How to Build an HR Copilot AI Agent | Step-by-Step, By a Microsoft Engineer

Summary

In this video, Shervin Chaffy, a Co-pilot Principal Technical Specialist at Microsoft, demonstrates how to build a simple yet powerful AI agent for Human Resources using Microsoft 365 Co-pilot. The tutorial covers how the AI agent can answer HR-related questions by retrieving information from SharePoint documents, streamlining HR tasks such as onboarding, benefits, and training. Shervin explains the benefits of using such an agent, its limitations, and the setup process step-by-step, ensuring viewers can customize and deploy their own HR agents for seamless integration with their organization.

Takeaways

• 😀 Co-pilot agents are AI-driven assistants that help answer HR-related questions, making it easier for employees to interact with company HR systems.
• 😀 Agents use natural language processing, allowing users to ask HR-related questions and receive responses in conversational language, rather than searching through documentation.
• 😀 With Microsoft 365 Co-pilot, HR agents are easy to set up, maintain, and share across the organization with minimal effort.
• 😀 The HR agent primarily relies on a knowledge source, such as a SharePoint site, where HR-related documents are stored and indexed for easy access.
• 😀 The agent can provide first-level HR assistance, answering questions about benefits, vacation, training, and other HR-related topics.
• 😀 The agent does not have full integration with other data sources (e.g., tracking vacation days or scheduling), but this feature could be added in the future.
• 😀 Co-pilot agents are not autonomous agents, meaning they do not take actions automatically based on triggers, but can be customized to alert users for tasks like upcoming training or performance reviews.
• 😀 A Microsoft 365 Co-pilot license or a pay-as-you-go model for agent usage is required, though Co-pilot Chat is available at no additional cost for users with an Entra ID account.
• 😀 The Microsoft 365 Co-pilot Agent Builder is a low-code platform, making it simple to create agents that serve various purposes, such as the onboarding buddy for new hires.
• 😀 After setting up the agent, you can easily share it with the entire company or specific users, ensuring that everyone who needs access can interact with the agent effectively.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of creating a Human Resources AI agent in the video?

The main purpose of creating the AI agent is to simplify and streamline the HR process by answering first-level HR-related questions using a SharePoint document repository, providing easy access to HR information like benefits, vacation, and training.

Why is using a co-pilot agent for HR better than using a traditional SharePoint site or Wiki?

Using a co-pilot agent is better because it allows users to interact using natural language, making it easier to ask questions and have a two-way conversation. Additionally, it uses a more advanced search mechanism, providing better results than traditional keyword-based searches.

What are the limitations of the HR AI agent created in the video?

The limitations include not being able to connect to other data sources like vacation tracking systems or automatically booking vacations. The agent also isn't autonomous; it doesn't perform background tasks or take actions automatically, though those features could be added in the future.

What tools are required to build the HR AI agent?

The tools required include Microsoft 365 Co-pilot and specifically the Agent Builder to create the HR AI agent. Co-pilot Chat, available to those with an Entra ID account, offers a pay-as-you-go model for agent usage.

How does the creator of the video suggest setting up the HR AI agent?

The video creator suggests setting up the agent by first selecting a SharePoint site containing HR-related documents. Then, the user configures the agent by copying and pasting description text into the Co-pilot Agent Builder, followed by specifying the knowledge sources (SharePoint documents) for the agent.

What specific features or settings are configurable for the HR AI agent?

Configurable features for the HR AI agent include its name, description, the tone of responses (friendly and professional), and the knowledge sources from which the agent pulls information. You can also refine instructions, such as ensuring clear and concise responses or detailing the information provided.

How can the HR AI agent be shared with others within an organization?

The HR AI agent can be shared by selecting sharing settings, where you can choose to share it with only specific users or with everyone in the company. It's important to ensure that the SharePoint documents are shared with everyone who will interact with the agent to maintain consistent behavior.

What are the benefits of using detailed responses from the AI agent?

Detailed responses help users better understand the information provided by the agent. For example, when asked about 401k benefits, the agent offers detailed explanations about contribution limits, company match, and vesting schedules, making it easier for employees to understand and trust the information.

What additional features or improvements could be made to the HR AI agent in the future?

Future improvements could include making the agent autonomous, where it could automatically send reminders about upcoming tasks like training or performance reviews. It could also integrate with other HR systems, allowing for direct interactions like vacation bookings and tracking leave balances.

How does the creator test the functionality of the HR AI agent once it’s set up?

The creator tests the agent by asking it various HR-related questions, such as about 401k benefits or mandatory training, and reviewing its responses. The agent pulls information from the connected SharePoint documents to provide detailed and accurate answers.