Artificial Intelligence (AI) is busting out all over and this includes in HR and Talent Management.

We’re about a year into the revolution that started with the public launch of ChatGPT. Since then, HR and Talent applications have come out of the woodwork.

Every vendor has a first version or has announced that one is coming. A growing number of larger companies have or are developing their own. Some have AI operating quietly within existing platforms, and you may not even be aware.

What we know is that an AI-driven, development and performance solution already exists in the Career Architect©. Our clients are raving about it as it is powered by 50 years of evidence-based content they can trust.

So What?

Organizations will select one or more AI solutions and work them into the next budget cycle. Employees will expect it. Candidates will ask about it. The government might require it to ensure more inclusive access to all. Boards need to know what their companies are doing. It will be required to be disclosed in the Annual Report and 10K. You don’t have an option. Like 401Ks, values models, 360s, eLearning, performance reviews, and dental plans, it will be central to what’s mandatory.

Knowing how to select the right AI tool to fuel your talent management strategies is critical to cut through the noise. We wrote an article with that goal in mind that you can bookmark for later that will help (How to Select AI for Development).

What will these tools cost?

The answer is evasive, as we are just seeing the price structures for these solutions. Some are launching at no cost (usually for a trial period). More commonly, you will see a per person, per month fee. For AI “add-ons” to existing platforms the fee may be as little as $2-$4 per month, per user. Many solutions max out at about $90-$100/month/user, yet deployment on a larger scale typically brings that price down significantly.

What do you get?

It varies but the attractive ones in the talent management space will provide 24/7 science-based, experience-tested, practitioner-vetted content, and use cases to prove it all works. Plus, advice and counsel on everything performance, careering, collaborating, and more. They’ll provide IDPs that are actionable, observable, and measurable, and performance improvement and skill-building tips. They will close the know-do gap. There will be assessment components and resources for high-performing teams. Add in videos, references to powerful print resources, and broader eLearning opportunities all accessed within seconds.

The best solutions will act as a digital employee, available simultaneously to as many employees as you want, and in each person’s moment of need. We all wrestle with self- and people-related challenges every single day—related to planning & prep, conflict, performance, strategy, personality differences, emotional events and many more challenges. This future digital employee can help.

Can you imagine a future where on-demand, reliable coaching resources could be accessed by every employee for less than $100/year each?

What problem does this solve?

Every day, employees face people-related challenges. In the best case, they depend upon a developmental boss (~1/3 of all bosses), an HR/TM resource (scarce, outdated, or not aligned), a coach (only if they qualify or fork out the fees), a training program (scheduled sometime later in the year), or–please don’t make me say this—TikTok, Google, Wikipedia or some other opensource information. In the most common case, they wing it and hope everything works out for the best.

The Career Architect© steps into this gap and provides equitable access to advice and guidance for all the challenges employees face every day. The best part? The Career Architect© is placed in the flow of an employee’s work so they can solicit guidance within seconds to questions such as:

What the best way to…?
How can I get better at …?
How can I work better or collaborate with a colleague?
How can I be a better remote manager?
How can I build a better team?
What can I do to develop my direct reports?
I have been invited to present to the Board, what are some dos and don’ts?
I’m expecting conflict in the 10 am meeting (it’s 9:30 am now), what are 5 things I can do to prepare?

The list goes on and on.

Where do I incorporate it?

The big bang is to make it available to everyone. In coaching cultures, it’s a great leave-behind when formal coaching ends, as the support needed is still at one’s fingertips. If your organization has a learning center, attach it to as many training classes as possible because it supports and reinforces all development-related approaches, including eLearning content.

An “island of success” model is to offer it to bosses who are interested in being better people developers. It’s a fully digital resource that provides any of 6,000 proven development tips and strategies, in context to the development challenge at hand.

Do you provide select resources to your High Potential employees? Include this.

Use it to help a struggling or derailing employee you would like to retain.

It is guaranteed to render useful, accurate and actionable information. It is always accessible.

The ROI? More quality advice and counsel, getting to as many managers and employees as possible to increase effectiveness and productivity, at what is likely to be the lowest cost/employee you’ve experienced for any comprehensive development resource.

AI whispers dos and dreams

Everyone transformed by its voice

Futures bloom with hope