses out there as well and if you have an L&D stipend consider putting together a list of courses employees can take.
AI is already entering workplaces whether or not we like it, so getting started somewhere will be key to staying ahead of the rapid change.
Something else that can help you stay ahead? Having a real strategy mapped out.
Mapping your AI strategy:Copy anchor linkCopied
Do you have an AI strategy??
It’s okay if the answer is no because next week I'm going to walk through how to map your strategy in a way that makes sense for your organization.
Every major change at work needs some sort of plan, so let’s put yours together!
(HUMAN) RESOURCES
- State Department lays off 1,350 employees
- Superman opens with a strong weekend
- Tim Cook isn’t going anywhere
- RTO unfolding differently for men & women
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
- 📚 What I’m reading: Roses in Chains by Julie Soto. BIG WEEK for my Dramoine girlies. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about… I’m so sorry because you’re missing out. Just google it and you’ll understand. If you need me I'll be curled up with this!
- 📺 What I’m watching: BIG BROTHER. One of my favorite reality tv shows is back!!!! So um 3 nights a week, I'll be busy tuning in. I feel like I'd love to be on this show but they don’t let them have books and my reading streak of over 800 days couldn’t take that. SORRY NOT SORRY.
- ✍🏽 What I’m obsessing over: hobbies. My CEO joked that I was “in my hobby era” and he’s not wrong… Reading will always be no1 for me but things like tennis, pilates, and baking will always be up there for me! I have a lot of friends who knit and considering trying that next year. Nothing gets between me and a new hobby.
SONG OF THE WEEK
🎧 Sugar, Zak Leever Copy anchor linkCopied
I first heard this on Tiktok and grew increasingly obsessed with it. IDK what my algo is but it’s usually spot on…
When he finally released a Spotify version I was sooo happy.
If you need me i’ll be listening to this on repeat.
That's all for this week! I hope you enjoyed this, please let me know what you think and what other topics you'd love for me to cover. I'm allll ears.
Reminder: Take care of yourself and know that I support you.
