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Webinar |

AI in people and culture: finding balance

Authors and contributors: ALGIM, LOLA
YouTube video

AI in people and culture: finding balance

In this engaging webinar, Josh Warner, Executive Manager of People and Culture at Moorabool Shire Council (Victoria, Australia), shares the council’s journey of integrating AI into HR practices. The focus? Finding the right balance between innovation and human connection in a people-first workplace.

Key themes and takeaways

The challenge

  • Moorabool aimed to become a “destination employer” while maintaining high-quality day-to-day HR service.
  • The People and Culture (P&C) team faced increasing demands (hundreds of queries weekly) while also driving strategic initiatives like wellbeing, leadership, and recruitment reform.

The solution: introducing “Maddie”

  • Maddie is an AI-powered HR assistant developed in partnership with Tribe Mind.
  • Designed to answer frequently asked questions (FAQs) based on enterprise agreements, policies, and procedures.
  • Maddie is not a replacement for HR staff but an add-on to reduce inbox traffic and free up time for strategic work.

Key features of Maddie

  • Citations: Every answer includes a source and link to the relevant document.
  • Referrals: Directs users to the appropriate HR team if further support is needed.
  • Boundaries: Maddie does not handle sensitive topics (e.g. bullying, discrimination, injury)—these are referred to human HR partners.
  • Multilingual Support: Can respond in up to 60 languages, enhancing accessibility and inclusion.

Results and reflections

  • One-third of staff use Maddie weekly.
  • Email traffic to HR has decreased.
  • Staff appreciate the flexibility; some use Maddie exclusively, others prefer human contact.
  • Maddie has helped identify inconsistencies in documentation, prompting policy improvements.

Lessons learned

  • AI should complement, not replace, human HR services.
  • Clear communication about what AI can and cannot do is essential.
  • Testing and stakeholder engagement are critical to successful implementation.
  • AI can unlock time for HR teams to focus on innovation, strategy, and people-first initiatives.