Improving employee engagement is at the top of many human resource leaders' to-do lists. But combing through an ever-growing amount of engagement survey data to extract actionable insights can be overwhelming. So industry vendors have created artificial intelligence (AI) tools designed to automatically analyze survey data to pinpoint themes and characterize the meaning of words or phrases. Tools like natural language processing (NLP) can save HR time and generate more-useful data along the way. SHRM Online spoke with Armen Berjikly, senior director of growth strategy for Ultimate Software in Weston, Fla., during the HR Technology Conference & Exposition for his thoughts on the state of NLP technology today, the pros and cons of using AI to analyze engagement survey data, and the importance of developing a code of ethics for using AI in HR. Prior to working at Ultimate, Berjikly was the founder and CEO of Kanjoya Inc., a workforce intelligence company that pioneered advancements in NLP technology dedicated to understanding human emotion.

From time to time, we invite guest contributors to provide their personal perspectives about trending HCM topics. The views, opinions, and comments expressed below are solely those of the author and do not represent Ultimate Software. This post was commissioned by Ultimate Software and the author has or will receive compensation for their work. The fourth industrial revolution is upon us, and "disruption" is the theme. The World Economic Forum reports that this revolution, "includes developments in previously disjointed fields such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, robotics, nanotechnology, 3-D printing, and genetics and biotechnology."

One of the biggest trends in employment is finding ways to make work easier. In this hot job market employees are quitting their jobs in record numbers, and studies show that the voluntary turnover rate is now over 15%. At the same time, people are working more hours, undergoing more stress, and feel less productive than ever. In fact productivity in all mature economies is slowing (output per hour worked) and most economists can't even agree on the cause. I believe much of this is just the shift to new digital ways of work, but it's clear from all my research that much of this is our companies adjusting to a highly networked, contingent, always-on way of getting things done.

In this guest column, Adam Rogers, chief technology officer of Ultimate Software, describes where he believes AI and machine learning will lead HCM technology. Despite the intrinsic contradiction, it's clear that artificial intelligence and machine learning are primed to play a leading role in the future of human capital management. As CTO of a software company that offers AI-driven HCM solutions across a variety of industries, I've had the opportunity to witness this growing impact first-hand and think about where these technologies will take us moving forward. Recent advancements have already eliminated tedious payroll tasks, improved employee productivity and streamlined processes. But as technology continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, emerging systems are looking to revolutionize how organizations make hiring, firing and compensation decisions.

Hype and expectations for AI are now sky high. We will soon be talking to our computers; drones will deliver our groceries; our cars will drive themselves; and most white-collar workers will be monitoring machines. Is all this true and will this really happen? As an industry analyst and engineer who has followed technology for decades, I'd say we are in interesting phase: on one hand the hype is far ahead of the reality; on the other, the upside could be much bigger than we think. And in HR the opportunity for AI to add value is massive .

Adam Rogers is the CTO of Ultimate Software, where he began his career in 1997 as Ultimate Software's very first intern and quickly became a leading innovator in the field. In 2002, Adam led his team to deliver the very first Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) cloud Enterprise solution, redefining industry standards by bringing HCM to the cloud. Today, he serves Ultimate as CTO and holds the unique distinction of leading both product innovation and corporate IT strategy. Adam's teams are routinely recognized for their industry-leading innovations and Adam's thought leadership work is regularly published in Forbes, InformationWeek, and a variety of online blogs and publications. You can follow Adam on Twitter @adamr or connect with him on LinkedIn.

This year, for the first time, the Manhattan, Kan.-based company tapped an artificial-intelligence tool called Xander to analyze responses. Xander can determine whether an employee feels optimistic, confused or angry, and provide insights to help manage teams, the tool's developers at Ultimate Software Group Inc. said. From a block of text, the software analyzes answers to open-ended questions based on language and other data, assigning attitudes or opinions to employees. One top executive at SPS learned from recent survey analysis that he needed to work on his temper. "One of my lowest scoring items was maintaining my composure under stress," he said of the feedback from his direct reports.

This year, for the first time, the Manhattan, Kan.-based company tapped an artificial-intelligence tool called Xander to analyze responses. Xander can determine whether an employee feels optimistic, confused or angry, and provide insights to help manage teams, the tool's developers at Ultimate Software Group Inc. ULTI -1.88% said. From a block of text, the software analyzes answers to open-ended questions based on language and other data, assigning attitudes or opinions to employees. One top executive at SPS learned from recent survey analysis that he needed to work on his temper. "One of my lowest scoring items was maintaining my composure under stress," he said of the feedback from his direct reports.

This year, for the first time, the Manhattan, Kan.-based company tapped an artificial-intelligence tool called Xander to analyze responses. Xander can determine whether an employee feels optimistic, confused or angry, and provide insights to help manage teams, the tool's developers at Ultimate Software Group Inc. ULTI 2.55% said. From a block of text, the software analyzes answers to open-ended questions based on language and other data, assigning attitudes or opinions to employees. One top executive at SPS learned from recent survey analysis that he needed to work on his temper. "One of my lowest scoring items was maintaining my composure under stress," he said of the feedback from his direct reports.

Ultimate Software is a long-time player in the North American market for Human Capital Management (HCM) software. The vendor has a track record of growth and customer satisfaction over a quarter of a century. Ultimate Software's "People First" culture serves as the foundation of the vendor's success. The founders have crafted a high- performance culture that does right for customers and employees, too. A recent update of its UltiPro platform accelerated technical innovation and new product creation, producing new offerings such as Xander in the Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence space alongside traditional HCM offerings.