Smarter Week

AI and automation by role

How HR generalists can use AI and automation

Below are 16 common tasks for HR generalists, most common first. For each one you get the best fix (AI, automation, a feature in software you already have, or a simpler process), the steps to set it up and, for AI fixes, a prompt to copy.

Also called: HR Coordinator, HR Specialist, HR Assistant, Human Resources Generalist, HR Administrator

Find your own hour leaks, free See the fixes

Task 1 · typically 30 min, every day

Answer employee questions about benefits, time off and policies

AIBest fix

Set up an assistant that answers policy questions from your handbook

Load the handbook and benefits guides into an internal assistant so employees get instant answers with the source, and sensitive issues go to a person.

Typically saves about 45% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1Check whether your HRIS has one built in (Workday Assistant, Rippling AI, HiBob, BambooHR) or use a Copilot agent, Claude Project, ChatGPT Project or Gemini Gem.
  2. 2Upload only the current handbook, benefits summaries and holiday calendar.
  3. 3Paste the instructions below.
  4. 4Test it with your 20 most common questions before sharing.
  5. 5Review a sample of answers monthly and update the documents, not the bot.
Prompt to copy
You answer employee questions about [COMPANY]'s HR policies using only the attached documents. Quote or link the section you used. If the answer is not in the documents, say so and tell them to contact [HR CONTACT]. If the question is about harassment, discrimination, safety, medical leave, pay disputes, or anyone's personal situation, do not answer; say "Please contact [HR CONTACT] directly so a person can help." Never give legal or tax advice.

Tools: Microsoft Copilot agents · Claude Projects · ChatGPT Projects · Gemini Gems · Workday, Rippling or HiBob built-in assistants

One more way to fix it
Software feature

Turn on self-service for time off, balances and personal details

Employees request time off, see balances, update addresses and download documents themselves, with manager approval built in.

Typically saves about 50% of the time1 h to set up
  1. 1Turn on the employee app or portal in your HRIS (BambooHR, Rippling, Gusto, Workday, HiBob, Paylocity).
  2. 2Set up time-off policies and approval routing to managers.
  3. 3Send a one-page "how to" with the top five requests.
  4. 4Reply to requests by email with the link until people get used to it.

Tools: BambooHR · Rippling · Gusto · Workday · HiBob · Paylocity

How to automate this task

Task 2 · typically 90 min, once a week

Set up paperwork, accounts and first-week plans for new hires

Software featureBest fix

Run onboarding and offboarding from a workflow in your HR system

BambooHR, Rippling, Workday, HiBob and Gusto can create the task list for HR, IT, the manager and the new hire automatically when someone is hired or leaves.

Typically saves about 50% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1Write your onboarding and offboarding checklists with an owner and due date for each step.
  2. 2Build them as task templates in your HRIS (BambooHR onboarding, Rippling workflows, Workday business processes, HiBob, Gusto).
  3. 3Send new-hire paperwork (tax forms, policies, direct deposit) through the HRIS before day one.
  4. 4Check the dashboard weekly instead of chasing each person.

Tools: BambooHR · Rippling · Workday · HiBob · Gusto

One more way to fix it
Automation

Have a hire or termination in the HR system create or remove accounts

When the HR record changes, accounts in email, chat and other apps are created or switched off automatically, so nobody is waiting on IT and leavers lose access the same day.

Typically saves about 50% of the time3 h to set up
  1. 1List the apps every new hire needs and who sets them up today.
  2. 2Use the built-in route if you have one: Rippling app management, or Okta or Microsoft Entra ID lifecycle workflows connected to your HRIS.
  3. 3Otherwise build a Zapier, Make or Power Automate flow that creates an IT ticket with all details when a hire is added.
  4. 4Test termination carefully: access off at the right time, with a manager check.

Tools: Rippling · Okta Workflows · Microsoft Entra ID lifecycle workflows · Zapier, Make or Power Automate

How to automate this task

Task 3 · typically 30 min, every day

Update employee records across HR, payroll and benefits systems

Software featureBest fix

Make the HR system the one source of truth and turn on its integrations

When every change starts in the HRIS and flows to payroll, benefits and the ATS through native integrations, you stop keying the same change three times.

Typically saves about 50% of the time8 h to set up
  1. 1List every system that holds employee data and how data gets there today.
  2. 2Agree that changes start only in the HRIS.
  3. 3Turn on native integrations (ATS to HRIS, HRIS to payroll and benefits) in BambooHR, Rippling, Workday, HiBob or Paylocity.
  4. 4Where none exists, use a Zapier, Make or Workato flow.
  5. 5Run a monthly mismatch report between systems.

Tools: BambooHR · Rippling · Workday · HiBob · Paylocity · Workato, Zapier or Make

One more way to fix it
Automation

Connect the two systems so data moves itself

A Zapier, Make, n8n or Power Automate flow copies new records from one system to the other the moment they appear.

Typically saves about 80% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1Write down the trigger ("new row in", "new form submission", "deal marked won") and where it should go.
  2. 2Check if the two tools already have a built-in integration; turn it on if so.
  3. 3If not, build a two-step flow in Zapier, Make, n8n or Power Automate.
  4. 4Run it next to your manual process for a week, then stop copying by hand.

Tools: Zapier · Make · n8n · Microsoft Power Automate

How to automate this task

Task 4 · typically 20 min, a few times a week

Track time off and leaves of absence

Software featureBest fix

Turn on self-service for time off, balances and personal details

Employees request time off, see balances, update addresses and download documents themselves, with manager approval built in.

Typically saves about 50% of the time1 h to set up
  1. 1Turn on the employee app or portal in your HRIS (BambooHR, Rippling, Gusto, Workday, HiBob, Paylocity).
  2. 2Set up time-off policies and approval routing to managers.
  3. 3Send a one-page "how to" with the top five requests.
  4. 4Reply to requests by email with the link until people get used to it.

Tools: BambooHR · Rippling · Gusto · Workday · HiBob · Paylocity

One more way to fix it
Software feature

Use a leave management tool or your insurer's absence service

Leaves of absence involve state rules, forms and deadlines. A leave tool or your disability carrier's absence management tracks them for you.

Typically saves about 40% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1Check whether your disability or benefits carrier offers absence management at no extra cost.
  2. 2Otherwise look at your HRIS leave module or a service like Tilt.
  3. 3Move all open leaves into it with key dates.
  4. 4Have legal or the provider confirm state-specific rules.

Tools: HRIS leave modules · Tilt · Benefits carrier absence management

How to automate this task

Task 5 · typically 45 min, once a week

Handle benefits enrollments and carrier changes

Software featureBest fix

Turn on automatic carrier feeds for benefits changes

Benefits admin tools send enrollments and changes to insurance carriers electronically, so you stop filling in carrier forms by hand.

Typically saves about 45% of the time4 h to set up
  1. 1Ask your broker which carriers support electronic (EDI) feeds from your HRIS or benefits platform.
  2. 2Set them up in Rippling, Gusto, Employee Navigator, Ease, bswift or your HRIS.
  3. 3Let employees make qualifying-event changes themselves through the portal.
  4. 4Reconcile carrier invoices against the HRIS monthly.

Tools: Rippling · Gusto · Employee Navigator · Ease · bswift

One more way to fix it
Software feature

Turn on self-service for time off, balances and personal details

Employees request time off, see balances, update addresses and download documents themselves, with manager approval built in.

Typically saves about 50% of the time1 h to set up
  1. 1Turn on the employee app or portal in your HRIS (BambooHR, Rippling, Gusto, Workday, HiBob, Paylocity).
  2. 2Set up time-off policies and approval routing to managers.
  3. 3Send a one-page "how to" with the top five requests.
  4. 4Reply to requests by email with the link until people get used to it.

Tools: BambooHR · Rippling · Gusto · Workday · HiBob · Paylocity

How to automate this task

Task 6 · typically 45 min, once a week

Process leavers: final pay, equipment and access removal

Software featureBest fix

Run onboarding and offboarding from a workflow in your HR system

BambooHR, Rippling, Workday, HiBob and Gusto can create the task list for HR, IT, the manager and the new hire automatically when someone is hired or leaves.

Typically saves about 50% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1Write your onboarding and offboarding checklists with an owner and due date for each step.
  2. 2Build them as task templates in your HRIS (BambooHR onboarding, Rippling workflows, Workday business processes, HiBob, Gusto).
  3. 3Send new-hire paperwork (tax forms, policies, direct deposit) through the HRIS before day one.
  4. 4Check the dashboard weekly instead of chasing each person.

Tools: BambooHR · Rippling · Workday · HiBob · Gusto

One more way to fix it
Automation

Have a hire or termination in the HR system create or remove accounts

When the HR record changes, accounts in email, chat and other apps are created or switched off automatically, so nobody is waiting on IT and leavers lose access the same day.

Typically saves about 50% of the time3 h to set up
  1. 1List the apps every new hire needs and who sets them up today.
  2. 2Use the built-in route if you have one: Rippling app management, or Okta or Microsoft Entra ID lifecycle workflows connected to your HRIS.
  3. 3Otherwise build a Zapier, Make or Power Automate flow that creates an IT ticket with all details when a hire is added.
  4. 4Test termination carefully: access off at the right time, with a manager check.

Tools: Rippling · Okta Workflows · Microsoft Entra ID lifecycle workflows · Zapier, Make or Power Automate

How to automate this task

Task 7 · typically 45 min, once a week

Track required trainings, I-9s and certifications

AutomationBest fix

Have the learning system assign and chase required training automatically

Learning platforms can assign required courses by role and location, send reminders and flag expiring certifications.

Typically saves about 60% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1List required trainings by role and location (harassment prevention, safety, security).
  2. 2Set auto-enrollment rules in your LMS or HRIS learning module, synced from the HRIS.
  3. 3Turn on reminders and manager escalation for overdue courses.
  4. 4Track licenses and certifications with expiry alerts.

Tools: TalentLMS · Docebo · Workday Learning · Rippling or BambooHR training · KnowBe4 for security training

One more way to fix it
Software feature

Do I-9s electronically with E-Verify built in

Electronic I-9s guide the new hire and reviewer through the form, check for errors and remind you about reverification dates.

Typically saves about 50% of the time1 h to set up
  1. 1Turn on electronic I-9 in your HRIS or payroll (Gusto, Rippling, Paylocity) or use a tool like Tracker I-9.
  2. 2Connect E-Verify if you use it.
  3. 3Set reminders for reverification of expiring work authorization.
  4. 4Have someone trained review each one; the tool helps but does not replace the review.

Tools: Gusto · Rippling · Paylocity · Tracker I-9 · E-Verify

How to automate this task

Task 8 · typically 45 min, every day

Sort through and reply to email

AIBest fix

Have AI draft replies to routine email

Paste the thread and a one-line instruction; edit the draft instead of writing from a blank page. Most routine replies take a minute instead of five.

Typically saves about 35% of the time5 min to set up
  1. 1Open the AI assistant your company allows (or the one built into Outlook or Gmail).
  2. 2Paste the email thread, or use the built-in "draft reply" button.
  3. 3Tell it the point you want to make in one line.
  4. 4Read the draft, fix anything wrong, and send.
Prompt to copy
Draft a reply to the email below. My point: [WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY IN ONE LINE]. Keep it under 120 words, friendly and direct, and match the tone of the sender. Do not invent facts or commitments.

Email:
[PASTE THE EMAIL]

Tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot · Gmail "Help me write" or Outlook Copilot

One more way to fix it
Process fix

Batch email twice a day and let rules file the noise

Rules move newsletters, notifications and CCs out of your inbox, and checking at set times stops email from cutting your day into pieces.

Typically saves about 25% of the time20 min to set up
  1. 1Create rules that move notifications, newsletters and emails where you are only CC'd into folders.
  2. 2Turn off desktop and phone notifications for email.
  3. 3Pick two or three set times a day to process the inbox to zero.
  4. 4Tell your team that anything urgent should come by phone or chat.

Tools: Outlook or Gmail rules

How to automate this task

Task 9 · typically 30 min, every day

Copy the same information between systems or spreadsheets

AutomationBest fix

Connect the two systems so data moves itself

A Zapier, Make, n8n or Power Automate flow copies new records from one system to the other the moment they appear.

Typically saves about 80% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1Write down the trigger ("new row in", "new form submission", "deal marked won") and where it should go.
  2. 2Check if the two tools already have a built-in integration; turn it on if so.
  3. 3If not, build a two-step flow in Zapier, Make, n8n or Power Automate.
  4. 4Run it next to your manual process for a week, then stop copying by hand.

Tools: Zapier · Make · n8n · Microsoft Power Automate

One more way to fix it
AI

Have AI pull the details out into a table you can paste

Paste emails, PDFs or forms and get back clean rows in the exact columns your system needs.

Typically saves about 60% of the time5 min to set up
  1. 1Collect the source text (emails, PDFs, screenshots).
  2. 2Give the AI the column names you need.
  3. 3Paste the table into your spreadsheet or import file.
  4. 4Spot-check a few rows against the source.
Prompt to copy
Extract the following fields from the text below into a table with exactly these columns: [COLUMN 1], [COLUMN 2], [COLUMN 3]. One row per [ITEM]. Leave a cell blank if the value is not stated. Do not guess.

[PASTE TEXT OR ATTACH FILES]

Tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot

How to automate this task

Task 10 · typically 30 min, a few times a week

Prepare offer letters and get them approved

Software featureBest fix

Generate offers from a template and send them for e-signature

Offer templates with merge fields in the ATS, an approval step and e-signature cut offers from half an hour to a few minutes.

Typically saves about 55% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1Get legal to approve one offer letter template per employee type.
  2. 2Load it into your ATS or HRIS with merge fields (name, title, pay, start date, manager).
  3. 3Add an approval chain by level or pay band.
  4. 4Send through DocuSign, Adobe Acrobat Sign or Dropbox Sign, connected to the ATS.

Tools: Greenhouse, Ashby or Lever offers · DocuSign · Adobe Acrobat Sign · Dropbox Sign

One more way to fix it
Automation

Move approvals into a tracked workflow with reminders

Approvals in Teams/Power Automate, Slack Workflows, or your e-signature tool remind people for you and show what is stuck.

Typically saves about 60% of the time1 h to set up
  1. 1List the approvals you chase most.
  2. 2Set up an approval flow (Power Automate Approvals, Slack Workflow Builder, DocuSign or your HR/finance system).
  3. 3Add automatic reminders after 24 hours.
  4. 4Agree a default: no answer in 48 hours means it goes ahead (where safe).

Tools: Power Automate Approvals · Slack Workflow Builder · DocuSign or Adobe Acrobat Sign

How to automate this task

Task 11 · typically 60 min, once a week

Pull headcount, turnover and hiring reports

Software featureBest fix

Schedule the standard HR reports to send themselves

Most HR systems have built-in headcount, turnover and hiring reports you can save, schedule and share as a live link.

Typically saves about 60% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1List the reports you build every week or month and who gets them.
  2. 2Rebuild each as a saved report in your HRIS or ATS (BambooHR, Rippling, Workday, Greenhouse, Ashby).
  3. 3Schedule them to email automatically, or share a dashboard link.
  4. 4For combined views, connect the HRIS to Power BI or Google Data Studio.

Tools: BambooHR · Rippling · Workday · Greenhouse or Ashby reports · Power BI or Google Data Studio

One more way to fix it
AI

Let AI build the formulas, pivots and summary

Copilot in Excel, Gemini in Sheets, or uploading the file to ChatGPT or Claude can build the pivot, the chart and the commentary in minutes.

Typically saves about 50% of the time10 min to set up
  1. 1Export or open the data.
  2. 2Ask Copilot in Excel or Gemini in Sheets, or upload the file to an approved AI assistant.
  3. 3Describe the report you want, including the breakdowns.
  4. 4Check the totals against the source before you share.
Prompt to copy
Here is [DESCRIBE THE DATA]. Build a summary that shows [THE NUMBERS YOUR MANAGER WANTS] by [BREAKDOWN], compared with [LAST PERIOD]. Give me the Excel formulas or pivot setup to reproduce it, and three sentences on what changed and why it matters.

Tools: Copilot in Excel · Gemini in Google Sheets · ChatGPT or Claude with file upload

How to automate this task

Task 12 · typically 180 min, once a month

Run the performance review cycle and chase managers

Software featureBest fix

Run reviews in a performance tool with automatic reminders

Lattice, 15Five, Culture Amp, Leapsome or your HRIS performance module send the forms, chase late managers and show completion in one dashboard.

Typically saves about 40% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1Set the cycle dates and the review template once.
  2. 2Load managers and reporting lines from the HRIS.
  3. 3Turn on automatic reminders at set points before each deadline.
  4. 4Send leaders a completion dashboard link instead of chasing individuals.

Tools: Lattice · 15Five · Culture Amp · Leapsome · Workday or BambooHR performance

One more way to fix it
AI

Give managers a prompt that turns their notes into a fair review draft

Managers paste their own notes and examples; AI organizes them into a draft. The manager owns the content, and the prompt guards against vague or biased wording.

Typically saves about 40% of the time15 min to set up
  1. 1Share the prompt below with managers along with the review template.
  2. 2Remind them to use only an approved AI tool and their own notes.
  3. 3Ask them to check every example and rewrite in their own voice.
  4. 4Calibrate ratings in a meeting as usual; AI does not rate anyone.
Prompt to copy
Help me draft a performance review for [ROLE] using only my notes below. Organize into: key results, strengths (with specific examples), areas to grow (with specific examples), and goals for next period. Use behavior-based, specific language. Flag with [VAGUE] any point that has no example, and flag with [CHECK] any wording that comments on personality, age, family, health or communication style rather than work. Do not invent examples or assign a rating.

My notes:
[PASTE]

Tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot (company-approved account) · Lattice AI or Culture Amp AI writing assist

How to automate this task

Task 13 · typically 15 min, a few times a week

Chase people for approvals or sign-offs

AutomationBest fix

Move approvals into a tracked workflow with reminders

Approvals in Teams/Power Automate, Slack Workflows, or your e-signature tool remind people for you and show what is stuck.

Typically saves about 60% of the time1 h to set up
  1. 1List the approvals you chase most.
  2. 2Set up an approval flow (Power Automate Approvals, Slack Workflow Builder, DocuSign or your HR/finance system).
  3. 3Add automatic reminders after 24 hours.
  4. 4Agree a default: no answer in 48 hours means it goes ahead (where safe).

Tools: Power Automate Approvals · Slack Workflow Builder · DocuSign or Adobe Acrobat Sign

How to automate this task

Task 14 · typically 20 min, every day

Hunt for files, numbers or answers someone already has

Software featureBest fix

Ask your workspace AI instead of searching folders

Microsoft Copilot (formerly Microsoft Copilot), Gemini in Google Workspace, Glean, Notion AI and Slack AI can answer questions from your company's own files, chats and email.

Typically saves about 50% of the time10 min to set up
  1. 1Check whether your company already pays for Copilot, Gemini in Google Workspace, Glean, Notion AI or Slack AI.
  2. 2Ask it the question in plain words, e.g. "What did we quote Acme for the Q3 renewal?"
  3. 3Open the source it cites to confirm.
  4. 4If you have none of these, ask IT. It is often cheaper than the hours lost.

Tools: Microsoft Copilot · Gemini in Google Workspace · Glean · Notion AI · Slack AI

One more way to fix it
Process fix

Agree one home for each kind of file

Most searching comes from the same thing living in three places. Pick one place per type and link to it.

Typically saves about 35% of the time1 h to set up
  1. 1List the five things people search for most.
  2. 2Pick one home for each (one folder, one wiki page, one system).
  3. 3Pin the links in your team channel.
  4. 4Move or delete the copies.

Tools: SharePoint, Google Drive, Notion or Confluence

How to automate this task

Task 15 · typically 90 min, once a month

Write how-to guides or training material

AIBest fix

Record yourself doing it once and let AI write the guide

Record your screen while you talk through the task; AI turns the transcript into a step-by-step guide.

Typically saves about 60% of the time10 min to set up
  1. 1Record your screen and voice doing the task once (Loom, Teams, Zoom or Scribe).
  2. 2Get the transcript.
  3. 3Paste it into AI with the prompt below.
  4. 4Add screenshots where it says [SCREENSHOT].
Prompt to copy
Turn this transcript of me doing [TASK] into a step-by-step how-to guide for a new hire. Number the steps, keep each to one action, mark where a screenshot helps with [SCREENSHOT], and list common mistakes at the end.

[PASTE TRANSCRIPT]

Tools: Loom · Scribe · Tango · ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot

How to automate this task

Task 16 · typically 180 min, once a month

Make training, how-to or marketing videos

AIBest fix

Turn a script or procedure into a finished video with AI

AI writes the script from your notes, then a video tool turns it into a clip with a natural voiceover or presenter, in any language. A 2-minute training video goes from days to an afternoon.

Typically saves about 60% of the time30 min to set up
  1. 1Paste your procedure, slides or notes into an AI assistant with the prompt below to get a short script.
  2. 2Pick a tool: a presenter video (HeyGen, Synthesia), a voiceover over your own screens or photos (ElevenLabs, Descript), or generated scenes (Gemini Omni in Google Vids, which is free with a Google account).
  3. 3Keep it under 3 minutes, add captions, and check every fact, name and number on screen.
  4. 4Label AI voices and presenters, and never clone a real person’s voice or face without their written permission.
Prompt to copy
Turn the material below into a script for a [LENGTH, e.g. 2-minute] [TRAINING / HOW-TO / PRODUCT] video for [AUDIENCE]. Use short spoken sentences, one idea per scene. Give me a table with: scene number, what’s on screen, and the voiceover line. End with a one-line recap. Don’t add anything that isn’t in my material.

[PASTE PROCEDURE, SLIDES OR NOTES]

Tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot for the script · HeyGen or Synthesia · ElevenLabs or Descript · Gemini Omni in Google Vids

How to automate this task

Quick wins

Have you tried…

Have you had AI draft a reply to a tricky or routine email?
You paste the email and say the point you want to make; the AI writes a draft you edit. Outlook and Gmail now have this built in.
Have you connected two apps so information copies itself between them?
Tools like Zapier, Make or Power Automate watch for something new in one app and create it in the other, so nobody retypes it.
Have you asked an AI that can see your company files a question, instead of digging through folders?
Microsoft Copilot (formerly Microsoft Copilot), Gemini in Google Workspace, Glean and similar tools search your email, chats and files and answer with links to the source.
Have you recorded yourself doing a task and had AI turn it into a written guide?
Record your screen while you talk, and AI writes the step-by-step guide from the transcript. Tools like Scribe even grab the screenshots.
Have you set up an assistant that answers employee policy questions from your handbook?
You load the handbook and benefits guides into an internal AI assistant. It answers routine questions with the source and sends sensitive ones to HR.
Does your HR system create onboarding tasks for IT and the manager automatically when someone is hired?
BambooHR, Rippling, Workday and similar tools can generate the whole checklist for each person involved the moment a hire is entered.
Can employees request time off and update their own details in the HR system?
Self-service lets people check balances, book time off and change addresses themselves, with manager approval built in.
Have you let an AI notetaker write your meeting notes and action items?
Tools like Copilot in Teams, Zoom AI Companion or Otter join the call, write the summary and list who owes what. You just check it and send.

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