Is AI replacing HR in onboarding? Here's what the data says
New hires are going to AI first. A Northern Kentucky University (NKU) study found 68% of employees used AI in their first 90 days, and 59% said it filled gaps their manager or HR didn't cover.
The first 90 days are now a mix of human guidance and on-demand AI. The teams that win will decide what AI should handle and where people make the difference.
What new hires use AI for in the first 90 days
- Summarising long documents: 55%
- Drafting or proofreading emails: 52%
- Understanding unfamiliar software: 42%
- Answering client or customer questions: 35%
- Rehearsing what to say in meetings: 30%
- Creating project proposals or reports: 25%
- Decoding company acronyms or internal jargon: 20%
Why they ask AI first
Speed and privacy. Sixty percent believe AI is more reliable than managers or HR for quick help. Seventy-four percent asked AI questions they didn't feel comfortable asking a person.
That doesn't mean people don't matter. It means new hires want immediate answers without feeling judged, then want a human to add context and direction.
Impact on confidence and speed
AI users reported better outcomes in the first 90 days: 60% felt more efficient at finding and understanding information. Half felt more independent (51%) and more confident completing onboarding tasks (50%).
Are managers being replaced?
No. While 75% of employees think AI will be important to onboarding over the next five years, 46% still trust their manager more than AI to guide their first 90 days. And 68% worry that too much AI makes the experience feel less personal.
The takeaway: AI should handle the repeatable, low-risk tasks. Managers and HR handle context, culture, expectations, and belonging.
What HR should do now
1) Map the work: AI vs. human
- AI scope: FAQs, policy summaries, tool tips, meeting prep, jargon decoding, email drafts.
- Human scope: values and culture, role clarity, feedback, performance expectations, relationship building.
2) Build an AI-ready knowledge base
- Create short policy briefs alongside the full documents so AI can summarise accurately.
- Publish a live glossary of acronyms and team-specific terms.
- Tag content by role, system, and task to improve answer quality.
3) Provide approved tools and prompts
- Offer a sanctioned AI assistant with clear use cases and limits.
- Share prompt templates for common tasks: "Summarise this SOP for a new SDR," "Draft a follow-up email to a client," "Explain how to do X in Salesforce."
If your HR and manager cohorts need practical AI skills, see curated training by role at Complete AI Training.
4) Set guardrails
- Define what content is safe to share with AI (and what isn't).
- Address data privacy, bias risks, and approval flows for AI-generated work.
- Train managers on how to review AI outputs with new hires.
For policy guidance, SHRM's resources on responsible AI are a useful starting point: SHRM on AI in HR.
5) Keep the human moments
- Day-one welcome, buddy assignment, and a clear 30-60-90 plan.
- Weekly manager check-ins focused on expectations, feedback, and priorities.
- Peer intros and cross-functional meetups to build trust and context.
6) Measure and improve
- Track time-to-productivity, new-hire ticket volume, and satisfaction with AI and human support.
- Review common questions AI receives and fix the underlying content once, for everyone.
A simple 90-day playbook
- Days 0-7: AI onboarding assistant for FAQs and document summaries; manager sets goals and success metrics.
- Weeks 2-4: Shadow key meetings; AI for meeting prep and follow-ups; buddy provides context.
- Weeks 5-8: First real project; AI drafts, human reviews; weekly feedback loop with manager.
- Weeks 9-12: Skill check, remove blockers, expand scope; capture learnings to improve the AI knowledge base.
Bottom line
AI is the new first line for quick answers. HR and managers are the first line for meaning, standards, and connection. Blend both, on purpose, and the first 90 days get faster and feel more human-at the same time.
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