Building Human-Centric Workplaces in the Age of AI

Interesting term: “human-centric” when juxtaposed with AI artificial intelligence. For the human resource professional, AI can provide powerful tools for writing compelling documents, collecting data, drafting research-backed proposals, and developing HR policies.

However, human-centric means that AI becomes authentic Intelligence. In short, the emergence of AI requires the hardest of HR work: becoming skilled at soft skills: listening, empathy, collaboration, clear communication, critical thinking, patience, professionalism, and creativity.

And before any of this can occur, the HR professional must be present. For example, I remember interviewing an employee who said she had only seen her manager once since she was hired.  “I just get text messages from him.”  It’s hard to be “human” when all one sees are words on a smartphone or email.

In a Human-Centric Workplace, NOTHING Replaces Physically Seeing Each Other

As busy as our workplaces are and how spread out an organization might be, NOTHING replaces physically seeing each other. Communication is carried by the look on a face, the tone of a voice, and gesture. 

Consider too the content of this interaction. If it is limited ONLY to the work at hand, employees never get to appreciate and understand the humanity of the individual. Vivek Murthy, physician and former United States Surgeon General, under two presidents, declared that loneliness is a public health concern, a root cause and contributor to many of the epidemics sweeping the world today.

Specifically, people can be heard, seen, and understood only if they reach out and learn more about each other than what sits on a resume.  You can do it in a virtual setting too. 

Ways to Open Up

Here are some ways to open up however briefly – and begin to know more about your team. (Obviously, people can also pass on participating but…)

• Ask one or more individuals to share what their best work experience was. Their worst?  Allow for questions, too

• The biggest surprise you ever had?

• Favorite vacation and why?

• Describe a favorite pastime/

• In virtual settings, I’ve asked participants to show something they value in their work and home setting.  Amazing what you can learn from that.

• Memory as a child or teenager?

• What is on your bucket list?

AI will not give you these answers. But showing interest in the people around you creates a humanized setting that transcends flow charts, market analysis, and P&L statements.