'We always want to make sure our staff feel comfortable in what they're doing,' says senior HR manager
There have been a lot of reports on how the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in the workplace can bring about a lot of positives for employers.
And Safe Software is one employer that has seen those benefits become reality. In particular, the company has been using ChatGPT, says Cassie Van Tol-Walker, senior HR manager, Safe Software, in talking with Canadian HR Reporter.
“We're using it to do things like create outlines for workshops and so that helps us make sure that it takes less time for us to do that now. Before, we may have been experiencing writer's block or not sure how to phrase something properly. Now, we go to ChatGPT to just help us take that away.
“So, it's really helping our productivity in that sense.”
AI is playing an increasingly important role for smaller HR teams, helping them save time, make better decisions, and improve employee engagement, according to a previous report from UKG.
Should AI use be required?
As of today, Safe is highly encouraging workers to use AI where it makes sense, says Van Tol-Walker.
“We want to empower our staff to use it in a way they feel comfortable using it.”
Despite the positives that AI can bring, Safe is not mandating that workers use it at work, she says.
“We always want to make sure our staff feel comfortable in what they're doing. So, if they're not comfortable using ChatGPT, for example, for a specific task… we're not going to force someone or mandate them to use it.”
After all, Safe sees AI as what it is – a tool that can help make workers jobs easier.
“We view AI as almost like an assistant or support for us,” says Van Tol-Walker.
“We really encourage [employees] to use it as a support tool to help them with perhaps some blockers they may be facing, or just help them innovate.”
Safe is not doing away with the human aspect of work, she says.
“We are humans first. And so for us, that's the most important thing. So, we're kind of deliberate about where we're using AI. So, we're not using it on those human elements that are super important for us on the day to day.”
In the first quarter of 2024, about one in seven Canadian businesses were using (9.3%) or had plans to use (4.6%) generative AI, according to Statistics Canada.
Collaborative approach to AI policies
In coming up with policies around the use of AI tools in the workplace, it’s highly important that employers take a collaborative approach, says Van Tol-Walker.
“It's very important for us to collaborate with our information security team and our legal team. Having those resources in place and collaborating and getting different perspectives and points of view is super important,” says the senior HR manager.
She also says that it’s important to make sure you’re using AI in a legal and safe way.
“It's super important to make sure we're complying with legal” aspect of the use of GenAI, she says, noting that it’s important to work with the IT department when it comes to using the technology.
“Making sure the three of us – our voices – are in the room to create something that's going to work for not only the people, but the organization as a whole. Making sure you have the right stakeholders in the room when you're developing out your policies is super important.”
According to a previous report, men – compared to women – are 35 per cent more likely to use GenAI tools to write their resumes, and 81 per cent more likely to use the tech to complete recruitment tasks.
