Business AI Automations
Operations & HR Automations
4 min read
Operations and HR teams handle repetitive document processing, reporting, and people management tasks daily. These AI automations free up time for strategic work that actually requires human judgment.
Blueprint 1: Document Classifier & Router
Automatically classify incoming documents and route them to the right team.
WORKFLOW: Smart Document Router
═══════════════════════════════
TRIGGER: New file uploaded (Google Drive, Dropbox, email attachment)
│
▼
AI STEP: Classify document
│
│ Prompt:
│ "Analyze this document and classify it for routing.
│
│ Document name: {{file.name}}
│ Document text: {{file.extracted_text}}
│
│ Classify into one category:
│ - INVOICE: Bills, payment requests, receipts
│ - CONTRACT: Agreements, terms, legal documents
│ - RESUME: CVs, job applications
│ - REPORT: Internal reports, analytics, summaries
│ - CORRESPONDENCE: Letters, formal communications
│ - OTHER: Anything else
│
│ Output (JSON):
│ {
│ 'category': 'one of the above',
│ 'confidence': 'high/medium/low',
│ 'summary': 'one sentence description',
│ 'key_entities': ['names, dates, or amounts mentioned']
│ }"
│
▼
PATH: Based on category
│
├── [INVOICE] → Move to Finance folder
│ → Create accounting entry
│ → Notify AP team
│
├── [CONTRACT] → Move to Legal folder
│ → Create review task
│ → Notify legal team
│
├── [RESUME] → Move to HR folder
│ → Trigger resume processing workflow
│
├── [REPORT] → Move to Reports folder
│ → Add to report database
│
└── [OTHER] → Move to Inbox folder
→ Notify admin for manual sorting
Blueprint 2: Resume Screening Assistant
Pre-screen resumes and rank candidates based on job requirements.
WORKFLOW: Resume Screener
═════════════════════════
TRIGGER: New resume received (email attachment or ATS)
│
▼
ACTION: Fetch job description for the open role
│
▼
AI STEP: Screen and score candidate
│
│ Prompt:
│ "You are an HR assistant. Screen this resume against the job requirements.
│
│ Job Title: {{job.title}}
│ Required Skills: {{job.required_skills}}
│ Nice-to-Have: {{job.preferred_skills}}
│ Experience Required: {{job.min_experience}} years
│
│ Resume:
│ {{resume.text}}
│
│ Evaluate:
│ 1. MATCH_SCORE: 1-10 based on requirements match
│ 2. REQUIRED_SKILLS_MET: Which required skills they have
│ 3. MISSING_SKILLS: Required skills not evident
│ 4. EXPERIENCE_YEARS: Estimated years of relevant experience
│ 5. STRENGTHS: Top 3 standout qualifications
│ 6. CONCERNS: Any red flags or gaps
│ 7. RECOMMENDATION: 'Advance' / 'Maybe' / 'Pass'
│
│ Be objective. Don't infer skills not clearly stated."
│
▼
ACTION: Create candidate record in ATS/Airtable
│
▼
PATH: Based on recommendation
│
├── [Advance] → Notify hiring manager
│ → Schedule initial screen (Calendly)
│
├── [Maybe] → Add to review queue
│ → Flag for human decision
│
└── [Pass] → Send polite rejection email
→ Add to talent pool for future roles
Important: Always have humans make final hiring decisions. AI assists, never decides alone.
Blueprint 3: Automated Weekly Report Generator
Create weekly status reports from project management tools automatically.
WORKFLOW: Weekly Status Report
══════════════════════════════
TRIGGER: Scheduled (Friday 4 PM)
│
▼
ACTIONS: Gather data (parallel)
├── Fetch tasks completed this week (Asana/Monday/Jira)
├── Fetch tasks in progress
├── Fetch blockers and issues
├── Fetch team availability next week
└── Fetch key metrics from dashboard
│
▼
AI STEP: Generate executive summary
│
│ Prompt:
│ "Create an executive summary report from this week's data.
│
│ Completed Tasks: {{tasks.completed}}
│ In Progress: {{tasks.in_progress}}
│ Blockers: {{tasks.blocked}}
│ Team Capacity Next Week: {{team.availability}}
│ Key Metrics: {{metrics.summary}}
│
│ Generate:
│ 1. EXECUTIVE_SUMMARY: 3-4 sentences, high-level status
│ 2. WINS: Top 3 accomplishments this week
│ 3. BLOCKERS: Issues needing attention (if any)
│ 4. NEXT_WEEK_FOCUS: Top 3 priorities
│ 5. RISKS: Any concerns for upcoming deadlines
│ 6. METRICS_INSIGHT: One key observation from the numbers
│
│ Tone: Professional but concise. Facts over fluff."
│
▼
ACTIONS:
├── Create formatted report (Google Docs or Notion)
├── Send to stakeholder mailing list
└── Post summary to #leadership Slack channel
Blueprint 4: Employee Onboarding Checklist
Automate new hire onboarding with personalized task sequences.
WORKFLOW: New Hire Onboarding
═════════════════════════════
TRIGGER: New employee added to HR system
│
▼
AI STEP: Personalize onboarding
│
│ Prompt:
│ "Create a personalized onboarding checklist for this new employee.
│
│ Employee: {{employee.name}}
│ Role: {{employee.title}}
│ Department: {{employee.department}}
│ Start Date: {{employee.start_date}}
│ Manager: {{employee.manager}}
│ Location: {{employee.location}} (Remote/Office/Hybrid)
│
│ Standard Onboarding Modules:
│ - Company overview (all)
│ - Department orientation (all)
│ - Tools setup (varies by department)
│ - Security training (all)
│ - Benefits enrollment (all)
│
│ Generate:
│ 1. WEEK_1_TASKS: First week priorities
│ 2. WEEK_2_TASKS: Second week priorities
│ 3. FIRST_30_DAYS: 30-day milestones
│ 4. PEOPLE_TO_MEET: Key introductions by role
│ 5. TOOLS_NEEDED: Specific tools for their role
│ 6. WELCOME_MESSAGE: Personalized welcome for Slack"
│
▼
ACTIONS (parallel):
├── Create task list in project management tool
├── Schedule orientation meetings
├── Request IT for account provisioning
├── Notify manager of new hire checklist
└── Send welcome message to team Slack
Blueprint 5: Expense Report Processor
Process expense receipts and create formatted expense reports.
WORKFLOW: Expense Processor
═══════════════════════════
TRIGGER: Receipt uploaded (email or expense app)
│
▼
AI STEP: Extract receipt data
│
│ Prompt (for image/PDF):
│ "Extract expense data from this receipt.
│
│ Receipt: {{receipt.image}} or {{receipt.pdf_text}}
│
│ Extract:
│ {
│ 'vendor': 'store or company name',
│ 'date': 'YYYY-MM-DD format',
│ 'total': 'amount with currency',
│ 'category': 'Meals/Travel/Office/Software/Other',
│ 'line_items': ['list of items if visible'],
│ 'payment_method': 'card ending if visible',
│ 'tax': 'tax amount if shown'
│ }
│
│ If any field is unclear, use 'UNCLEAR' as the value."
│
▼
ACTION: Create expense entry in accounting system
│
▼
FILTER: If amount > $100 or category = 'Other'
│
├── [Yes] → Route for manager approval
│
└── [No] → Auto-approve small expenses
Quick Reference: Operations Automation Triggers
| Trigger | Platform | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| New file uploaded | Drive, Dropbox | Document classification |
| New email with attachment | Gmail, Outlook | Receipt processing |
| Scheduled | Cron/timer | Reports, digests |
| New record created | ATS, HRIS | Onboarding, screening |
| Status change | Jira, Asana | Workflow progression |
Cost Savings Calculation
| Task | Manual Time | Automated Time | Savings/Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Document classification | 2 min each | Instant | 5+ hours |
| Resume initial screening | 10 min each | 30 seconds | 15+ hours |
| Weekly report compilation | 2 hours | 5 minutes | 8+ hours |
| Expense processing | 5 min each | 1 minute | 4+ hours |
| Onboarding setup | 30 min each | 5 minutes | 2+ hours |
Next: Let's learn advanced patterns—multi-step workflows, AI agents, and human-in-the-loop designs. :::