AI in HR: Is your information ‘authentic and accurate’?

McDonald's global head of people strategy on the role of ChatGPT in the future of work

BY Emily Douglas 12 Apr. 2023

Technology has never been more integral to organizational strategy as it is now. And, most likely, we’ll be saying the exact same thing in 20 years to come. The truth is that technology in HR is integral – it’s a core necessity – even if it’s increasingly difficult to navigate.

In that vein, HRD is hosting our annual HR Tech Summit Canada – bringing together industry leaders to debate, discuss and divulge the latest in tech-driven trends. Speaking at the event is Dave Burchfield, global head of people strategy at fast-food giant McDonald’s. He’ll be talking about how McDonald’s is innovating new approaches to digital employee experience to increase engagement with its 1.9 million employees.

In his session, Burchfield will hit upon;

Empowering employees with technology solutions that allow for easy access to employment information, provide crew with a voice, and cultivate meaningful connections across the McDonald’s community
Maintaining security to enable employees to safely communicate in real-time while accessing proprietary information
Integrating SSO capabilities for easy access to schedules, benefits, pay stubs, and training materials, while acknowledging the hundreds of different platforms McDonald’s uses globally
Ensuring that every new feature is legally compliant, protects the McDonald’s brand, and follows protocols and legislation of every single market’s local jurisdiction

In a recent interview with HRD, Burchfield spoke about the proliferation of HR tech – specifically in regards to workplace apps. While it’ always nice for HR leaders to chase up that shiny new tool, Burchfield says it’s essential to have the groundwork in place first.

When speaking on ChatGPT specifically, Burchfield said he’s excited about it.

“And when Google Sparrow comes out, and APIs become more readily available, we’re going to see it infiltrate the workforce much more,” he told HRD. “It’s exciting to see how it’ll change how we get information to our employees. However, the worry centers around whether the information your sending is authentic and accurate. That’s a concern.

“I want to ensure that if we're going to talk about what McDonald's stands for, about who we are as an employer, our values and mission, then that must be genuine.”

To hear more from Burchfield and other industry leaders, take a look at our agenda and book your tickets here.