With more companies eager to leverage the efficiencies of artificial intelligence, one HR expert wonders if it will mean “depersonalizing the workplace.” Karen Brownrigg, CEO of Ottawa-based iHR Advisory, remembers getting an impassive-sounding email from a colleague whom she knew to be charming and charismatic. “He’s full of personality. He’s got this cool vibe about […]
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With more companies eager to leverage the efficiencies of artificial intelligence, one HR expert wonders if it will mean “depersonalizing the workplace.”
Karen Brownrigg, CEO of Ottawa-based iHR Advisory, remembers getting an impassive-sounding email from a colleague whom she knew to be charming and charismatic.
“He’s full of personality. He’s got this cool vibe about him and there’s a certain way of speaking. We get used to people’s styles. (But then) I get these funky emails from him that are friendly, but really not his style,” she said, adding that she later realized he was using AI to write emails.
While AI can learn to mimic a person’s communication style, the technology is still in its infancy and will take time to work effectively, she said.
Overall, she said professionals should be careful when using AI so as not to lose the human touch.
“While people are trying to become more efficient and allocate their time more effectively by using AI support, what happens is that there’s a transaction. If I’m going to be more efficient and have AI respond to my emails like my friend did, well, maybe I’m transacting some of the levity that I was bringing to someone’s day with the things I would add to emails,” she said.
If employees rely on AI for efficiency without nurturing human relationships, Brownrigg said team collaboration could suffer, workplaces could see a greater number of conflicts, and employees might be left confused about their contribution to the success of the organization.
She added that if colleagues don’t get to know each other, misunderstandings will occur that could lead to more conflict within the team and decreased overall productivity.
“If most of the onboarding program is online, you’re not experiencing the equivalent of a tag-along. You don’t have a buddy within the organization that you’re spending time with and sharing stories with; stories about how the organization got to where it’s at, stories about people who used to work there, understanding the strategy and how your job contributes to the overall success,” she said.
While Brownrigg said she is excited about new tools and resources, she cautioned that those looking to implement them should “bring others along” as they make that transition.
“If you’re not investing in a conversation with people before you start adopting these incredibly powerful and supportive tools, we will run the risk of damaging our relationships with people and we may not even know that we’ve done so,” Brownrigg said.
So, if someone wants to use AI to help with sending emails, that person should take the time to show up at the office or meet with colleagues for coffee to nurture interpersonal relationships.
Andrea Greenhous, CEO of Ottawa-based Vision2Voice, said that she was initially frightened that AI would depersonalize the workplace, but has since lost that fear.
“To be honest, that was kind of my biggest fear when AI came on the scene. I’ve spent my whole life trying to make work more human and that’s through more human-centred communication,” she told OBJ.
She said that AI has allowed her communication to become more human, giving her back time she used to spend on repetitive tasks.
“It makes us more efficient, it helps us tackle things faster … AI can’t replace empathy, but it can give leaders the space to find time to connect with people and listen to their concerns,” Greenhous said. “We use that time to improve the client experience, to work on our own skills and create stronger bonds in our team.”
While Greenhous said that “we can’t automate the human touch,” AI can allow employees to automate repetitive tasks.
“You can use it for analysis. For example, we did a town hall, launching a big strategy for a client … We wanted to measure change-readiness. Were they excited about the change? Were they hesitant? Were they neutral? We were able to use AI to analyze the way employees felt after the town hall. It might have taken us longer to do, but instead it took us 10 to 15 minutes,” she said.
Brownrigg agreed that the goal of AI should be to minimize workload so more time can be spent nurturing interpersonal relationships, meaning it shouldn’t be used where human connection is needed most.
“When you’re designing onboarding or learning and development programs, there needs to be mentorship paired along with that. Being able to have the connection with people is really important to understand the societal norms of that workplace,” Brownrigg said.
Setting objectives and weighing the pros and cons will help ensure the implementation of AI goes smoothly, Brownrigg said.
“It’s making sure that when you’re setting annual planning objectives that you are deliberately setting objectives for each member on how to advance that connected workplace culture. If we don’t build those things in, we may go too far on the efficiency side at the expense of our relationships,” she said.
Greenhous said that while AI might change how the workplace operates, the fundamentals of what makes a successful workplace stay the same.
“I think it comes down to understanding what people need in the workplace and that’s never going to change. People need to feel valued. They need to belong and feel that social connection. They need to have a strong purpose. It doesn’t matter what technology comes our way over the next five, 10, 15, 20 years, humans fundamentally don’t change,” she said.
