Learning: 30 Minute Experiment to HR Automation

Written By Nahiely Gomez

Are you overwhelmed by the whole "AI readiness" conversation? Well, you are not alone.

By the numbers:

  • 45% of HR leaders say training and upskilling employees is their main challenge this year

  • 43% point to insufficient AI skills as the biggest barrier to AI adoption

  • Yet 49% of organizations already using AI see improved outcomes, and 43% report increased employee satisfaction (Capterra, 2025)

Yet, these numbers aren't telling a technology story. They are sharing a story of overwhelm, lack of time, and resources. This is a story missing the freedom of experimentation. The irony? That is exactly what AI is supposed to help with, but because the learning curve feels like just another thing on your already-full plate. Let’s be real, it won’t happen.

So here’s the beauty in this new story, this new hero arc. We can solve it. And the best part, you don't need to become a tech expert overnight.

Instead of giving you a month-long playbook with countless hours of reading (that let’s face it, you won’t do). Let’s start small. Ridiculously small. Like 30 minutes throughout the week. You can spare that. That’s a lunch break!

Introducing: Micro-AI Productivity Lesson

This micro lesson is intended to highlight the areas in your day that you can optimize using automation (likely AI automation). Why this works, by doing a ridiculous small task, you limit the amount of cognitive load, making it easier for your brain to retain the knowledge, because the stakes are low, you can see a higher chance of achieving success, and it’s small enough you can create a habit from it.

Step 1: Find the Thing That Drains You

What's that one repetitive task that makes you want to pull your hair out? And let me be specific here, an HR task. Maybe it's writing job descriptions from scratch every single time, or the endless email chains trying to coordinate interview schedules, or manually combing through resumes for basic qualifications. Whatever it is, that's your starting point.

Can't think of any? Conduct a quick audit of your daily/weekly tasks. Keep a list for just two days, and you'll be surprised what emerges.

Need inspiration on a prompt: Try this one. It's my favorite for a quick process improvement.

Step 2: Pick an AI Tool to Test

Now that you have found your task (e.g., writing job descriptions), choose ONE AI tool to test. Don’t overthink this. It could just be ChatGPT, Claude, or anything else you can use for free.

The beauty of this approach is that you already know your current process inside and out, so you'll immediately recognize if something is actually helping or just creating more work. And if it doesn't work perfectly? No big deal. The stakes are low, and you've learned something valuable.

Step 3: Reflect and Decide

After your time limit. Pause. And reflect on what happened. Did it make even a slight improvement to the process? Yes, great! No, why not? That could be a great place to pick up the task again.

What I love about starting this way is that it builds real confidence. When you successfully automate one annoying task and suddenly have 30 minutes back in your day, that's when the lightbulb goes off. That's when AI stops feeling like this big scary thing and starts feeling like a useful tool. The science backs this up, too

Research Break
Research on technology adoption shows that when you're first trying something new, your confidence (self-efficacy) is the main driver of adoption. And your confidence in it is what determines whether you'll try again. So as you get more comfortable with the tool, your brain shifts from "Can I do this?" to "Do I like the results?" to eventually just doing it automatically without even thinking about it (Wang, Harris, & Patterson, 2013)

Your Challenge

Pick one thing this week that's been driving you nuts, find one AI tool that might help with it, and just try it out. Your future self, that person in the mirror who gets to spend more time on the strategic work you enjoy, will be so grateful you took that first step.

You've got this. And remember, everyone else is figuring this out as they go, too.

Sources:

Capterra. (2025). HR Software Trends Survey. Business Wire.

Wang, C., Harris, J., & Patterson, P. (2013). The Roles of Habit, Self-Efficacy, and Satisfaction in Driving Continued Use of Self-Service Technologies. Journal of Service Research, 16(3), 400-414.

Nahiely Gomez