HR BESTIES - HR Besties: AI Anxiety

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey, big boy. Ooh, spicy. It's an interesting way to start off the pod, right? Wow. Hello. This is an amazing story that came from a friend of the pod. And let me just say, all three of us were probably in tears when we heard the story, but also not surprised. Okay? Not surprised. In the slightest. So the friend was on a call with a potential client.

Starting point is 00:00:33 They always used their AI note taker to make sure that they're getting everything. Because, of course, you know, I know we, us elder millennials on this podcast, we like to take notes. But having the AI note taker helps because I miss things or I'm also a terrible speller. So it records, you know, with a conversation and helps. So when you want to send like an email post conversation, you know, you. you have your bullet points all nights and organized. Thanks, AI. Taking my job again. Okay. So my friend goes and proceeds to pull up the conversation from the call the next morning to write a nice thank you email. Let me summarize what we talked about, right? And they realized

Starting point is 00:01:18 the recording was so much longer than their, you know, 45-minute phone call conversation. And he was like, oh, crap, it actually recorded this guy, like his whole rest of his four to five hour day, right? What? Once again, no big deal. I don't need that part. I'm going to scrap it. However, immediately after that 45-minute call, the AI turns to, hey, big boy, and rolls into, what's your dream video, customize, and enjoy.

Starting point is 00:01:53 your filthy results. AI is powerful, and actors sometimes are getting their cut and getting their clients' billing. Filled. Like what? I'm sorry. Oh, my gosh. So this man proceeded to get off the phone and immediately jump on a porn website. And the AI no taker caught it all.

Starting point is 00:02:23 helped subarise it. What I liked about this is sometimes you hear stories and you'll hear things and it'll be like a friend, whatever, and you're always like, oh, did that really happen? I mean, they brought receipts. My parents were visiting. And so I was out to dinner with my parents and I started laughing. Of course, everyone's like, what's so funny? I'm like, no, no, no. And then, of course, everyone's even more. Like, no, no, really what's funny. But they included screenshots of it. And it was so, I was laughing so hard. Like, it pivots very quickly and very quickly and explicitly, and it was real. It's pretty epic.

Starting point is 00:02:59 Wow. How did that happen, though? Like, they left the browser open? I mean, you know, like how? I guess. Like, I'm just, not that I'm nervous, but I'm just curious, you know? I started using AI for some of my calls. Again, again, it discloses it because I would look down sometimes and look at my call notes

Starting point is 00:03:20 and it would say, hello, and then I'd look at my call. And that was it. That was the note I took the whole call. The date. Yeah. And my husband joined Manager Method as Chief Customer Officer earlier this year. I'd be like, do you have the call notes? And I would be like, oh, well, we had a great conversation.

Starting point is 00:03:36 Hello. It was just hard. I was trying to think back to all the details. I find it helpful. You know, one, I always make sure it's disclosed. So if anybody doesn't want it. I'm like, yeah, no worries. I'll just hello you back again.

Starting point is 00:03:47 But I saw this. And I was like, oh, my gosh, because they use the same note. but I think they may be used in the free version. Normally it cuts off, so I'd never seen anyone's conversation continue, but I was laughing so hard. Well, and my brain went into, like, crisis mode. So I'm like, the HR brain goes, oh, my God, they're on their work computer and they're looking at port.

Starting point is 00:04:10 Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Like, instantly after a call. Yeah. That would give me cringe. Like, if someone has a call with me and then they go straight into that, could I work? with them? Like, did I have that effect on them? Like, what, what is that? Do they like

Starting point is 00:04:29 judgment? I mean, I'm a silly, goofy girl. So, like, if I had a call with them again, I'd be like, hey, big boy. Oh, my gosh. Oh. I would. I would. I know. We're going to Vegas soon. We're not, we'll play other games. We're not playing poker because I'll laugh. Jamie, I'll be like, oh, my God. I got to pair of faces. Jamie keeps it real. I love it. Yes, unfortunately. a hundred percent. Did we ever learn how that finished? Well, I mean, we didn't get the transcript of him finishing. Oh, I would love to see that. Yeah, this person's like, if this person's doing that between meetings, that could be always check your settings. It's like we've talked in the past about checking your LinkedIn privacy viewing settings. If you don't know what we're talking about

Starting point is 00:05:16 and you want to have those private, just go and look at that. But also your AI note taker settings or maybe just what you're doing generally. Yeah, like toggle off that, keep on indefinitely. Yeah, right. You know, like... Follow me through my day. Oh, gosh. It's not perfect, people.

Starting point is 00:05:35 They're still working out some bugs. Did you lock the front door? Check. Close the garage door. Yep. Installed window sensors, smoke sensors, and HD cameras with night vision. No. And you set up credit card transaction alerts, a secure VPN,

Starting point is 00:05:52 for a private connection and continuous monitoring for our personal info on the dark web? Uh, I'm looking into it. Stress less about security. Choose security solutions from TELUS for peace of mind at home and online. Visit tellus.com slash total security to learn more. Conditions apply. Okay, flights on air Canada.

Starting point is 00:06:10 Oh, wow. Majorca, that's new. Oh, nice. But Vienna is a classic Mozart, palaces and schnitzel. Mm-mm, now you're cooking. If you're hungry, deli brings the heat. Heat. Cartagena's got sun and the sea to cool off. So does Martinique.

Starting point is 00:06:27 Mmm. And that French cuisine? Book it. Yes, chef. Wait, what about Lyon? Choose from our world of destinations, if you can. Air Canada. Nice travels. Well, perfect segue, though. Thank you so much, Jamie, because today we are talking about AI anxiety. So all things AI, everyone is quietly and loudly freaking out about AI at work and its effects, right? What does it mean for your job?

Starting point is 00:07:04 What does it mean for your workday, your future, right? All of that. And so we're going to turn that insight out a little bit as our hot topic. But first, we are going to have some cringe corporate speak brought to us by Ashley. And then we are going to end with some questions and comments. we always do. So that is our meeting agenda for the day. What do we think? Sounds solid. Yeah. Sounds great. No agenda, no attenda. All right. So we're good. We can continue this meeting. What do you got, Ashley? Cringe us out some more. Well, I mean, we have felt sufficiently cringe,

Starting point is 00:07:39 so I could say, Big Boy as that, but we've already done Big Boy, we did Big Boats. We did that in, you know, early on a very early episode. But this one's appropriate, which is, I know just enough to be dangerous. Have you all ever heard this? Yes. Yeah, and I've used it. Me too. What context? I feel like in HR you do know just enough to be dangerous, right? I mean, you know people's addresses, you know their salary, you know when they've gotten in trouble. You know a lot about the people's. Yeah. And for me, I think I've used it in the context of because we support across all functions and we hire talent within the business, like we really know, we should know about our industries, the functions, all of that. Yeah, the business model. Everything, right? So I've known, you know,

Starting point is 00:08:40 other people's jobs better than they can do them. Like, just flat out. There's so many jobs I could. I know I could. I could do it just because I've hired it. I've designed them, you know, some roles, right? So I've used it in the context of someone's talking about something technical. I've supported so many global engineering teams. It's like, hey, look, I know just enough to be dangerous. And the fact that I know you're bullshit in me or like I know how that works. You know, I know the process on that, like literally, you know, so I know how jet engine works, like things like that, right? I know just enough to be dangerous, you know. I wrote the job description before AI, okay? Exactly. That's a tip that I actually think is helpful if you're in like, whether it's HR, recruiting, talent management, wherever recruiting falls in your organization. But it's talking to individuals and not just leaders, but the people that do the job and saying, like, what are things that you think I should know as we put together job descriptions? Or what do you think, what would be helpful?

Starting point is 00:09:37 Like, this can be cringe and non-cringe, like many of our terms. I actually think it's non-cringe. If it's funny and you're like joking with someone, you say that, like, okay, I know just enough to be dangerous. And you say it with that tone. It's like the how you say it. When I was a lawyer, I have to say, sometimes the most challenging situations where people, many people go to law school and like I no longer practice law. Like I do this though, which is like, you know, still kind of involves it.

Starting point is 00:09:59 But some people have completely different roles. But people that went to law school that have a law degree love to tell everybody that they went to, you know, that they were, that they went to law school. Or it's like, I went to Emory. Hey, wait. He's like, hey, hey. That's oddly specific. You've never said that for the record.

Starting point is 00:10:18 Or the person that's like, oh, I went to med school for two years and two years and, you know, dropped out. Like everyone's like, oh, yeah, I know, you know, bingo card, gotcha. People would say that, but it wasn't really. People would not totally say that and know it to be dangerous. Most people, the cringe to me is when people are like, I know this because I went, you know, went to law school. I'm like, okay, well, they're okay, there you go. You know, and again, it's about talking to the other person and just trying to relate to them and not come in, like, I know all about you. if you lead with curiosity. I think this can be completely non-crinch. I agree. You just make it

Starting point is 00:10:49 kind of cheeky. You know, you shared something the other day, Ashley, about how when you were working with Yum brands, I think, right? You did time in a restaurant. Yes. Like to really understand it. And I went to jet engine school when I was with GE Aviation. And I went to the school and, you know, spent a couple weeks, like learning how that. Once I did that, other jobs, I asked, like, please, please let me go through the onboarding. Like, please, if I can, if it's not unionized, let me work the line. You know, let me touch the, you know what I mean? With supervision, whatever, right?

Starting point is 00:11:24 But, like, let me, like, experience that. And I think it makes all the difference to help you know enough to be dangerous. Yeah. It is all fun in games when you're working on a contract. And you realize that the reality of that contract is technology that's going to make someone have to understand orders at the drive-through. And what a skill set. You know, I learned skills in law school.

Starting point is 00:11:42 There's no skill I learned stronger. then Rhonda at the KFC in Louisville that I worked with, who was like schooling me on the drive there. I mean, trying to teach me, but she was really schooling me on how to take the drive-thru orders, understand them, get things ready at the same time and talk. I mean, that was that was this guy. I cannot agree more of like just trying to take a second walk in people's shoes to the extent you can. I think that makes HR dangerous. I kid there, but like that is so important for not only, like, I think executives need to do that, but also HR. I mean, it is so enlightening. I feel like it helped me not only with employer relations, but like recruiting.

Starting point is 00:12:23 It helped me when I shadowed, because once again, I've worked in health care for the last 11 years. I'm not clinical. But I learned enough to understand and know what questions to ask. It's extremely helpful, and I suggest every person on the C-suite or HR, if they can, be a part of onboarding or trainings or even a day in the life of. Love that. Understanding the job is so important, but our jobs are changing. Shift to the hot topic there. I don't know if that was very smooth or not, but today, all things, AI, artificial intelligence, anxiety. Like, it's real. People are feeling it. I mean, we are reading it, right? I mean, there's so much out about it. Our DMs are full of questions on this. All the brands are talking about it and promoting it. I mean, it's a thing. It's definitely a hot topic, but you're not overreacting if you have anxiety about AI. I mean, it's just human, right? So are you all, you all are hearing this, right?

Starting point is 00:13:32 Absolutely. I mean, I think Ashley made a joke at the last conference we went to in March about how you can't go to a conference these days, any conference, without hearing AI, AI powered, AI this. And so it's everywhere. I mean, it's in our face, whether we like it or not. Ashley's same, right? You're hearing. It's hot. Yeah, it's hot. I feel like the longer now that we as a general public have worked in HR and it worked in AI in the workplace or had it be a topic. I mean, there's plenty of people. that are like, oh, AI's been a thing for decades. But for a lot of people, AI's been something over the last six months, a year, two years. Like, it's really, like, for a lot of people, chat GPT. And it's interesting because I do feel like the more that we learn about it, the more anxious it has made us.

Starting point is 00:14:17 Because I think when it first started, I'd be at leading training sessions. I was like, well, who's used chat GPT? And, like, people are like, almost nobody had. And so walking them through how you can use it and all the guardrails of things of like, you know, this is why you don't put confidential information. But now that I think people are seeing the powers of it, and how it's changing and it does seem to be everywhere,

Starting point is 00:14:35 there's just such anxiety about it. And I actually think it's anxiety from people that are worried about job loss, but also leaders who I think are masking their anxiety and uncertainty for like their approach often is like, well, you know, we need to have a strategy and be strategic to HR. I think if you were to ask a lot of C-level leaders,

Starting point is 00:14:53 like what is your AI strategy exactly? I think a lot of people just don't know. Mm-hmm. Exactly. I mean, I really feel like that is what is driving, the anxiety, right? Just the lack of position from brands, the lack of communication to the workforce, right? So what I'm seeing a lot of is some brands are taking an external position on AI, right? They're saying, yes, to AI, let's promote AI, but internally crickets. And in the absence of information, people are going to fill in, you know, the worst.

Starting point is 00:15:32 They just are, you know what I mean? So instantly, like, to your point, Ashley, it goes to job loss. Like, that's the thought. Like, AI is going to replace us, right? Well, and I think if you couple that, like, right now, we are seeing the highest unemployment rate since the pandemic. And it was a lot of these tech companies that did large layoffs. So people are like, well, it's AI. AI took their jobs. And then you also have a lot of these recent college grads can't find. entry-level jobs because they're being replaced by AI, supposedly. So that just contributes to the fear and the anxiety. Well, if you're in HR, for those that are listening that are in HR or even those that aren't, but are like, I sense this, okay, what do we do about it? How do you handle AI anxiety at work? What are your steps if you're sitting there in, whether it's corporate or any other type of organization? And you're seeing the media on this. And maybe you're hearing this from your teams. Maybe you're just sensing it from your teams. But Lee, what would you do about it? I would normalize it that it is a thing. Hey, some of you may be anxious about the effects of

Starting point is 00:16:43 AI, right? I mean, I think we have to have the conversations internally. It's not enough, you know, to rely on your employees reading your investor report or whatever. You know what I mean? And like, you need to have the conversations internally. If your business, if it's not coming top down, you as a leader can have those conversations with your employees in the sense that, hey, we, some of you may be anxious about the effects of AI. We don't have a strategy as a business right now, but when we do, I'll share it. Or we do have a strategy, and here's what it means for you.

Starting point is 00:17:25 Or here's what it doesn't mean for you. Like, we actually need to start talking about it. If you're an individual contributor, ask your boss the question. What's going on with AI within the business, right? I mean, so I think the conversations, normalizing the conversation, not it being, you know, some secret, you know, I think that is step one, is just bringing it in the forefront and just taking it head on that way. Whether you have the answers or not. You may not, and that's okay. You say that then.

Starting point is 00:17:53 We're figuring this out together, right? or this isn't, you know, going to, you know, help or support our, whatever the position is or the thoughts, right? It's just having those conversations can quell a lot of fears and will help you retain your top talent, ideally. Therapy is something that everyone can use. But when you talk about therapy or if you talk about therapy, often people say, I don't know where to start or it's so expensive and that's just the end of the conversation. But what if it didn't have to be? With Grow Therapy, their care is designed to be affordable, insurance-friendly, and easy to understand. No subscriptions, just support

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Starting point is 00:20:21 One more time, gusto.com slash HR Besties. Jamie, thoughts. I think AI is a tool that we can use in addition to what we have, right? So maybe it can help us streamline things. Maybe it can help automate processes that we have never been able to before. But from an HR standpoint, I think we are still needed. because the humans still whim in the empathy sense, the tough conversations, the culture building.

Starting point is 00:20:54 That's not things that AI can do. To that point, see, it's not about replacement. It's about reinforcement. It's about driving more meaning into the work that we do as human beings so that we can find more purpose in our work and connection with one another and our customers. Like, AI, really realistically, it cannot replace that ever. And so people necessary. Sorry. You'll still have to work with people. Unfortunately.

Starting point is 00:21:23 Unfortunately. Like, I'm so sorry, you know. I recommend for AI strategy for organizations. And honestly, especially if you're in HR, ideally if you're in a position of leadership, but I think HR can bring so much value by driving this is a three-step framework. And this is a framework as a fancy word for what you can do to shit to do. Yeah, shit to do. Shit to do. So, but it's a, three-step framework that is, one, what is allowed, two, what is expected, and three, what is possible. And it sounds like that is, those are three, three words. But it is absolutely wild. How many team members and how many organizations do not know one, two, or three of those. And that's

Starting point is 00:22:05 generally about their jobs in particular. But in the AI space in particular, I think it's because allowed, because a lot of organizations have like gone to the position of like, don't ever use AI because you're going to put all our confidential information in there. And that's, you know, as some people and examples have shown, that's a real consideration, but don't just manage to that. But giving examples, like what's allowed, like what literally what tools are allowed. And that's where I think HR and IT and other teams, but those two probably leading the charge can lead that with internal communications. But then what's expected and what's possible to give people that standard. Because recently, I've spoken with now a number of organizations

Starting point is 00:22:38 that talk about performance reviews. And they'll say, like, what are you hearing? I laugh as if people think that my conversations are all about work and leadership, which is actually probably often true, as my kids will say, I'll bring every topic like a cringy LinkedIn poster to type that. But it is, like, what are you seen? And I'm seeing people like, oh, we want to put AI on performance reviews. Okay. But if I'm a team member and I do not know what's a loud, expected, and possible, and all of a sudden, this is on my performance review, like, what does that, literally what does that mean? And so I think, thinking of that framework and then for managers, how you communicate this to your team members, how we cascade this. How we cascade

Starting point is 00:23:13 this from the top of our organization, but also to managers and give examples and give examples of those individual contributors that are doing really cool things with AI. And maybe even people that learn hard lessons, because I do think this is an area where people will learn the hard way if they do something that's not allowed. But if you take that framework to your organization, I think you can quell, not all the anxiety, but you can really show that you're communicated on it. I love that. That's a really strong framework, especially the what's possible. Like I think that It's just, that could be really profound to some of your employees expressing that. That's where you can give, I think, give the shine to those people that are doing cool things.

Starting point is 00:23:54 And HR is not monitoring everyone's emails or productivity or finding those best practices or know what's true. Like that has to be communicated, whether it's the HR or leaders or somehow. But when you can give recognition to people, no matter their title, may not be the title that you expect, but they're doing cool things and they're figuring out what's possible, that is such a game changer for your organization, and that makes those people motivated, like, oh, that's cool. People share ideas. Recently, I was at a conference, and, of course, AI, right?

Starting point is 00:24:23 I mean, a big topic of discussion. But I chatted with a number of individuals that shared that their organizations have to figure it out first and won't allow anything, right? I mean, you know, so definitely a very conservative position to AI, not embracing it. Right? Just, oh, like, we have a team figuring this out in this dark room over here, right, how this may affect our business. And in some cases, I could see, like, depending on the industry, what they do, okay, fine, whatever. But I would say it's better to embrace it, learn it, than fear it. There's small things that you can do and automate and use. I mean, if your organization isn't investing in tools and training and support and it hasn't taken a position, still. with your own work or on your team.

Starting point is 00:25:16 I feel like this is one where, since it's so Wild West right now, so far, you can just ask forgiveness. I really do. You know, that's my position there. I wouldn't put anything, you know, confidential into anything, whatever. But there's ways to automate your work,

Starting point is 00:25:34 even within your current tools, you probably don't even know about whatever product or platform you're using, trust me, there's things, you can already do. So any way you can help streamline so that people can focus on, you know, the real meaning behind the work. I mean, just go and do it. You don't have to get a, you know, the green light per se. You can start doing things and figuring out the AI on, you know, the tools you already have. But I'd ask forgiveness. I start making people's days a lot better

Starting point is 00:26:07 and easier stat on some of those, you know, tactical things. Agree. Ooh, that was a dangerous voice. Ain't just enough to be dangerous. Big boy. Agree, big boy. When I found out my friend got a great deal on a wool coat from Winners, I started wondering. Is every fabulous item I see from winners?

Starting point is 00:26:31 Like that woman over there with the designer jeans. Are those from winners? Ooh, are those beautiful gold earrings? Did she pay full price? Or that leather tote? Or that cashmere sweater? Or those knee-high boots? That dress, that jacket, those shoes.

Starting point is 00:26:46 Is anyone paying full price for anything? Stop wondering. Start winning. Winners, find fabulous for less. Gosh, well, we turned that inside out, didn't we? I am feeling a lot less anxious already about AI. Still anxious about a whole bunch of other stuff. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:27:06 Any questions or comments? I have a comment of something that I love. is I think AI anxiety is it's in the workplace. It's in, it's all over the place. In one place that it can be is the villages, the retirement community in Florida where my parents live. And so my mom told me she recently took a chat GPT class where they learned like how to access it, how to use it, how to prompt. And you know, my mom for those that haven't heard, she went to law school later in life. She graduated from law school in her 50. And she was a librarian before that. So, you know, My mom is not completely a newbie to chat GPT, but she was so excited to tell me about

Starting point is 00:27:47 about this and everything that they learned and, you know, like the skills they learned and they talked about how to use it for your life. And so I love that. And so I do think your organization is not, doesn't have to live up to the villages. But even to have like a lunch and learn that's like how to use chatybee. I actually have LinkedIn learning courses, but I have one that's like a nano course on tips for work and life. I think you can access for free. I'll include the link. It's stored. It's like a few one minute videos. But just on ways that you can use it. But sharing some of the tips, I do think can reduce anxiety. And it's not just for older team members.

Starting point is 00:28:18 It's for everybody across the board. But I loved it. Love that. Yeah, I love that. Of course, I was like, how much did they charge? Like, oh, we could do. Besties trip down to Florida, right? It's like, oh, tell me about that.

Starting point is 00:28:29 What's the P&L for that class? But anyway. Not a question, but a quick comment for me, piggybacking off of what you just shared. Ashley, I think that it would be good if your employer isn't embracing AI or is anti for whatever, they're figuring it out, right? That doesn't mean you can't embrace AI in your own life, right? And learn it, right? I recently took a trip, like a, I don't know, week and a half trip around Europe, okay? That itinerary was courtesy of AI. What?

Starting point is 00:29:10 Yes. It did everything for me. Suggested what to do, hotels to book, things I need to be thoughtful of, renting a car. I mean, everything. I mean, full itinerary, so badass. But, you know, that's just an example of how I personally use it, you know, and I've been trying to learn myself, you know. and so I want to incorporate more of that into, you know, my business and trying to help streamline some of the tactical things behind the scenes. But using it for yourself personally first,

Starting point is 00:29:45 love, that's helped me. Clarissa is my home girl. So she explains it home. Yeah, that's what I call my chat, GPT. But yeah, I mean, just on a hopeful note, maybe, humans are not going anywhere, unfortunately. So people be people. in still. And AIA is not going to help us on all the people and people in. Intro story. That was a great example, Jamie. Hey, boy. Try not to be anxious, bastards, you got this. Thank you.

HR BESTIES - HR Besties: AI Anxiety

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