Next Generation Career Pathing
A real-world example of Generative AI in action
Introduction
The biggest hurdle for HR professionals using Generative AI is finding a starting point.
Our traditional technology tools have precise application and purpose. If I need to look something up, I search Google; if I need to run a report, I use Excel, etc.
With Generative AI, we start with a blank canvas and can ask anything. This lack of direction creates confusion.
In this article, I aim to present a real-world application where I have used Generative AI to create a career path based on a job description. This use case may not apply to your job but will, hopefully, give you some direction on getting started.
I will walk through what I did and insert some learning moments throughout. Due to the length of this article, I am breaking it into two parts.
Disclaimer
I am not a compensation or career pathing expert. As part of this project, I am working with individuals with that expertise to validate the output.
I used a generic job description and career path found online to protect confidentiality, following the same steps.
I initially did this with the paid version of ChatGPT, but I am using Anthropic’s Claude 2 (https://claude.ai/chats) for this example as I find it the best free option for this type of task.
You can find all the inputs for this prompt here.
Goal
My objective in this project is to develop a career path for a new role, using existing career path templates and a job description. This method, once perfected, will streamline the creation of career path documents for all positions within the organization.
Steps
Started with the below prompt:
“Good afternoon. I am going to provide you with two inputs. The first is a career pathing plan for an accountant. The second is a job description for an HRIS Analyst. I aim to create a career pathing plan for the HRIS Analyst using the accountant one as a template but with duties, development requirements, etc., for an HRIS Analyst. I will paste the career pathing plan first and then the job description second. I want you to wait until I have added both documents before processing. Does that make sense?”
Learning Moment: Directing the tool’s behavior is a mindset shift from our experience with traditional technology tools operating in preset functions. In this scenario, I told it I didn’t want it to start processing the information until I had pasted both inputs.
I pasted in both documents, and Claude followed the instructions perfectly:
Learning Moment: When I started this exercise, I had no idea if this would even work. I had seen similar types of use cases, but not this specifically. There are lots of guides but no recipe books for Generative AI. You must be willing to try different tasks in new ways and see what works.
After telling Claude I was ready, the tool produced the following output (I just pasted the first page for length’s sake).
I had a few concerns with the output:
-The formatting was inconsistent, with titles joined with bullets.
-It didn’t include an HRIS Analyst Senior level like the Accountant position.
-The requirements were very generic, especially in the development section.
To address the first two issues, I told Claude what I wanted it to fix:
“Can you make the format the same as the example with Minimum qualifications and development requirements on their own lines? Can you add a senior level that has some leadership responsibilities?”
Learning Moment: Generative AI works best when you chase the rabbit. You miss the benefits when you stop at the first level of output. It is a tool built for iteration and exploration. Don’t hesitate to take the next step and ask for corrections or clarifications!
To address the third issue of vague requirements, I decided to focus on the first level of the career path and work my way up.
“As far as refining, let’s start with the first level and work our way up. The Development Requirements are too broad. Do you have suggestions to make them more specific and achievable?”
Learning Moment: There are times to be specific about what you want and times to ask for an open-ended response. My rule is to start general and then follow up with specific inquiries. The tool will surprise you with its output; you don’t want to limit it.
The recommendations were understandably irrelevant to this job since the tool doesn’t have all the specific job information. However, it did give me some ideas I hadn’t thought of, like the HRIS conferences, that I could fold into my final product.
Learning Moment: Generative AI taps into the “wisdom of the crowd,” which can unlock some interesting perspectives you may not have learned from your own experience. Tap into this in your work.
Final Thoughts on Part 1
In the next post, I will explore my process of gathering more ideas for development requirements, finishing the first draft of the career path, and refining it.
Generative AI is a powerful tool to augment your HR knowledge and skills. By:
Giving specific direction on the output
Trying new use cases
Taking the next step with the output
Balancing general and specific queries
Tapping into the wisdom of the crowd
You can maximize these tools and expand your output, allowing you to focus on value-added work instead of administrative tasks.
See you next time!
Additional Resources
Some friends from my HRIS circle and I have started a Discord channel to help support HR Tech professionals in their work. You can register here. We’ve also put together some instructions here.
We want to create volunteer positions to help with moderation, welcome new members, plan events, and overall engagement. If you are interested in helping out, please email me at timwhitley@hrtechwizard.com.
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HR Tech Career Opportunities
Disclaimer: Unless otherwise specified, I can’t speak to the quality of the job or the company. I am displaying jobs I have found online that seem to have broad appeal regarding job requirements and work location. If you have an HR tech job you would like me to highlight, please email it to me.
Senior Director, Total Rewards and Compensation - Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta - Atlanta, GA
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