AI in HR: which tasks to automate first
Updated
Across the 1.9 million US jobs in HR and recruitment, the work scores 58 of 100 for AI exposure, weighted by how many people do each job. AI can take on about 976 hours a year per full-time person, 49% of a working year. The task that frees the most hours across the team is to prepare or maintain employment records related to events, about 76 hours a year for each person who does it.
- AI exposure, weighted by employment
- 58 out of 100 High exposure
- Hours AI can take on
- 976 hours a year per full-time person
- Task time AI can do today
- 18% AI speeds up another 77%
Tasks to automate first
The 15 tasks where AI can take on the most hours across HR and recruitment: how exposed each task is, how much of the job it takes and how many people do that job. Hours are per person in the role that does the task. How we score each task.
| Task and who does it | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Prepare or maintain employment records related to events, such as hiring, termination, leaves, transfers, or promotions, using human resources management system software. HRIS record entry and updates are structured, routine data work. Done by recruiters. | 80% AI can do it 76 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Review employment applications and job orders to match applicants with job requirements. Resume screening against job requirements is a strong AI fit, with review. Done by recruiters. | 75% AI can do it 68 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Interpret and explain human resources policies, procedures, laws, standards, or regulations. LLMs explain policies well, but legal interpretation needs HR accountability. Done by recruiters. | 65% AI helps 66 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Obtain, organize, or develop training procedure manuals, guides, or course materials, such as handouts or visual materials. Drafting manuals and course materials is strong AI territory. Done by instructional designers. | 80% AI can do it 99 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Monitor, evaluate, or record training activities or program effectiveness. AI can log and analyze results; person judges effectiveness. Done by instructional designers. | 60% AI helps 71 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Monitor training costs and prepare budget reports to justify expenditures. Budget tracking and report drafting are highly automatable. Done by instructional designers. | 65% AI can do it 67 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Maintain records and compile statistical reports concerning personnel-related data such as hires, transfers, performance appraisals, and absenteeism rates. Recordkeeping and statistical reports are routine digital data work. Done by HR managers. | 80% AI can do it 64 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Provide current and prospective employees with information about policies, job duties, working conditions, wages, opportunities for promotion, and employee benefits. Answering policy and benefits questions suits chatbots and assistants. Done by HR managers. | 70% AI can do it 55 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Analyze statistical data and reports to identify and determine causes of personnel problems and develop recommendations for improvement of organization's personnel policies and practices. AI can crunch personnel data; cause findings need HR judgment. Done by HR managers. | 60% AI helps 51 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Research employee benefit and health and safety practices, and recommend changes or modifications to existing policies. Research synthesis suits AI; recommendations need human judgment. Done by compensation specialists. | 60% AI helps 99 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Record data for each employee, including such information as addresses, weekly earnings, absences, amount of sales or production, supervisory reports on performance, and dates of and reasons for terminations. Structured data entry from HR systems and forms is highly automatable. Done by human resources assistants. | 80% AI can do it 120 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Administer employee insurance, pension, and savings plans, working with insurance brokers and plan carriers. Enrollment and plan admin is paperwork; carrier coordination needs people. Done by compensation specialists. | 50% AI helps 91 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Ensure company compliance with federal and state laws, including reporting requirements. Regulatory tracking and report drafting; legal sign-off stays human. Done by compensation specialists. | 50% AI helps 90 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Explain company personnel policies, benefits, and procedures to employees or job applicants. LLMs can answer policy and benefit questions from company documents. Done by human resources assistants. | 68% AI can do it 101 hours a year for each person in the role |
| Process, verify, and maintain personnel related documentation, including staffing, recruitment, training, grievances, performance evaluations, classifications, and employee leaves of absence. Document processing is strong, but verification and records need human sign-off. Done by human resources assistants. | 62% AI helps 94 hours a year for each person in the role |
What stays with people
5% of the task time across these roles needs a person, and the output of the rest still needs someone to check it. The tasks below take the most of that time.
- 18% AI can do it
- 77% AI helps
- 5% Needs a person
- Schedule or administer skill, intelligence, psychological, or drug tests for current or prospective employees. Recruiters, 20% exposed
- Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations. HR managers, 15% exposed
- Perform difficult staffing duties, including dealing with understaffing, refereeing disputes, firing employees, and administering disciplinary procedures. HR managers, 12% exposed
- Refer trainees to employer relations representatives, to locations offering job placement assistance, or to appropriate social services agencies, if warranted. Instructional designers, 18% exposed
- Consult with, or serve as, technical liaison between business, industry, government, and union officials. Compensation specialists, 20% exposed
Adoption path
Start with the tasks where AI helps a person, then automate the routine ones, then give whole workflows to agents with a person approving the output.
Roles in HR and recruitment
8 roles, each linked to its task-by-task score. Of the roles with at least 2% of the jobs, human resources assistants score highest at 66, labor relations specialists lowest at 42.
- Recruiters, 47.3% of the team, score 62 out of 100
- Instructional designers, 23.7% of the team, score 58 out of 100
- HR managers, 11.4% of the team, score 43 out of 100
- Compensation specialists, 5.8% of the team, score 54 out of 100
- Human resources assistants, 4.7% of the team, score 66 out of 100
- Labor relations specialists, 3.4% of the team, score 42 out of 100
- Training managers, 2.5% of the team, score 53 out of 100
- Benefits managers, 1.2% of the team, score 46 out of 100
Questions about AI in HR
Which tasks should an HR team automate first?
The first task to automate is to prepare or maintain employment records related to events (80% exposed). Next come the tasks to review employment applications and job orders to match applicants with job requirements (75%) and to interpret and explain human resources policies (65%). Together they free the most hours across the team.
How many hours can AI save an HR team?
About 976 hours a year per full-time person, 49% of a 2,000-hour working year. For a team of 10 that is about 9,760 hours, the time of 4.9 full-time people. The figure is the share of task time AI can remove today, weighted by how many people do each job.
Which roles in an HR team are most exposed to AI?
Of the roles with at least 2% of the jobs, human resources assistants score highest, at 66 of 100, and labor relations specialists lowest, at 42. Each role's page lists its tasks one by one.
Will AI replace jobs in HR and recruitment?
AI can do 18% of the task time across these roles today. Another 77% gets faster with AI while a person stays in charge. 5% needs a person. One task that stays with people is to schedule or administer skill.
Where should an HR team start with AI?
With the quick wins: approved assistants for the tasks AI helps with, under a written AI policy. Then automate the 8 tasks on this page AI can do end to end. An AI audit maps the tasks in your team and ranks them the same way this page does.
Next steps
Find the tasks to automate first in your team
We map the tasks in your HR team, score each one the way this page does and build the automations that pay back first.