“Humans are both the brain and the heart of organizations.”

Dear Miriam, AI as the brain and humans as the heart of an organization – is that what a bright future in companies will look like?

That would be a misconception: Humans are both the brain and the heart of organizations, and AI supports people in their work. AI is incredibly good at answering questions, but humans are much better at selecting the right questions. And implementing things with heart.

Looking at the comment sections on LinkedIn one can`t help but think that the human part is not developing very well. Is AI, in the end, the better, more empathetic leader that shapes company culture for the better? Is it the better brain and the better heart? Or, to put it differently: Do human qualities really become more important in the face of advancing technology, or are they really more of a hindrance on the path to a joyful, appreciative, and motivating work environment?

That impression can indeed arise – precisely because people don’t take enough time to focus on collaboration and building trust. Let’s take the feeling of appreciation as an example: Talking to my colleague or superior, feeling they really listen to me, pay attention, take my issues seriously and act on it – this is something AI will never be able to authentically generate.

AI can be extremely helpful in freeing up time so that we can take the time for exactly these kinds of conversations and interactions. By taking over analytical and routine tasks, it gives people the freedom to do what they are really good at: being human.

AI systems are already capable of making objective, analytically-based decisions, providing constructive feedback, coaching, and motivating. They are available 24/7 and neither have egos nor bad moods. So why do we still need human skills in companies, and which skills are those?

There are many abilities that AI can’t replace. For example, creating a feeling of appreciation, attention or affection. Conveying real deep meaning. And because only we humans have these skills, it is vital that we train our own workforce really well in them.

Let’s take the example of salespeople in the banking sector: nobody needs a human contact person in a bank to fill out a loan comparison portal and calculate the correct interest rates anymore. But when it comes to addressing people’s fears in a credit decision, reducing complexity for them, listening to their worries and needs or even empathizing with them to find out which criteria are really important for the credit decision, people’s emotional intelligence comes into play. Companies whose employees do not have these skills will have a very difficult time in the future.

How will recruiting and employee development change in the coming years?

Two trends are emerging: On the one hand, we are observing the ‘War for Talent’ on the labor market and. On the other, the trend towards a ‘Great Resignation’. Over the past two years, it has become clear that it is an employee market and no longer an employer market – the pool of talent has thinned. Companies that hide behind employer brand campaigns are quickly exposed if there is no corresponding corporate culture behind them. The expensively recruited candidates know their market value, take advantage of the oversupply of jobs and are more likely to resign.

When it comes to active sourcing, many recruiters are now approaching employees from other companies. It is therefore all the more important that there is a cultural fit so that employees are committed to the employer in the long term. To clear up a misunderstanding: this does not mean that employers have to do everything that employees demand. Rather, the aim is to create an attractive and modern working environment in order to retain employees. It has become more important to recognise the value of existing employees. Despite transformation changes, their wealth of knowledge and the experience they have gained within the company are precious.

With the help of employee development, existing employees can be supported in the process of transformation. Studies show that 80% of transformation projects usually fail because of the people, not the project itself. It is therefore important to involve employees in the process and not present them with a fait accompli.

At DeepSkill, you work with AI systems to promote the emotional skills of employees in organizations. How do you do that?

We call them ‘Deep Skills’, as our company name says. This is an overarching term for all skills that involve emotional and social competences. Skills such as emotion regulation, communication skills, changing perspectives and team development. Skills that employees need to be able to operate effectively in the modern, hybrid world of work. We have clustered these skills in our DeepSkill competency model. Allowing us to quickly and easily configure tailored coaching and training programmes.

AI helps us in different ways to make learning and the return on investment (ROI) of employee development significantly better. Firstly, AI enables the full personalization of learning materials, increasing the relevance of learning content for our learners and making learning much more effective. Secondly, we synchronize the company’s strategic goals with optimal learning paths, allowing for real behavioral change. This is also where Zortify comes into play: AI-supported diagnostics allow us to tailor learning content, formats, and intensity to each individual based on precise assessments. Off-the-shelf training is a thing of the past. Every learner receives exactly the right content and can develop in a targeted way based on their assessment results.

Employee diagnostics and personnel development are seen as the new super duo. They only work well if they go hand in hand. Would you agree to that?

Diagnostics makes it possible to identify employees’ areas of development and show in detail where their strengths lie. Which potential is still untapped and in which areas it is worth investing in further development. Personnel development is then the decisive lever for unlocking this potential. Without personnel development, the recognised areas of development cannot be fully exploited and the expected return on investment does not come about. At the same time, personnel development without prior diagnostics runs the risk of implementing measures in the dark and not addressing the relevant development needs. By combining diagnostics and personnel development, companies benefit in two ways: development needs are addressed in a targeted manner and potential is optimally utilized.

For more information about Deepskill check out their website and/or their LinkedIn account.

Did you know that DeepSkill received 1.5 million Euro funding last year? – Read more about the financing round and how DeepSkill is investing in innovative employee development technology in “Personalwirtschaft” magazine.

Prefer audio? – Then we recommend the interview with Miriam in SAATKORN‘s podcast.

You enjoyed the insight into the very practical use of AI in HR? You want more inspiration and hands-on tipps on how to start? – Check out the interview with Tom Ritsch, Co-Founder of AOAIO, and the interview with Dr. Hans W. Hagemann of Munich Leadership Group.