How can HR help managers use AI to the fullest?
HR leaders have low confidence that managers have the skills needed to effectively utilise artificial intelligence tools, according to a new report from Gartner.
The report, which surveyed 114 HR leaders, showed that only eight per cent believe that managers have the skills to use AI effectively.
The results come after previous Gartner findings that showed only 14% of organisations are providing managers with support on how to integrate generative AI into their daily tasks.
"The currently available and the emerging AI tools landscape is flipping the manager role from managing information and decisions to coordinating insights and predicting the needs of employees," said Carolina Engels, Senior Principal, Advisory, in the Gartner HR practice, in a statement.
"While AI should not be used to replace managers, it can be used as a tool to empower them to spend more meaningful time with their direct reports."
Empowering managers on AI tools
To empower managers on AI, HR leaders have been advised to develop managers' AI literacy skills through programmes that include hands-on learning, internal guidance, and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing.
It also advised chief HR officers to take a "human-centric approach" that focuses on identifying where AI can support the human element at work.
This approach means enhancing human connection by providing managers with insights to coach more effectively, or creating a working group of managers that can discuss pain points and where they are looking for AI to support.
"By focusing on human-centric leadership, CHROs can help managers effectively communicate AI-driven insights to their teams," Engels said. "This lays the foundation for creating a positive employee experience when it comes to AI."
It is also crucial that CHROs define clear rules and systems when it comes to AI augmentation, according to Gartner.
It advised HR leaders to engage with their Legal and Risk peers to create direct guidelines for AI use, define ethical use, data boundaries, and approval processes for AI tools.
