Exploring AI in HR: An experiment with learning & development
- Sholeh Esmaili-Montoya
- May 16
- 3 min read
Originally posted on LinkedIn May 8, 2024
At Getmyboat, we cultivate a culture of continuous learning and innovation. As part of this, we have been exploring ways AI can assist teams in their work. Recently for our HR team, we set out to experiment with using generative AI to help us analyze our team's development goals to create a Learning and Development Toolkit, tailored to the skills requested by our team. This would be an additional resource alongside our annual L&D allowance to support people's learning and development journey.
Background
At Getmyboat, we believe in empowering each team member to take ownership of their learning and development and that long-term growth and development can be achieved through continuous learning. Learning happens during the day-to-day hands-on experience, working with others, and attending educational workshops and trainings. As a globally distributed team, we recognize the importance of providing flexible and adaptable learning resources that cater to the varying time zones and learning styles of our team members.
Approach & Implementation
Below is the five-step process we used to experiment with using AI to analyze our team’s development goals to create a personalized Learning & Development Toolkit for the team:
Gather data on employee development goals and remove any personal or company-identifiable information.
Ask AI with detailed prompts and follow-up questions to analyze the data to identify skill development goals and how often each was mentioned to gauge how much of a theme it is across the company.
Use the analysis to guide decision-making on which skills to include in the Learning & Development Toolkit that would support both individual development goals and company goals.
Design a Learning & Development Toolkit with curated learning materials (in various delivery formats) along with tools and templates that help people put the skills to use right away. Some of the topics for us included Coaching, Problem-Solving, Project Management, Adaptability, Time management, Goal Setting, and Strategic Thinking.
Roll out the toolkit to the team with a plan to review adoption, provide nudges, and request feedback within the first six months of its launch to check in on its effectiveness.
Some of the tools we used along the way:
Asana: L&D Toolkit project planning and tracking
Coda: Where we designed our Learning & Development toolkit and feedback box
ChatGPT: Analysis of data and draft content
SkillPartner Guide GPT: A GPT I created for skill development. Draft content for tools, templates, and learning plans
Grammarly: Editing written content for improvements
Canva: Designed learning tools & templates to match our company brand
Lessons Learned
We plan to keep this toolkit up-to-date by iterating on it over time based on feedback we receive and any new skills that are identified at the intersection of individual development goals and company goals. Below are a few lessons that I wanted to share:
AI can help you save time in analyzing qualitative data quickly with the right prompts and follow-up questions.
AI-generated drafts still need to be reviewed and edited by a person to ensure it is tailored to your specific company culture, people, practices, and operating model.
AI can help HR/People teams, especially those who have limited budgets to deliver on initiatives such as supporting employee learning and development.
Conclusion
I encourage anyone who has hesitated to explore AI to give it a try and see what you can take away from the experience. With numerous AI-powered tools already available, and technology constantly improving, it's only a matter of time before AI becomes indispensable for HR and Recruiting (People/Talent) teams looking to optimize their operations and stay ahead of the curve. I’m looking forward to continuing to learn about and experiment with AI.
In what ways has AI helped you with your work?
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