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Session 2: Panel discussion | AI-Powered Inclusion: Shaping Diverse, Equitable, and Human-Centered Workplaces
The second session of the mini-conference brought together an esteemed panel of experts to discuss the growing impact of AI on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. Moderated by Varun Ramakrishnan, the panel featured insightful discussions led by Patrícia Souza, Diljot Kaur, and Ginger Dhaliwal.
We kicked off the session by polling the audience to understand their familiarity with AI's role in promoting DEI. 60% of attendees admitted they were "not familiar at all," while only 8% considered themselves "very familiar." It was clear from the outset that there was much to explore in this conversation. 🧠
▶️ AI in Recruitment: Reducing Bias but With Caution 🚦
Patricia opened the discussion by emphasizing that AI has the potential to reduce biases in recruitment processes. “AI can help remove bias by focusing purely on skill sets, rather than names or photos, which can unconsciously impact hiring decisions,” she shared.
🔴 However, she also cautioned that AI is only as unbiased as the data it’s fed: “If the data is flawed or biased, AI will only amplify these biases.” Diljot agreed, adding that AI-driven recruitment can easily "replicate existing biases" if not properly monitored.
Key takeaway: While AI can eliminate surface-level biases, such as name or appearance-based discrimination, the underlying data must be unbiased. Conduct regular bias audits to ensure this.
Ethical AI Usage to Reduce Bias 🔍
The panel was unanimous in urging HR leaders to ensure transparency in their use of AI. Diljot emphasized, “We need to know where the data comes from and how it’s being processed.” The discussion highlighted the need for ethics in AI usage, especially in performance reviews and talent management. “We’ve done bias audits on our AI systems to ensure the output is representative of our diverse workforce,” she noted.
Patricia added, “The same biases that exist in human judgment can creep into AI if we’re not careful. That’s why ongoing monitoring and auditing are crucial.” The importance of informed consent was also raised, with Diljot emphasizing the need for employees to be aware of how their data is being used by the AI tools in the organization.
Key takeaway: Ensure ethical AI use by conducting regular bias audits and being transparent about how AI models are trained and used in the workplace.
▶️ The Human-AI Collaboration 🤝
Both Patricia and Diljot were aligned on the importance of human oversight. Diljot explained, “AI is a great tool for initial screenings, but human judgment should not be replaced.” She also shared how AI speeds up the screening process but emphasized that her team still takes time to "manually review all shortlisted candidates to ensure nothing is missed."
Ginger elaborated on the importance of collaboration between humans and AI in remote work environments: “You can’t rely on AI to fully replace human interactions. It’s a partnership—AI helps automate the mundane tasks so humans can focus on the meaningful ones.” Tools like Read AI, which analyzes team dynamics and sentiment, enhance human decision-making by surfacing critical engagement insights, but it’s HR’s job to act on them.
Key takeaway: AI is a tool to assist, not replace. Combining AI-driven insights with human intuition ensures fairer and more inclusive outcomes.
▶️ AI - powered inclusion applications:
• One key area where AI is proving valuable is in improving employee engagement, especially in remote and hybrid work environments. Ginger introduced Toby, a tool that offers real-time translation during virtual meetings, which has significantly lowered language barriers in global teams. “Think of it like the UN—everyone is able to speak in their own language while still participating fully,” she said. This kind of AI-powered inclusion fosters a sense of belonging in multicultural teams.
• Patricia highlighted an exciting use of AI in mentorship programs, sharing how AI could match mentors and mentees based on skills and goals rather than subjective human preferences: “When left to our own devices, we tend to choose people who are like us—but AI can look beyond that and create more diverse, effective pairings.” However, she also cautioned against over-reliance on AI in mentorship: “AI can facilitate the process, but it’s the human connection that makes mentorship meaningful.”
Key takeaway: You can use AI to facilitate mentorship by reducing bias in matching, but remember that human relationships remain the core of successful development programs.
AI Tools Mentioned in this Session:
Read AI (Ginger Dhaliwal): Enhances remote team dynamics by tracking engagement in meetings.
Donut (Ginger Dhaliwal): Fosters informal team connections via Slack.
Toby (Ginger Dhaliwal): Real-time language translation for virtual meetings.
Culture Amp (Patricia Souza): Platform for employee engagement and development.
Leapsome (Patricia Souza): AI-driven employee growth and performance platform.
HireVue (Patricia Souza): AI-powered video interview platform for recruitment.
SAP SuccessFactors (Patricia Souza): HR management suite with AI in performance reviews.
Upflex (Ginger Dhaliwal): Flexible workspace solution for distributed teams.
Gospace (Ginger Dhaliwal): AI-driven seating arrangements to encourage collaboration in offices.
Patricia also mentioned a company based in Rotterdam that uses virtual reality (VR) to amplify the experiences of minorities, including neurodivergent individuals, women, and other underrepresented groups. This company offers immersive experiences that allow people to see life through the lens of minorities, such as individuals with autism, to foster greater understanding and empathy.
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At the end of the session, we conducted another poll to gauge the adoption of AI in diversity initiatives. The results showed that 54% of organizations have yet to implement AI for DEI, while 26% were unsure of their future plans.
This underscores the fact that AI is still an emerging technology in many HR functions, but the potential benefits are undeniable.
Let’s see how our readers respond to the same question:
Does your organization currently use AI tools to support its DEI initiatives? |
🚀 Missed this session? Join us for our next event in the series by registering here.
🔓 Unlock Resource: Comprehensive Guide for Evaluating AI-Based Product Vendors
Given the transformative potential of AI in the HR landscape, selecting the right partner is critical for future-proofing your HR operations. This guide is intended to assist HR leaders in conducting thorough evaluations of potential AI-based tool vendors.
Today’s HR Reads for You 📚️
That’s a wrap for today!
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