Tag: research

Which AI Should HR Professionals Use?

The other day, I spoke in front of a considerable crowd of HR professionals in LA. I asked how many had used ChatGPT and a couple of dozen or so raised their hands. Then I asked how many had used the Bing chatbot, and hardly any hands went up. I imagine this is typical across the profession, which is why I wanted to share a few thoughts about which AIs HR professionals should use.

Of course, there’s no one answer to this question. People should use the bot they like most. But, as a person who does a lot of HR-related research, I’ve formed some opinions.

There Are Two General Type of HR Questions

Generally speaking, there are two types of HR queries. The first type is about ideas and practices. The second is about factual information that often requires specific data as part of the response.

Type One Questions

When it comes to the first type of questions, all three of the most accessible AIs – that is, ChatGPT, Bing and Bard – are similar in performance. Here’s on such question I asked: “”I want to reduce the turnover the voluntary turnover rates of our developers. How do I accomplish that?”

All three of them offers tips such as offer competitive compensation, developmental opportunities, positive work environments, etc. All of the advice seemed fine if a bit bland. All three are, I think, a good place to start for an HR professional just beginning to think though some particular issue.

Type Two Questions

When it comes to the second type of question, however, there are some sizeable differences. Here’s what I asked as a demonstration: “I have a fast-food chain of restaurants in Tampa. What is the expected turnover rate for my employees?”

ChatGPT’s Response

The expected turnover rate for employees in the fast-food industry can vary depending on various factors such as location, industry norms, employee demographics, and specific organizational practices. While I don’t have access to real-time data or specific information about your fast-food chain, I can provide you with a general idea of turnover rates in the industry.

In the fast-food industry, turnover rates tend to be relatively high compared to other sectors due to factors like low wages, demanding work conditions, and limited career advancement opportunities. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in the United States, the accommodation and food services industry, which includes fast-food establishments, had a voluntary turnover rate of around 81.9% in 2020.

However, it’s important to note that turnover rates can vary significantly based on factors like geographic location, employee engagement practices, and company-specific efforts to improve retention. Some fast-food chains have implemented effective strategies to reduce turnover rates, such as offering competitive wages, providing employee benefits, implementing career development programs, and fostering a positive work environment.

To determine the expected turnover rate for your specific fast-food chain in Tampa, it would be best to analyze your historical turnover data and compare it with industry benchmarks. Additionally, conducting employee surveys and exit interviews can provide valuable insights into the reasons for turnover within your organization, allowing you to identify areas for improvement and develop targeted retention strategies.

Bard’s Response

The expected turnover rate for fast food employees in Tampa is high. According to a study by HourWork, only 54% of QSR employees (quick-service restaurants) reached 90 days of working before quitting in 2022. Prior to the pandemic, the segment’s 90-day retention rate hovered at 58%.

There are a number of factors that contribute to the high turnover rate in the fast food industry, including:

  • Low wages: Fast food workers are often paid minimum wage or close to it, which can make it difficult to make ends meet.
  • Unpredictable schedules: Fast food workers often have to work unpredictable schedules, which can make it difficult to balance work and personal life.
  • High-pressure work environment: Fast food workers are often under a lot of pressure to meet customer demands, which can lead to stress and burnout.
  • Lack of opportunities for advancement: Fast food workers often have few opportunities for advancement, which can make them feel like they are not being rewarded for their hard work.

If you want to reduce the turnover rate at your fast food chain, you can consider:

  • Offering higher wages: This is one of the most effective ways to attract and retain employees.
  • Offering flexible schedules: This can help employees balance work and personal life.
  • Creating a positive work environment: This can help reduce stress and burnout.
  • Providing opportunities for advancement: This can help employees feel valued and motivated.

By taking steps to address the factors that contribute to high turnover, you can create a more attractive workplace for your employees and reduce the turnover rate at your fast food chain.

As a follow up question, I asked, “What is the source of this information?” It responded as follows:

The information I provided about the expected turnover rate for fast food employees in Tampa is from a study by HourWork. The study was conducted in 2022 and surveyed employees at over 8,000 quick-service restaurants (QSRs) in the United States. The study found that the average turnover rate for QSR employees was 61%, but the turnover rate for employees in Tampa was slightly higher at 63%.

The study also found that the turnover rate for QSR employees was higher for younger workers, with employees under the age of 25 having a turnover rate of 70%. The turnover rate was also higher for part-time employees, with part-time employees having a turnover rate of 65%.

The study’s findings suggest that the fast food industry in Tampa is facing a high turnover rate. This is likely due to a number of factors, including low wages, unpredictable schedules, and a high-pressure work environment. If you are a fast food employer in Tampa, you may want to consider taking steps to address these factors in order to reduce your turnover rate.

Here is the link to the study: https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/most-qsr-employees-worked-90-days-before-quitting-2022/640826/

Bing’s Response

The employee turnover rate for fast-food restaurants is notoriously high. According to various sources, the fast-food industry sees a 150% employee turnover rate12, meaning that the entire staff is replaced annually and half of the new staff needs to be replaced again. Some sources report even higher rates, such as 144%3 or 130%4. This is a huge challenge for fast-food operators, as it affects customer service, food quality, and operational efficiency.

There are some exceptions, however. One fast-food chain, Pal’s Sudden Service, has managed to keep its turnover rate absurdly low, at less than 100%5. How does it do that? According to the CEO, Thomas Crosby, it’s all about hiring, training, and linking the identity in the marketplace to the approach in the workplace. Pal’s invests heavily in employee development, rewards performance, and creates a culture of excellence and loyalty.

So, depending on how you run your fast-food chain of restaurants in Tampa, you can expect a different turnover rate for your employees. If you follow the industry average, you might lose more than 100% of your workers every year. But if you follow the example of Pal’s Sudden Service, you might be able to retain more of your staff and reduce your turnover costs. I hope this information helps you. 😊

Which Performed Best?

ChatGPT did about as well as it could given that it has no access to data after September 2021. At least it cited the BLS, which is pretty much the gold standard for workforce-related data.

Bard arguably did better, citing a specific study from an article as recent as January 2023. Of course, I had to specifically ask for the source and there was only the one article.

Bing did the best. It cited multiple sources and provided links to those sources. It also cited an appropriate best practice article from a good, if somewhat dated, source: the Harvard Business Review.

It’s not that Bing is perfect. Sometimes the links it provides to articles don’t actually contain the information that has supposedly been cited. But it remains the best of the three for now and so, based on my informal poll, seems underutilized among HR professionals.

Why? Probably because Google’s Chrome still has a virtual monopoly on the browser market and search space. Using the Bing chatbot on a desktop requires the use of the Microsoft Edge browser, for now, and it probably just seems like a hassle for most HR professionals to download and use it, especially if much of their computing lives are spent in the Google browser/email/applications ecosystem.

I get that. I work for a “Google shop” and much of my work and personal life exists on Google.

On the other hand, I don’t find it too complicated to keep two different browsers open on my laptop, and using the Bing chatbot on my phone is easy.

So, if you’re an HR professional who conducts online research and wants to use a chatbot to locate verified sources, then I recommend bringing Bing into your rotation of AI tools. Bard may well catch up. It’s shown a lot of improvement over time. But Bing wins for now.

Dog Is Doog: The [Possible] Upsides to the Downsides of My Dyslexia

One of the reasons I’m interested in cognitive science and different ways of perceiving the world is because of my dyslexia. So, I was interested to read that there are potential upsides to dyslexia.

I was diagnosed as dyslexic well before most people had heard of the condition. I was lucky. My father was a doctor and my mother a psychology graduate back in the days when fewer women got college degrees.

I was a poor student in the first and second grades, having a hard time reading and writing. Of course, being an August baby probably didn’t help. Kids born in late summer tend to start school younger than their classmates, which means they are both cognitively and physically behind most other kids at a time when even a few months of extra development can mean a lot. Such kids tend to get worse grades and wind up with less confidence in their ability to learn.

Iced Tea and Phonics

But I also had signs of learning disabilities. For example, although “mirror writing” isn’t a definite sign of dyslexia at young ages, it can be one symptom. And it was certainly one of my specialties. I wouldn’t just get certain letters backwards such as d’s and b’s, I’d write whole words and phrases backwards including, of course, my name.

I’m sure there were many other signs as well, enough to convince my mother to seek specialist help since most teachers had never heard of the condition. In fact, my mother tried to educate my second-grade teacher on the topic, though Mrs. Decker was at first skeptical such a condition existed.

The long-and-short of it, though, was that I was taken to a special teacher in the Buffalo, NY. I knew her only as Mrs. Clark, though I want to say her name was Mary Clark (I hope I’m not conflating her name with that of the novelist Mary Higgins Clark).

She was kind and charming, as I recall. And very professional-looking, her hair pinned up in a blondish, maybe grayish bun. But what I remember best is the iced tea she served, along with cookies. The glassware was crinkly and dark green and my hands often wet with condensation.

That Ole Phonics Magic

Once her tests confirmed I was a bona fide dyslexic, she set me to doing booklet after booklet of reading and writing exercises. Much of what she taught me, I believe, was phonics. I remember sounding out word after word for her. Keep in mind that was before the “Hooked on Phonics” craze began and “phonics versus whole language” battles were so savagely waged.

She must have used other strategies as well. I seem to remember doing a lot of pencil work, so I assume she was conditioning my muscle memories as well as honing my perceptions. I have very fond memories of these lessons, which I’m sure is a testament to her patience, care and personality as well as her pedagogy. Mrs. Clark transformed my life.

Disability, Capability or Maybe a Bit of Both

After my sessions with Mrs. Clark, I went from a very poor student to quite a good one, at least within the not-so-rarified confines of public elementary school. At 8 years old, I started reading books of all kinds, though especially fiction, and have never really stopped since then.

I’m still a dyslexic, of course. Can I blame it for my lousy sense of direction? My absent mindedness? Or an initial mental sluggishness when picking of brand new skills?

Maybe. That’d certainly be convenient.

But maybe it’s more than just a handy excuse. Maybe it’s a backwards superpower. Or, at least, a cognitive distinction that that has upsides as well a downsides.

A recent study by Cambridge University researchers Dr. Helen Taylor and Dr. Martin Vestergaard indicates that dyslexic brains play a useful role in human evolution because they are, well, different. Indeed, some heavy hitters have reportedly played for the dyslexic team, including Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, Sir Stephen Hawking, Sir Richard Branson and Steve Jobs.

(To be honest, I’m always a bit skeptical of such lists, especially when they apply to people living as far back as the Renaissance, but that’s the historical scuttlebutt).

Born Explorers

Dr. Taylor, who studies cognition and evolution, states, “In many other fields of research it is understood that adaptive systems – be they organizations, the brain or a beehive – need to achieve a balance between the extent to which they explore and exploit in order to adapt and survive.”

So, basically, as I understand it, the theory is that dyslexics have a tough time “acquiring automaticity.” That is, when compared to non-dyslexics, they are not-so-hot at procedural learning. This can make it harder for some to learn, among other things, to learn how to read and write.

The good news about such learning difficulties is that dyslexics become more conscious (or, in my case, maybe just self-conscious) of whatever processes they’re trying to master. This turns out to be a pain in the butt in the short term but a potential advantage in the longer term. Taylor states, “The upside is that a skill or process can still be improved and exploration can continue.”

This helps dyslexics excel as explorers and creative types, even if they pay a societal price. Taylor notes, “It is important to emphasize people with dyslexia do still face a lot of difficulties, but the difficulties exist because of the environment and an emphasis on rote learning and reading and writing. [Instead, we could] nurture ‘explorative learning’ – learning through discovery, invention, creativity, etc. which would work more to their strengths.”

Nice to Finally Know

Over the years, I’ve learned to take any research findings with a grain of salt. I read one study on how coffee causes stress and high cholesterol. The next one indicates its good for your liver and heart. The next one…well, we’ll see.

The bottom line is that Taylor and Vestergaard will not have the final say on the pluses and minuses of the dyslexic brain.  

Nonetheless, it’s nice for dyslexics to finally hear that their learning disabilities are also learning capabilities. And, it’s fun to envision us as bunches of unconventional but adaptive clusters of neurons buzzing usefully about in the vibrantly bizarre hive mind known as humanity. 

Featured image from Totesquatre: Català: la dislexia. Wikimedia Commons.