ChatGPT for HR: Complete guide for HR

Since launching in 2022, ChatGPT has shaken up industries from marketing to manufacturing, changing how people and organizations perform routine tasks, communicate, analyze data, and search for information. Within the HR space, innovative HR leaders and professionals have begun exploring ways to leverage ChatGPT and other AI-powered solutions to increase efficiency, reduce administrative busywork, and enhance data-driven decision-making. 

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a large language model that uses machine learning techniques to produce human-like text responses to questions or inputs known as ‘prompts.’ The software consists of two parts: a chatbot and an algorithm known as a ‘generative pre-trained transformer’ that predicts the next best word to use in a sentence based on extensive training data. (Put them together and you’ve got ChatGPT.)

Developers at OpenAI spent years developing this algorithm and then ‘trained’ it to work with the chatbot to produce ‘humanlike’ content by exposing it to massive quantities of human-produced language. Using incredibly powerful pattern recognition skills, the program learned granular rules that govern how languages operate and how to convey information in a way that conforms to those rules. 

The versions of ChatGPT available for public use can process and analyze large quantities of text and generate responses to individual queries or requests, but they do so using this highly sophisticated pattern recognition technology. They don’t think independently and can only synthesize existing ideas and information.

How to use ChatGPT for HR: 7 Examples

Highly flexible and easily customizable to your organization’s particular communication style, ChatGPT's language generating applications range from automating basic writing tasks to analyzing large quantities of data.

Creating job descriptions

Given a prompt that explains the key responsibilities and minimum requirements for a role, ChatGPT can craft a compelling description that fits your formatting requirements in minutes.

Screening candidate resumes

Provided with a list of important keywords and minimum qualifications, ChatGPT can act as a first reader for candidate CVs, screening out applications that aren’t quite up to par. 

Drafting emails for job candidates

Given instructions on length, tone, and intended audience, ChatGPT excels at crafting engaging communications that comply with important deliverability requirements, such as word count.  You can also use ChatGPT to compare your emails against policy documents to be sure you’ve covered all the necessary information.

Drafting interview questions

ChatGPT can help you develop lines of interview questioning tailored to a specific candidate or position if your company relies on something other than standardized scripts. In this case, you’ll want to ensure that your questions don’t reflect any implicit biases that may have infiltrated ChatGPT’s ‘thinking.’ 

Generating employee surveys 

Provided with guidance about the information you need to collect from employees and instructions for length and tone, ChatGPT can quickly generate surveys and other feedback collection tools using your organization’s unique voice and tone.

Preparing performance reviews 

ChatGPT can help managers prepare for performance reviews by generating template reports that help ensure structured and consistent evaluations that align with your organization’s goals. 

Producing training materials

Once you’ve trained ChatGPT on your company policies and materials, you can use detailed and specific prompts to generate training and educational materials for inclusion in a learning management system.

4 benefits of using ChatGPT for HR

Beyond specific tasks or workflows, ChtGPT offers four ‘big picture’ benefits to organizations hoping to save time or reduce expenses across the HR function as a whole. 

Avoiding repetitive tasks

Automating recurring HR tasks, such as responding to common employee queries or formatting monthly reports, frees your team to focus on the substantive work that requires critical thinking or creativity and grows your organization.

Preventing manual errors 

AI-powered solutions like ChatGPT can perform rote tasks with a much lower risk of error than human employees. Unlike a person, ChatGPT won’t get bored after 500 lines of data entry or tired after formatting sixteen different documents. 

Accelerating talent acquisition 

By parsing resumes for keywords and minimum qualifications, ChatGPT reduces the time required to review applications. ChatGPT can also draft automated outreach emails and interview reminders, streamlining communication with applicants and reducing administrative friction.

Enhancing employee engagement

Automated employee communications can do wonders for operational efficiency but may feel cold or detached. ChatGPT can personalize reminders, surveys, and query replies at scale, giving employees a more positive impression of your organization and its commitment to workers as individuals.

3 limitations and risks of ChatGPT for HR

Before getting caught up in the many (many) exciting applications for ChatGPT in the HR space, take a moment to familiarize yourself with its limitations. Integrating AI into your processes isn’t without risk, and it’s important to fully consider the implications of sharing sensitive company and employee data with for-profit companies.  

Limited data depending on the ChatGPT version 

The publicly available software versions ChatGPT 3.5 and ChatGPT 4.0 were trained on data sets with a ‘cutoff’ of September 2021. That means neither version knows of events or information that occurred after September 2021. Asked about current events or live news, ChatGPT will instead run a web search and return a popular result, which you will need to verify for accuracy. 

Bias 

ChatGPT produces such ‘realistic’ content partly because it trains almost exclusively on text created by humans, such as web pages, books, and articles. This also makes it susceptible to the implicit biases and beliefs many humans hold. 

Compliance violations 

Substituting ChatGPT for legal advice when developing policies and procedures can lead to missed steps or an incorrect understanding of what’s required due to outdated or inaccurate information. And because OpenAI stores ChatGPT responses to develop and train new versions, using it to prepare highly personalized communications or respond to specific employee inquiries can lead to inadvertent, unauthorized disclosure of confidential or protected data. 

3 ChatGPT prompts for HR

If you’re ready to explore the possibilities of ChatGPT in your human resources function, start by thinking about the prompts you’ll need to generate useful results. Effective inputs can range from simple questions to detailed sequences of instructions, but the best prompts usually include information that helps ChatGPT understand the purpose of the request, the target audience, and your desired output. 

• Generating a job description. Please create a 150-word job description for the position of [insert]. The description should include one explanatory paragraph and a list of important responsibilities. Please list the following education and experience as the minimum requirements: [insert]. 
• Draft a candidate outreach email. Please write a 250-word outreach email encouraging someone to apply for the position of [insert] with [company name]. The email should be informal and conversational but still professional. Be sure to mention that the application period will close on [date].
• Explain a policy. Please review this PDF of our company’s paid annual leave policy. After you’ve finished, please write a 100-word email explaining how to submit a request for time off. Quote the policy in your message.
• Draft a memo. Please create an outline for a document explaining our onboarding process to a new employee. Be sure to include the following steps: [insert]. The tone should be friendly and professional.

Don’t worry if generating a usable piece of text takes a few tries. Each prompt trains ChatGPT to better understand your needs. You can also customize ChatGPT in the ‘Settings’ menu to respond according to specific requirements. For example, you can ask that factual statements include links to sources. 

FAQs on ChatGPT for HR 

Will ChatGPT replace HR jobs?

No, ChatGPT and other AI-powered tools will not replace HR jobs. Instead, analysts predict that machines will gradually take over the repetitive, time-consuming tasks that prevent human employees from dedicating themselves completely to strategic or creative work. For example, HR professionals may eventually outsource data analysis and reporting entirely to AI. Still, humans will be responsible for interpreting the results and deciding on the best way to grow the business.

Is ChatGPT customizable to fit a company’s HR needs?

Yes, companies can customize ChatGPT to fit their HR needs by training it on organization-specific data and implementing specific rules to guide its responses. This ‘modified’ version of ChatGPT can then be embedded into a company’s processes and systems via APIs and integrations to enhance the consistency and efficiency of HR communication.

Can ChatGPT assist with compliance and legal inquiries?

ChatGPT can assist with compliance and legal inquiries by explaining general concepts and guiding users to resources, but it cannot substitute for legal advice. No matter how comprehensive or human-like its responses, it's important to remember that ChatGPT and other generative AI tools lack the ability to make complex, nuanced, or moral judgments. Issues may also arise when using ChatGPT for compliance purposes due to inaccurate or incomplete information. ChatGPT cannot assess the quality of the information it sources, and rules and regulations change frequently.

This blog is based on information available to Rippling as of August 28, 2024.

Disclaimer: Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.