Figure: AI-powered HR chatbot on a mobile device. GenAI Virtual Agents let employees ask questions in natural language (e.g. about benefits or time off) and get instant, accurate answers – reducing back-and-forth and triage. 

In fact, analytics show the promise of this approach. Forrester’s TEI study of ServiceNow HRSD found that organizations deploying the platform enable employees to self-service up to 80% of their routine inquiries. This means most questions (payroll status, leave balances, policy details, etc.) are resolved automatically by AI chatbots or automated workflows, drastically cutting HR’s manual workload. Industry research backs this up: one study found generative AI boosts business professionals’ output by nearly 66% on average. In HR terms, this translates to faster answers, shorter case queues, and happier employees. 

By embedding GenAI, ServiceNow also accelerates case resolution on the HR side. HR agents receive AI-generated case summaries and next-step recommendations as they work. For example, when a manager opens a payroll discrepancy case, Now Assist can provide a summary of the issue and suggest standard solution steps, all in one view. Studies show this yields dramatic productivity gains: in one research trial, professionals using AI tools wrote 59% more documents per hour than those without AI. In HRSD, that means the same staff can handle many more cases or complex issues in the same time. And with ServiceNow’s fine-tuned domain LLMs, the advice is specific to HR workflows and corporate policies, not just generic chatbot chatter. 

Automating HR Workflows and Processes 

Beyond chat and search, GenAI powers deeper workflow automation in HRSD. ServiceNow’s Flow Designer and Process Automation Engine let HR teams visually map multi-step processes (onboarding, offboarding, transfers, leave approvals, etc.) and invoke AI at key points. For example, after an employee submits a maternity leave request, Now Assist could automatically suggest relevant HR documents, fill forms, and trigger background checks, based on natural language understanding of the request. The whiteboard diagram below illustrates how an HR process might be sketched out – from initial request to approvals to final task – and then automated end-to-end in ServiceNow with GenAI-driven routing and notifications. 

In practice, companies are realizing huge gains from this automation. A global healthcare provider partnered with ServiceNow to modernize its HR, eliminating many manual handoffs. Prior to implementation, every service request went through a single Tier-1 team, causing bottlenecks and high call/email loads. Using HRSD with GenAI-powered case routing, the provider “replaced manual work with intelligent automation,” directing each request to the right HR subgroup automatically. The result: email and phone traffic dropped dramatically, and HR no longer plays message relay. At the same time, ServiceNow’s Agent Workspace gave HR visibility into all cases in real time. As the case study notes, integrating HR into a single workspace “eliminated information silos” and let managers see status and trends across requests. This unified, AI-augmented approach can boost HR productivity by the numbers – forrester found companies achieved a 254% ROI over three years from ServiceNow HRSD, thanks to time savings and efficiency. 

Data-Driven HR Insights and Compliance 

Another GenAI advantage is smarter analytics. ServiceNow’s Performance Analytics dashboards use AI to surface trends and KPIs across HR cases. For example, HR leaders can see if case volumes spike after benefit changes, or if a particular issue type is taking too long. AI can even forecast workload (e.g. predicting spikes during open enrollment) or flag anomalies (like unusually high attrition signals) so teams can act early. This data-driven HR means less firefighting and more strategic action. 

The benefits are tangible. With ServiceNow HRSD and Now Assist, companies move from disconnected spreadsheets to a single source of truth. For instance, another ServiceNow customer reported that transitioning to HRSD gave leadership “accurate and up-to-date data for decision-making” that was previously unavailable. In one case study, a healthcare organization noted that real-time reporting of HR issues improved decision-making and service-level compliance by capturing insights on-the-fly. In short, GenAI doesn’t just resolve inquiries — it helps HR learn from them. By aggregating knowledge across cases, AI identifies common roadblocks and suggests policy updates or training, raising the overall efficiency of the HR team. 

Real-World Impact and Case Examples 

All these features are more than theory – companies are already seeing results. For example, a large manufacturer saw its employees’ self-service usage skyrocket after introducing HRSD with AI chatbots. Routine queries like “How do I change my address?” that used to clog help desks are now answered instantly by the virtual agent. As one IT leader put it, “We have a lot of knowledge content powered by Now Assist’s GenAI, so customers [employees] can find what they need faster”. In global surveys, 91% of HR decision-makers agree that using AI and automation (like ServiceNow’s) to optimize HR processes is key to long-term success. 

Independent research backs up these anecdotes. Nielsen Norman Group found that workers using AI tools completed up to 59% more tasks per hour when doing knowledge work. Applied to HR, this means quicker case resolution and reduced backlog. Moreover, a recent Gartner-backed survey showed “HR service delivery with a worker-focused chatbot” is the #1 use case for HR professionals (cited by 43% of respondents). In other words, the industry expects AI chatbots and assistants to be table stakes in HR. ServiceNow HRSD delivers on that trend: by embedding generative AI at the core, it future-proofs HR operations for enterprise and mid-size firms alike. 

Conclusion and Call to Action 

Generative AI is no longer a distant promise — it’s here, reshaping HR service delivery today. With ServiceNow’s GenAI-powered HRSD suite, organizations unify people, processes, and systems on one platform, cutting costs and boosting satisfaction. HR leaders should take note: studies show that companies adopting these tools see dramatic ROI and efficiency gains. Whether you’re a global enterprise or a growing company, now is the time to explore AI-driven HR. Experience the latest in HR productivity with ServiceNow’s Now Assist for HRSD – it brings instant knowledge summaries, virtual AI agents, and automated workflows to your HR team.

Get started today by visiting ServiceNow’s HR Service Delivery page or contacting a ServiceNow partner for a demo. Empower your employees with smarter self-service and empower your HR staff to focus on strategic work — and let Generative AI transform your HR service delivery from day one.