This week in HR news: ChatGPT, tech headcount reductions, and ‘inboarding’

ChatGPT is once again making the rounds this week, with the creator coming forward and calling for regulation of the software. Meanwhile, Dell has followed the trend of other tech companies by letting go of staff. ‘Inboarding’ and why it’s important has also been a hot topic, as has questions about whether early retirees could be affecting taxation on pensions.

Dell joining other big tech companies in reducing headcount

Dell has let go of 5 per cent of its global workforce in an attempt to reduce costs amidst economic uncertainty, as reported by The Guardian on 7 February.

These reductions will see 6,650 jobs lost.

As reported by HR Leader, other big names in tech have been doing the same recently, including Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.

As referenced by The Guardian’s article, Layoffs.fyi detailed as of 8 February that 312 tech companies have let go of over 97,000 workers worldwide. Comparatively, 2022 saw tech companies reduce staff levels by 160,000.

Why ‘inboarding’ is essential

The importance of the ‘inboarding’ process was discussed by HRM on 6 February. Inboarding is the training and support provided to an employee that has been promoted to a position from within the company.

When hiring externally, the onboarding process is a crucial step towards introducing someone to the company. HRM said this process is equally important for someone who is being promoted, as they are still being exposed to new processes.

Lock HR founder Mehtap Ozdemirci said in HRM’s article that inboarding is as important as onboarding.

“Organisations often miss this step, as they assume the individual knows everything … To mitigate risks and truly [prepare] the individual for success, you should treat them similarly to how you’d treat an external hire,” said Ms Ozdemirci.

Early retirement could increase pension tax

HR Leader’s LinkedIn round-up covered how early retirement is creating talent shortages. FT Adviser is now saying that the loss of ageing workers could result in greater taxation on pensions.

Deloitte’s chief economist in the UK, Ian Stewart, said in the FT Adviser’s article: “The relatively high levels of personal wealth enjoyed by the over-50s could face increased levels of taxation and a further increase in the age at which the state pension becomes payable.”

According to FT Adviser, the UK government is considering a change in pension tax to encourage retirees to re-enter the workforce.

ChatGPT should be regulated, says creator

Mira Murati, chief technology officer at ChatGPT and OpenAI, the organisation behind DALL-E, said in a Time article on 5 February that governments should look to managing artificial intelligence (AI) like ChatGPT.

“It’s very important for everyone to start getting involved, given the impact these technologies are going to have,” said Ms Murati.

This technology has created a divide. Some schools are banning the AI, while others in the workplace are using it to make their jobs easier. As reported by HR Leader’s sister brand, Lawyers Weekly, some are saying ChatGPT is ‘no different to Wikipedia’.

Ms Murati continued: “[AI] can be misused ... So, then there are questions about how you govern the use of this technology globally. How do you govern the use of AI in a way that’s aligned with human values?”

“It’s important for OpenAI and companies like ours to bring this into the public consciousness in a way that’s controlled and responsible. But we’re a small group of people, and we need a ton more input in this system and a lot more input that goes beyond the technologies – definitely regulators and governments and everyone else.”