The AI assistant can help employees and managers find information, complete supported HR tasks, and get help with more complex requests. What it can do depends on the knowledge, tools, agents, workflows, and Case Management capabilities your organization has configured.
Use the AI assistant when it can safely handle the request. Involve HR when the request needs human judgment, investigation, or empathy.
When to use the AI assistant
The AI assistant is a good choice for requests such as:
- Finding information: Get answers from approved company policies, guides, FAQs, and other knowledge.
- Checking live information: When configured, retrieve current information such as a leave balance from a connected HR system.
- Completing supported tasks: When the appropriate tools are configured, submit requests or update information in connected systems.
- Following a process: Start or continue a published workflow when a request needs a defined, multistep process.
- Getting help at any time: Employees can access the assistant through supported channels without waiting for HR to become available.
- Starting a conversation with HR: When the assistant cannot safely complete a request, it can help raise a case when Case Management is configured.
When to involve HR
A human is usually the better choice when a request requires judgment, investigation, sensitive handling, or an outcome that the assistant cannot safely provide.
Examples include:
- Sensitive or personal matters: Issues that need empathy, discretion, or individual support.
- Confidential complaints or grievances: Reports of misconduct or workplace concerns that require investigation.
- Employee relations issues: Conflicts, disputes, disciplinary matters, or situations that require HR judgment.
- Legal or compliance concerns: Issues involving discrimination, harassment, regulatory requirements, or potential breaches of company policy.
- Policy exceptions or complex interpretation: Situations where the published policy does not clearly apply or an exception needs to be considered.
- Complex benefits or compensation questions: Questions that require detailed interpretation or a decision by HR.
- Career and performance support: Development conversations, performance concerns, promotions, or other matters that benefit from personal guidance.
- Crisis or emergency situations: Situations that require immediate human coordination or support.
The AI assistant can still be useful in these situations. Depending on your configuration, it can collect initial information, explain the relevant process, or raise a case so HR receives the request and its context.
AI and HR work together
Choosing the AI assistant does not always mean avoiding human involvement.
A typical request might look like this:
Employee asks → AI assistant answers or acts → HR takes over when needed
For example, an employee might ask about a workplace policy. The assistant can answer from approved knowledge. If the employee then describes a situation that requires investigation, the assistant can help raise a case and pass the relevant context to HR.
This approach lets the AI assistant handle routine and supported work while keeping decisions and sensitive matters with the people who are responsible for them.