HR leaders are under pressure to do more with less. Budgets are tight, but efficiency, talent management, and performance expectations remain high. The solution? Artificial intelligence (AI). AI can cut time to hire by 30% to 50%, lower operating costs in compensation management by 30%, and reduce hiring bias by 25%.
This article explores 15 AI hacks for HR you can use for admin tasks, recruitment and hiring, rewards and bonuses, onboarding, and talent management. It also discusses how you can use AI more effectively in general and what next steps you can take.
Contents
15 best AI hacks for HR
Admin tasks
Recruitment and hiring
Rewards, commissions, and bonuses
Onboarding
L&D, talent management, and workforce planning
Learn how to use AI for HR more effectively
FAQ
Key takeaways
- Start small with low-risk AI tools like chatbots before moving to complex applications
- Build AI literacy in HR teams through courses, certifications, and hands-on learning
- Collaborate with IT and data teams to ensure smooth integration and strong governance
- Prioritize ethical use by addressing bias and maintaining transparency in AI adoption.
15 best AI hacks for HR
Here are the 15 best AI hacks for HR, categorized according to different HR functions where AI can have the greatest impact:
Admin tasks
1. Automate payroll and time-tracking
Upload payroll data into an AI tool that can calculate salaries, taxes, and deductions automatically, and use a prompt like: “Process this month’s payroll and generate a summary of taxes, deductions, and net pay.”
- Tools: Gusto/Paychex Flex (paid)
- AI tip: Ask AI to “flag unusual overtime claims” or “validate data against compliance rules”.
2. Answer employee FAQs with AI chatbots
Install a chatbot on Slack or Teams and use it to create FAQ responses for parental leave, expense claims, and hybrid work policies.
- Tools: SAP SuccessFactors HCM with Joule/Oracle HCM/Leena AI (paid)
- AI tip: Ask AI to “simplify responses into one-sentence answers” or “adjust tone to be more empathetic”.
3. Use AI tagging for smart document management
Upload HR contracts into an AI tool that has the capability to auto-tag contracts, reviews, and policies, and instruct it to organize the documents by contract type and expiration date.
- Tools: DocuSign Insight, Microsoft SharePoint (paid)
- AI tip: Ask AI to “extract obligations from contracts” or “summarize clauses by risk level”.
What is the coolest thing AI can do in HR?
Imagine being able to accurately predict how your team will react to a new policy or operational change before it’s implemented. By using a ‘digital twin’ — i.e., a virtual, dynamic model of your workforce — you can create a data-rich replica of your organization’s people (including skills, team structures, and communication patterns) that updates in real time.
This sophisticated model, adapted from engineering principles, acts as a living blueprint of your company’s human capital by using AI to analyze vast datasets. These include real-time data and sentiment from sources like surveys, internal communications, and employee performance metrics.
This allows you to run risk-free simulations to test ‘what if’ scenarios. For instance, you can model the impact of a new policy or a major restructuring on employee morale and productivity, predict outcomes, and identify potential risks in a virtual environment. In doing so, you can prevent time-consuming, costly mistakes.
Recruitment and hiring
4. Streamline résumé-screening with AI
Import résumés into an AI-powered ATS and instruct it as follows: “Rank these résumés for the Data Analyst role based on SQL and Python experience.”
- Tools: Workday/Greenhouse/SmartRecruiters (paid)
- AI tip: Ask AI to “spot candidates with transferable skills” or “highlight gaps in required certifications”.
5. Use AI interview assistants for transcription and scoring
Record your interviews with an AI tool and tell it to generate a transcript. You can also prompt it to “identify the candidate’s three strongest examples of leadership”.
- Tools: Platforms like Harver/HireVue/Otter.ai (paid)
- AI tip: Ask AI to “score responses against job competencies” or “flag inconsistencies across multiple interviews”.
6. Assess candidate success with predictive analytics
Feed past employee performance and retention data into an AI tool and use it to predict which sales candidate is most likely to meet quota within six months.
- Tools: Eightfold.ai/Gloat (paid)
- AI tip: Ask AI to “rank by cultural fit” or “estimate expected tenure”.
How to build better prompts for AI in HR
When it comes to GenAI, the more specific, the better. For example, instead of prompting: “Write a rejection email for a candidate”, add more detail regarding the context and tone you want for the email.
Your improved prompt may sound something like this: “Write a polite, empathetic rejection email for a candidate who made it to the final interview stage but was not selected for the Content Marketing Manager role. Use a professional tone, and thank them for their time at the end of the email.” This will enable your organization to leave a better impression on candidates, which builds your employer brand.
Check out AIHR’s Gen AI Prompt Design for HR mini course to help you write better AI prompts.
Rewards, commissions, and bonuses
7. Recommendations for personalized benefits
Upload employee information into an AI benefits platform and use it to suggest personalized benefits for different employee groups. For instance: “Suggest 3 benefits options for employees aged 25 to 35 who have young children.”
- Tools: Benefitfocus (paid)
- AI tip: Ask AI to “model costs vs. uptake rates” or “cluster employees by benefit preferences”.
Master AI hacks to propel your HR function forward
To master AI hacks and take your HR team to the next level, you must invest in continuous learning, start with simple tools, and collaborate across departments.
✅ Understand the different types of AI, including purposes and benefits
✅ Apply an AI adoption framework to transform workflows and processes
✅ Apply advanced prompting techniques and adapt to your role
✅ Learn best practices for using Gen AI safely, securely, and ethically.
Learn at your own pace with the online Artificial Intelligence for HR Certificate Program.
8. Analyze pay equity using AI
Run your salary data through an AI platform and get it to generate a pay equity report comparing different demographics, such as men and women in engineering roles.
- Tools: Syndio/Trusaic/Workday (paid)
- AI tip: Ask AI to “control for education and tenure” or “highlight high-risk departments”.
9. Automate performance-based reward suggestions
Feed performance review data into an AI tool and prompt: “Recommend bonus allocations for the top 10% of performers in marketing.”
- Tools: Betterworks/Lattice/SAP SuccessFactors (paid)
- AI tip: Ask AI to “simulate different budget scenarios” or “balance recognition across teams”.
Onboarding
10. Support onboarding with AI chatbots
Set up an onboarding chatbot and prompt: “Welcome new hires with a step-by-step guide to IT setup and benefits enrollment.”
- Tools: Leena AI (paid)
- AI tip: Ask AI to “track which FAQs get asked most often” or “measure onboarding satisfaction from chat data”.
11. Personalize onboarding journeys with AI
Use an AI onboarding platform to help you tailor an onboarding journey for a new hire. Example prompt: “Design a 30-day onboarding plan for a remote software engineer.”
- Tools: ConnecTeam/Enboarder/Workday’s onboarding module (paid)
- AI tip: Ask AI to “suggest buddy matches” or “add cultural onboarding elements”.
12. Use AI to automate training assignments
Feed role and compliance data into an AI LMS so you can use it to automate training assignments. For instance, you can prompt it with: “Assign cybersecurity training to all employees in finance.”
- Tools: Cornerstone OnDemand/Degreed/SAP SuccessFactors (paid)
- AI tip: Ask AI to “track overdue completions” or “recommend refresher intervals”.
How is AI designing the future of work?
AI is shifting companies from job-based structures to skills-based talent marketplaces. By mapping employee skills, AI can match staff to projects, regardless of job title. Leading organizations like Mastercard have already adopted this approach to identify internal growth opportunities, drive satisfaction and retention, and create a more agile, flexible workforce.
L&D, talent management, and workforce planning
13. Personalize learning paths with AI
Load employee skills and career goals into an AI LMS to help you develop personalized learning paths for different employees. For instance, you may use the prompt: “Create a learning path for a junior HR associate aiming for a manager role in two years.”
- Tools: Degreed/EdCast (paid)
- AI tip: Ask AI to “create a path for future leaders” or “recommend upskilling for emerging skills”.
14. Predict skills gaps for workforce planning
Analyze your workforce data and industry trends with AI using the prompt: “Forecast the top five skills our company will need by 2028.”
- Tools: Eightfold.ai/Gloat (paid)
- AI tip: Ask AI to “compare skill gaps against industry benchmarks” or “simulate needs under different growth scenarios”.
15. Drive succession planning with AI
Run your employee performance and leadership data through AI and prompt: “Identify three employees ready to step into senior manager roles within 12 months.”
- Tools: Workday/SAP SuccessFactors/Oracle HCM (paid)
- AI tip: Ask AI to “rank readiness for leadership” or “suggest development plans”.
Learn how to use AI for HR more effectively
To use AI for HR more effectively, HR leaders should focus on a few key strategies that unlock its full potential. First, invest in AI literacy by encouraging your team to take short courses, attend webinars, or complete certifications to build a solid foundation in AI for HR.
Begin experimenting with low-risk tools, such as chatbots for employee FAQs or scheduling assistants, to gain confidence before moving into more complex applications like recruiting or workforce planning.
Additionally, you can create opportunities for hands-on learning by giving your team dedicated time to test tools in a safe, managed environment where mistakes are part of the learning process. Stay updated by subscribing to HR and tech newsletters and attending industry events to keep pace with AI advancements and regulations.
Collaboration with IT and data colleagues is also crucial to ensure smooth integration with existing systems and maintain strong data governance. Finally, prioritize ethical use by training your HR team to recognize bias, ask the right questions when dealing with vendors, and adopt transparent practices to build trust with employees.
Next steps
If you want to get more out of AI in HR, start with the basics — have your team take short courses or webinars to build confidence, test low-risk tools like chatbots or scheduling assistants, and give your team space to learn by doing. At the same time, stay updated through newsletters and events, work with IT and data teams for smooth integration, and prioritize ethics by addressing bias and staying transparent.
When you’re ready to scale, explore AIHR’s certificate programs (e.g., AI Boot Camp for HR Teams or the Artificial Intelligence for HR Certificate Program) to strengthen skills, and learn to write better ChatGPT prompts for HR. You can also identify where AI can add value, and determine which HR AI tools best suit your needs. Then, start small with a pilot tool like an FAQ chatbot to gain experience, prove impact, and build momentum with leadership.
FAQ
AI can automate mundane administrative tasks, such as payroll and document management. It can also streamline résumé-screening, provide interview assistance, and analyze and predict candidate success, helping you significantly improve recruitment efficiency.
Additionally, AI can personalize benefits, conduct pay equity analysis, and suggest performance-based rewards. It can also design onboarding, automate training, map career goals, and personalize learning paths tailored to individual employees. Finally, it can predict skills gaps, identify high-potential individuals, and flag potential attrition risks.
AI can free professionals from repetitive, time-consuming tasks, enabling them to focus on more strategic initiatives. This shift will likely improve data-driven decision-making and overall employee experience.
Furthermore, AI’s capabilities in predictive analytics can lead to better hiring outcomes, reduced turnover, and a more skilled workforce. However, successful and widespread adoption of AI depends on HR teams’ ability to develop AI literacy, collaborate with IT, and prioritize ethical considerations to mitigate biases and ensure fairness and transparency.
