Copilot for HR: Use Cases, Tips, and Must-Have Features

Artificial intelligence is profoundly transforming the way companies manage their human resources, and advanced tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot are among the most promising innovations.

With its automated assistance capabilities, Copilot supports HR professionals in tasks ranging from recruitment to performance management, boosting efficiency and reducing the risk of human error.

This article explores how Copilot can be integrated into HR processes, offering tangible benefits and helping companies address the challenges of an ever-evolving job market.

Copilot for HR: an introduction

Human Resources departments are the backbone of every organization, ensuring day by day that the workforce stays motivated, productive, and aligned with business goals.

The role of an HR Manager or HR Generalist is multifaceted and includes a wide range of responsibilities such as recruitment, employee relations, performance management, and regulatory compliance. With so many duties, HR professionals often find themselves managing numerous processes, which can lead to inefficiencies and challenges in keeping track of every detail.

Research shows that nearly all HR professionals (98%) report feeling burned out. 94% have felt overwhelmed in the past six months, and 88% have dreaded going to work.

Now, instead of focusing on this bleak scenario, let’s imagine a completely transformed HR team—no longer buried in paperwork, drowning in emails, or spending sleepless nights in spreadsheets. Picture a smoother way of working, like a well-oiled machine, enabling the team to move effortlessly through tasks while unlocking the full potential of human resources.

This is what happens when Microsoft Copilot is implemented: it streamlines processes and allows HRs to focus on the more “human” aspects of their role.

Let’s see how in the following sections.

What is Microsoft Copilot?

Microsoft Copilot is the AI-powered digital assistant designed to simplify users’ daily tasks, boost productivity, and spark creativity. Its main focus is on code generation, writing assistance, and collaboration. Seamlessly integrated into the most popular Microsoft 365 apps—such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams—Copilot provides contextual suggestions and helps users understand information more effectively.

Powered by the cutting-edge GPT-4 language model, Microsoft Copilot offers impressive features like code autocompletion, documentation lookup, and collaborative writing. Microsoft continues to update Copilot with new capabilities, demonstrating just how much the company is investing in its Gen AI solution for the future of business tools.

The features of Microsoft’s AI assistant are designed for a wide range of users and professionals, including developers, content creators, and knowledge workers seeking AI-powered support in their tasks.

There are three main ways to use Microsoft Copilot:

1. ‍Adopt Copilot: Microsoft offers various Copilot assistants to enhance productivity and creativity. Integrated across multiple Microsoft platforms and tools, Copilot transforms the digital workspace into a more interactive and efficient environment.‍
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2. Extend Copilot: Developers can incorporate external data to simplify user workflows and reduce context switching. This not only boosts productivity but also encourages greater collaboration. Through Copilot, it’s easy to bring this data into everyday Microsoft tools.‍
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3. Build your own Copilot: Beyond adoption and extension, it’s possible to create a personalized Copilot for a unique conversational experience using Azure OpenAI, Cognitive Search, Microsoft Copilot Studio, and other Microsoft Cloud technologies. A custom Copilot can integrate company data, access external data in real time via APIs, and embed into business applications.

Microsoft Copilot is available in various formats, with specific pricing plans tailored to different use cases, such as:

• Copilot (Free): The free version offers access to generative AI features for managing your computer (in Windows), online search (in Edge), and general web-based chatbot conversations.
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• Copilot Pro: Designed for individual users who want to make the most of generative AI. For around $20 per user/month, this version gives access to Copilot in Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.
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• Copilot for Microsoft 365: Tailored for individuals and teams using Microsoft apps. It includes access to Copilot Studio, enterprise-grade security, privacy and compliance, and advanced capabilities.

In addition, there are specialized Copilot versions built into specific Microsoft tools. For instance, there are Copilot solutions embedded in Microsoft Dynamics for sales and customer support teams, and security-focused Copilot tools within Microsoft Purview.

Recently, Microsoft has also begun launching and updating a series of domain-specific “Agents” tailored for business areas such as finance, customer service, and marketing, each trained and optimized for those specific needs.

Although many Windows 11 users were initially skeptical when Microsoft started investing heavily in Copilot, the service has grown significantly since its preview launch and is now regarded as one of the best productivity tools in the AI era.

Copilot for HR: features and use cases

And after this brief introductory digression, let’s get to the real heart of this article.

Copilot supports HR professionals in their daily tasks, making their work more efficient and effective. It also helps managers and HR generalists streamline workflows and focus on planned initiatives by automating routine processes and providing data-driven insights.

Let’s take a look at the ways Copilot can actively improve HR operations.

Optimizing the recruitment process

Recruitment is one of the most time-consuming and critical tasks in HR. HR professionals often have to manage long communications with candidates, conduct multiple phone and in-person interviews, and analyze resumes.

With manual processes, recruitment can feel like an endless cycle of administrative work, making it harder to focus on identifying the best talent for the organization. The overwhelming number of CVs, scheduling, and follow-ups can lead to missed opportunities, delayed hires, and a poor candidate experience.

But Copilot can help simplify and speed up these long and tedious practices, allowing HR professionals to focus on the most important aspects of the hiring process.

Creating job descriptions

About 65% of HR professionals report spending two or more hours writing a job description from scratch. When it comes to drafting job descriptions, there’s an expectation that technology can generate higher-quality content in less time, making the process more efficient and leading to better hires.

Copilot can leverage natural language processing to draft compelling job descriptions, helping attract more qualified candidates, stand out from similar roles, and increase the volume and quality of applications.

An example prompt might be: “Write a job description for a [role] at [company name] with a focus on [experience].”

Automating resume screening

With Copilot, HR departments can efficiently analyze large volumes of resumes, quickly identifying relevant candidates through data-driven analysis and using AI to ensure consistency and fairness.

Copilot can also be customized to match specific job roles and industry requirements by modifying simple prompts. Using Microsoft’s AI assistant helps scale and speed up the process—whether handling 100 or 1,000 resumes, automation eliminates human error and allows HR teams to focus on strategic tasks.

An example prompt for this scenario might be: “Create a report comparing the attached resumes with the requirements for a [role] in the attached job description file and rank candidates from most to least qualified.”

Analyzing employee feedback

Engaged employees perform significantly better than disengaged ones, with a staggering 147% difference. That’s why tracking and improving employee engagement is crucial to any organization’s success. An engaged employee is typically more productive, positive, and committed to their work—often going above and beyond their job description.

Natural Language Processing (NLP) helps decode sentiments, identify trends, and highlight areas for improvement. HR can proactively address issues and increase employee satisfaction.

Using the results of engagement surveys, you can ask Copilot to analyze sentiment in the text to better understand how positive employee opinions are on a given topic. This makes it easy to spot patterns and trends in the results.

Creating better onboarding experiences

Employee onboarding is a crucial part of the hiring process. An effective onboarding strategy helps new hires integrate into the company culture and provides them with the knowledge and resources they need to succeed. This is essential for retaining employees, reducing turnover, and maximizing productivity.

While it’s important to standardize the onboarding program, a one-size-fits-all approach may not be effective for every new hire. Some employees process information more slowly, while others may learn better through visual methods rather than auditory ones.

Using AI in onboarding makes it possible to account for these differences, engage all new hires effectively, and personalize content based on each individual’s role, background, learning style, and pace.

Some use cases include:

• New employees can use Copilot as a chatbot to find answers in company handbooks.
• Use Copilot to search the employee database and identify colleagues with similar backgrounds and interests to pair with new hires.
• Create and send personalized messages to employees at different stages of their onboarding journey to engage them or remind them to complete a task.
• Monitor continuous improvement through feedback analysis.

Simplified communication on policies

Policy updates and compliance regulations can be challenging to manage. Copilot can assist HR professionals in ensuring compliance with labor laws and regulations by generating accurate, up-to-date documentation.

HR managers and generalists can use Copilot to draft offer and rejection letters, employment contracts, and other compliance-related documents. This ensures that all documentation is consistent and meets legal requirements.

Copilot also simplifies complex legal jargon into digestible summaries, allowing HR teams to quickly and effectively communicate new company policies or changes—ensuring everyone is on the same page.

For example, when communicating one of these changes via email to employees, a prompt like “Using /[file_name], write an email to all employees explaining the policy changes and their impact” can be used.

Designing more effective training presentations

Integrating Copilot into Microsoft PowerPoint can help create, design, and format slides. Simply type what you want to communicate, and Copilot will guide you through the process—helping you overcome the blank page and start strong.

Training sessions need impact, and Copilot works alongside HR to create visually compelling presentations. Whether it's for compliance training or leadership development, Microsoft’s AI assistant can support every step of the presentation-building process.

Creating custom Copilots for HR FAQs

Copilot Studio is a cloud-based platform that allows you to create your own Copilot models—intelligent conversational agents that can handle a wide variety of tasks and requests for specific use cases.

With Copilot Studio, you can customize Copilot for M365—the out-of-the-box assistant already integrated with Microsoft 365 apps and services—or build your own custom copilots from scratch. These leverage generative AI to provide dynamic and relevant answers, based on your own data and business logic.

Improving performance management

Many HR teams struggle with inefficient performance management processes, which hinder their ability to make informed, data-driven decisions. Collecting and analyzing performance data from multiple sources can be time-consuming and error-prone when done manually.

Without optimized tools, HR professionals spend too much time compiling reports, calculating key performance metrics, and visualizing trends—leaving little room to focus on what really matters: supporting employees, improving performance, and aligning goals with business strategy.

As a result, organizations may miss the chance to promptly address performance issues, implement targeted interventions, or recognize top talent for awards and development.

The lack of effective data analysis makes it difficult to adapt performance strategies based on real-time insights, negatively impacting overall organizational success. This is where Copilot comes in—streamlining the data analysis and reporting process and enabling HR professionals to make faster, better decisions with ease.

Here are some ways Copilot can support HR managers in the long performance management cycle:

• Generating performance reports: Copilot can automatically generate reports based on key performance metrics such as sales or productivity. This automation saves time, reduces errors, and provides quick access to up-to-date information for faster, more informed decisions.
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• Data visualization: Copilot can create charts and graphs to visualize performance trends, making it easier to identify areas for improvement. It also produces visually appealing reports for better comprehension.
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• Data-driven decisions: HR professionals can use performance data to make informed decisions and implement targeted strategies. Ensuring that reports are accurate and objective boosts the credibility of HR managers and removes potential bias—enhancing trust and the overall effectiveness of performance management.

Copilot for HR: Why adopt it?

Artificial intelligence has made a disruptive contribution to the innovation and efficiency of HR processes. In the recent study AI in HR: The Ultimate Guide to Implementing AI in Your HR Organization, consulting firm Gartner states that Gen AI is set to forever change the future of HR, revolutionizing the traditional view of work, talent, roles, and skills.

According to data published by the renowned strategic consulting firm, 76% of HR leaders consider the use of AI essential in processes related to human resources management, including the implementation of generative AI. A failure to adopt these technologies could lead to a significant loss of competitiveness within 12 to 24 months.

By implementing Copilot, companies and their HR departments can gain a series of important benefits, tangible in the short term:

• ‍Reduced average hiring time: By automating interview and candidate evaluation procedures, Copilot can significantly speed up the time required to hire new candidates, while also reducing costs compared to traditional processes.
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• ‍Higher quality and relevance of candidates: Copilot can automatically analyze thousands of candidate profiles based on information available on job search platforms, identifying the skills and characteristics that best match the open positions.
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• ‍Increased retention rate: The analytical capabilities of AI allow it to process large amounts and varieties of data, offering a consistent view of merit-based aspects and helping employers define effective reward strategies to boost employee motivation and overall satisfaction.
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• ‍Greater efficiency in training and onboarding processes: Generative AI tools like Microsoft Copilot can assist in the creation of training materials for internal use, speeding up onboarding procedures and at the same time offering a more personalized and engaging experience for new hires.

Conclusion

It is undeniable that Microsoft Copilot has significantly changed the way office work is conceived for all types of office workers since its introduction, regardless of the industry.

Copilot has already impacted, is impacting, and will continue to impact various work domains as it evolves—what we’re witnessing are just the first steps, and we can only imagine what Microsoft’s AI has in store for the future.

And for HR departments, Microsoft's digital AI assistant can already serve as the ally they've been searching for, helping them eliminate the more tedious and “inhuman” aspects of their work, so they can return to focusing on their most valuable asset: people.

FAQ on Microsoft Copilot for HR

What is Microsoft Copilot and how can it support the HR department?

‍Microsoft Copilot is a digital assistant powered by generative artificial intelligence and integrated into Microsoft 365 applications. It helps HR professionals by automating daily tasks, simplifying data management, and improving operational efficiency. It speeds up complex processes, reduces the margin for error, and allows teams to focus on more human-centered activities.

What are the benefits of using Copilot in Human Resources?

‍Copilot helps reduce hiring times, improve the quality of applications, increase employee satisfaction, and streamline the onboarding process. It also supports the creation of training content and the drafting of compliant documentation, freeing up time for strategic planning.

In which HR tasks can Copilot be used?

‍Copilot can assist with writing compelling job descriptions, quickly analyzing resumes, understanding employee feedback sentiment, personalizing onboarding paths, creating clear internal communications, supporting training programs, and simplifying performance management through data analysis.

Can I create a custom Copilot to handle frequent HR questions?

‍Yes. With Copilot Studio, it’s possible to build a tailored conversational assistant that responds to common questions, integrates with internal data, and adapts to your company’s workflows, offering accurate and contextual answers.

Is Copilot suitable for small and medium-sized businesses?

‍Yes. Thanks to its flexibility and multiple versions, Copilot can easily adapt to the needs of smaller teams while maintaining the same level of efficiency and support for daily HR operations.

What versions of Microsoft Copilot are available?

‍Copilot is available in a free version for basic use in Windows and Edge, in a Pro version for individual users looking to leverage generative AI in Microsoft 365 apps, and in a Microsoft 365 version designed for enterprise use, offering advanced features, security, and customization through Copilot Studio. There are also dedicated versions for specific business areas such as sales, customer service, marketing, and security.

How does Copilot enhance internal training activities?

‍Copilot helps design more effective and visually polished presentations in PowerPoint, assists in drafting training content, and supports ongoing feedback analysis, helping to continuously improve the employee learning experience.

Does Copilot ensure data security and compliance?

‍Yes. The enterprise-grade versions of Copilot are built to meet high standards of security, privacy, and regulatory compliance, ensuring sensitive data is managed securely at every stage of the HR process.