Getting Real About AI Involves the Workflows, Not the Hype

Every day, new vendors are pitching “game-changing AI agents” that promise to transform HR. But do you know the right questions to ask to make sure it will actually solve a real problem?

Many HR leaders are hearing nonstop about AI tools, agents, copilots, and automation. But success isn’t about grabbing the flashiest AI agent. It’s about improving the workflow and making work better for your people.

And that’s exactly what McKinsey’s recent research confirms:

1️⃣ It’s not about the agent; it’s about the workflow.
2️⃣ Agents aren’t always the answer.
3️⃣ Stop “AI slop” by building a trust of AI with better evaluation.

Let’s take that first one: it’s not about the agent itself, but about the workflow around it. A flashy bot or agent won’t help if the process it participates in is broken, inefficient, or misaligned with human roles. AI agents should be embedded into real workflows, where people and tools collaborate to get things done.

Secondly, agents aren’t always the answer. Some tasks are better served by simpler generative AI or rule-based automation. Overusing agents in the wrong places can be costly (in time, cost, user frustration) and lead to low adoption.

And finally, there’s a cost to what they refer to as “AI slop” — low-quality outputs, unmet expectations, and loss of trust. Investing in evaluation methods, feedback loops, and onboarding (yes, agents need those like employees do) is what separates successful adopters from ones stuck with frustrated users.

If this sounds familiar:

• “the outputs aren’t right”

• “user trust is low”

• “we built an agent and it’s not helping”

You are probably facing one or more of these pitfalls.

This should feel like a breath of fresh air for HR leaders who are tired of chasing tools. Because the real productivity and measurable ROI happens when we step back and ask: “What process do we actually want to improve?” Then we use AI — any AI — to enable it.

The AIQ Advantage™ Lens: Building Strategic Capability

This is where the AIQ Advantage™ comes into play. This is a framework that Paul has developed as he works with HR professionals like you to integrate AI into your organization.

Rather than dropping shiny tools into an unprepared organization, the framework guides you through a structured journey:

Inspire → Align → Enable → Accelerate

This builds organizational AIQ (Artificial Intelligence Quotient) and delivers measurable results within 90 days.

• Inspire: Get your teams excited about AI as a partner, not a threat. When HR helps shift the mindset from “AI will replace us” to “AI will enhance us,” adoption soars.

• Align: Use a clear decision framework to decide where to start and avoid wasting your budget on tools that don’t move the needle.

• Enable: Train HR teams to build repeatable prompts, create profiles, and run AI experiments with confidence.

• Accelerate: Show measurable ROI fast by running small, high-impact pilots and scaling what works

By focusing on workflows over tools, you create durable change — the kind that sticks and actually helps HR deliver business results.

Why This Matters for HR Leaders

1. Avoid Tool Chaos

Without a workflow-first approach, HR ends up with a patchwork of disconnected tools. Recruiting has one AI app, L&D has another, and employee relations doesn’t know which to trust. Aligning around workflows ensures every tool feeds into a coherent employee experience — reducing friction for HR and employees alike.

2. Build Organizational Confidence

Employees won’t trust AI if they think it’s a black box making random decisions. By running structured pilots, measuring results, and sharing clear outcomes, you build trust and transparency. This creates an AI-ready culture where HR leads the way instead of reacting to tech trends.

3. Deliver Measurable Impact in 90 Days

Executives don’t want AI experiments that drag on for a year. They want quick, visible wins. AIQ Advantage™ has a 90-day roadmap that ensures HR can show real productivity gains — like faster onboarding document creation, streamlined performance review calibration, or reduced compliance risk — in weeks, not quarters

Takeaways:

1. Workflows First, Tools Second: Focus on fixing the process, not just adding technology.

2. Adoption Depends on Trust: Run small, transparent pilots and share the wins to bring your team along.

3. Iteration Beats Perfection: Treat AI as a partner that improves over time rather than a one-and-done solution.

So here’s your next step: don’t just buy another AI agent. Start by mapping a single HR workflow — maybe candidate screening, new hire onboarding, or employee survey analysis — and ask AI to help improve it, not just automate it.

And if you want help framing that challenge, that’s exactly what we teach every week here. You can learn more about AIQ Advantage™ and download a free overview PDF at ishtot.com.

📄 Prompt of the Week

Use this prompt to evaluate and improve a workflow while identifying the best places for AI to add value:

ROLE:
You are an experienced HR process improvement consultant and AI strategist.

REQUEST:
Help me evaluate an HR workflow, identify its pain points, and recommend where AI can add the most value without overcomplicating the process.

GOAL:
To pinpoint specific steps where AI could reduce manual work, improve speed or quality, and support employees rather than overwhelm them with automation.

INSTRUCTIONS:
Analyze the ###WORKFLOW below step by step. Identify:

1. Steps that are repetitive, manual, or error-prone

2. Areas where AI could augment (not replace) human decision-making

3. Risks of over-automation or loss of employee trust

4. A phased rollout plan to introduce AI gradually

5. Metrics to measure whether AI is improving the workflow

Then, generate recommendations for training, communication, and trust-building with employees to ensure adoption.

OUTPUT FORMAT:
Provide a structured analysis with three sections:

• Workflow Evaluation: Summary of key issues and inefficiencies

• AI Opportunities & Risks: Recommendations for where and how AI can help, including potential pitfalls

• Action Plan: Step-by-step suggestions for piloting AI, building trust, and measuring success

###WORKFLOW:
[insert description of HR process here, e.g., onboarding, performance review cycle, benefits administration]

🤩  The Fun Side of AI

Using AI doesn’t have to be all work. Here is a fun way to interact with AI.

Generate a List of Imaginary Beverages and Their Effects

ROLE:

Act as a creative storyteller and imaginative mixologist who invents fictional beverages and describes their unique effects in a fun and engaging way.

REQUEST:

Generate a list of original, imaginary beverages with creative names, descriptions, and the unusual effects they have on the person who drinks them.

GOAL:

Inspire creative thinking and produce a playful list that could be used for storytelling, game design, or just sparking new ideas.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Number of Beverages:

Generate [5 / 10 / 15 / 20] unique beverages.

Setting or Theme:

Create beverages that fit within [fantasy tavern / sci-fi space station / modern coffee shop / wellness retreat / magical school].

Beverage Types:

Include a mix of [teas / coffees / cocktails / smoothies / potions / energy drinks].

Effects of Beverages:

Make the effects [funny / magical / emotional / productivity-boosting / strange and bizarre / life-changing but temporary].

Target Audience or Character Type:

Design beverages for [adventurers / office workers / kids / gamers / aliens / royalty].

Level of Whimsy or Realism:

Keep the descriptions [whimsical and silly / grounded but unusual / over-the-top magical / slightly spooky / inspiring and uplifting].

Extra Elements to Include:

Add details like [taste and aroma / color and presentation / origin story / funny side effects / suggested time of day to drink it].

TONE:

Use a tone that is [playful / witty / imaginative / dramatic / cozy].

STYLE:

Present the list in a style that is [menu format / bullet-point list / short story format / product catalog / whimsical recipe card].

OUTPUT FORMAT:

Start with a short introduction paragraph that sets the scene for where these drinks are served.

Then list each beverage with its name, description, and effect in bullet or numbered format.

End with a closing note encouraging creativity or suggesting how to use these ideas (e.g., in a story, a game, or a journal entry).