AI Tools for HR: What Actually Works

I talked to 6 HR professionals about their AI tool usage. Everyone uses AI now. Most are skeptical of dedicated “HR AI” tools.

Here’s what actually helps.

How HR Actually Uses AI

HR work breaks into a few categories:

1. Recruiting - Job descriptions, screening, scheduling
2. Communications - Policies, announcements, feedback
3. Documentation - Handbooks, procedures, compliance
4. Analysis - Survey results, retention data

AI helps with all of these, but not equally.

Recruiting: Where AI Helps Most

Job Description Writing

Tool: ChatGPT or Claude

Every HR person I talked to uses AI for job descriptions.

“Write a job description for a senior software engineer. We’re a remote-first startup, casual culture, focus on collaboration.”

Then edit for:

• Company voice
• Specific requirements
• Compliance language

Time saved: 30-60 minutes per job description

Resume Screening

Tools: Lever, Greenhouse built-in AI, or standalone tools

Mixed feelings here.

What works:

• Keyword matching for required skills
• Filtering obviously unqualified candidates
• Ranking by experience relevance

What doesn’t work:

• Judging potential
• Assessing culture fit
• Catching non-traditional backgrounds

Best practice: AI for initial filter (top 30%), humans review from there.

Warning: Resume AI can be biased. Audit your results. If qualified diverse candidates aren’t making it through, the AI might be the problem.

Interview Scheduling

Tools: Calendly with integrations, GoodTime, ModernLoop

Not really AI, but automation that works:

• Candidates self-schedule
• Conflicts auto-resolved
• Reminders sent automatically

Time saved: Huge. One HR person: “Scheduling used to be 20% of my week. Now it’s nearly zero.”

Interview Transcription

Tool: Otter.ai or similar

Record interviews (with permission). Get searchable transcripts.

Benefits:

• Review candidate responses later
• Consistent evaluation
• Documentation for compliance
• Share with hiring team

Time saved: 30 minutes per interview on note-taking.

Communications: Everyday AI Use

Policy Writing

Prompt example:

“Write a remote work policy for a company with 50 employees. Include eligibility, equipment, communication expectations, and security requirements.”

Then customize for your company. Much faster than starting from scratch.

Difficult Conversations

Use case: Drafting feedback, PIP communications, termination language.

“Draft a performance improvement plan email for an employee struggling with deadlines. Professional but supportive tone.”

AI gives you a starting point. You add the human touch.

Employee Communications

Announcements, policy updates, benefit explanations - AI drafts, you edit.

“Explain our new parental leave policy in a friendly email format. Key points: 16 weeks, applies to all parents, must give 30 days notice.”

Documentation: Significant Time Savings

Employee Handbooks

AI can draft handbook sections:

• PTO policies
• Code of conduct
• Benefits overview
• Procedures

Important: Always have legal review HR documents. AI doesn’t know current employment law in your jurisdiction.

Process Documentation

“Write a step-by-step guide for requesting time off in our HRIS system.”

Faster than writing from scratch. Edit for accuracy.

Training Materials

Onboarding guides, procedure documents, FAQ compilations.

AI generates structure and basic content. You verify accuracy.

What Doesn’t Work (Yet)

AI Interviews

Tools like HireVue that “analyze” video interviews are controversial.

Concerns:

• Bias in AI assessment
• Privacy issues
• Candidate experience is poor
• Questionable validity

Most HR people I talked to avoid these or use skeptically.

Predictive Analytics

“AI predicts which employees will leave!” - sounds great, often unreliable.

Reality:

• Predictions are probabilistic, not certain
• Can create self-fulfilling prophecies
• Privacy and trust concerns
• Often less accurate than claimed

Use for broad trends, not individual decisions.

Automated Decision-Making

Any AI that makes hiring/firing decisions without human oversight is problematic.

Legal risk: Many jurisdictions require human decision-makers. Ethical risk: AI perpetuates biases. Practical risk: AI misses context humans catch.

AI should inform decisions, not make them.

The Tools HR Actually Uses

Based on my interviews:

Essential:

• ChatGPT or Claude ($20/month) - daily writing tasks
• Interview transcription (Otter.ai, $10/month)
• Calendar scheduling automation

Useful:

• Built-in AI in existing HRIS/ATS
• Grammar/writing assistance (Grammarly)

Skip:

• Expensive HR-specific AI platforms
• Video interview analysis
• Predictive employee analytics

Bias and Ethics

Every HR person mentioned this. AI in HR has real risks:

Resume screening bias

AI trained on past successful hires learns past biases. If your company historically hired mostly from elite schools, AI will favor elite school candidates.

Mitigation:

• Audit AI decisions regularly
• Compare AI-screened vs human-screened results
• Ensure diverse candidate pools

Language bias

AI tools may favor certain writing styles, penalizing non-native speakers or different communication styles.

Transparency

Candidates should know when AI is involved in hiring. Many don’t.

EEOC guidance

The EEOC has issued guidance on AI in hiring. Employers are responsible for AI discrimination, even if the AI vendor caused it.

Practical Recommendations

For small teams (under 50 employees):

• ChatGPT/Claude for writing tasks
• Calendly or similar for scheduling
• Skip dedicated HR AI tools

For medium teams (50-500):

• Add interview transcription
• Use built-in AI in your ATS
• Consider screening AI with careful auditing

For large organizations:

• Full ATS with AI features
• Dedicated tools may make sense
• Ensure legal review and bias auditing

Bottom Line

AI helps HR professionals work faster on repetitive tasks:

• Writing job descriptions, policies, communications
• Scheduling and coordination
• Initial resume filtering
• Documentation

AI doesn’t replace:

• Human judgment in hiring
• Relationship building
• Difficult conversations
• Final decisions

Use AI to handle busywork. Keep humans in charge of people decisions.