Accenture will reportedly start tracking how often some senior employees use its AI tools and take this into account when deciding who to promote to leadership roles.
The consulting firm told senior executives that they needed to “regularly implement” artificial intelligence and began collecting weekly login data for some employees, the company said. financial times.
Confirmed via internal email financial times, Accenture says, “The use of our leading tools will provide a visible input into the talent conversation.”
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An Accenture spokesperson said the company aims to be the “reinvention partner of choice” for its clients. “To serve our clients most effectively, we need to implement the latest tools and technology,” they added.
Accenture is investing heavily in AI, introducing training on the technology for all staff as part of its $1bn (£740,000) annual spend on learning and development.
To date, 550,000 of its 780,000 employees have received generative AI training, compared to just 30 in 2022.
Other consulting firms are also working to accelerate the adoption of AI. KPMG The company states that it evaluates employees’ usage of AI tools in annual evaluations. JP Morgan Chase has created an in-house AI platform to help staff write performance reviews.
Monitoring concerns
Adele Reid, head of data and AI at HR consultancy LACE Partners, said tying promotion prospects to the use of AI could change the way consultants are evaluated.
“When employees have transparency that they are more likely to be promoted if they make better use of AI tools, the metrics for success as a consultant change,” she added.
While clarity can be helpful, it can also “significantly impede a human’s ability to accomplish the tasks that need to be performed,” according to Reed. Junior staff, in particular, can be at risk if they rely too much on automation before they have developed the necessary decision-making skills.
Emma du Parc, head of consulting, research and thought leadership at the Roffey Park Institute, said leaders should incorporate AI into a “broader picture of responsible performance” and advised setting “clear ethical guardrails” around its use.
Mr. Reed also expressed concern about surveillance. Although Accenture has been upfront about tracking its use of AI, some staff may be concerned about being monitored, he said.
Reed cautioned that organizations considering tying technology adoption to career advancement should do so with caution. He advised employers to make it clear to employees what metrics are being tracked and explain how the use of AI is benefiting the business. It may also be helpful to try a tracking system and share the results with your staff.
Gemma Bullivant, HR coach and consultant, added: “This transparency should build trust in what is being tracked, why it is important and how it ties into competency expectations.”
For more information on using AI as an HR professional, visit CIPD’s topic page.
