How I Trained Zia to Handle My HR Questions in Zoho People
If you're the unofficial HR person in your small business—you know the drill.
Every Monday, someone’s asking about how to request time off. Then there’s the “where do I log hours again?” messages. And don’t get me started on reimbursement deadlines.
At a certain point, I realized: I’m just copy-pasting the same answers over and over.
So I handed it off to Zia.
Watch How To Use Zia in Zoho People
Meet Zia: Your AI-Powered HR Assistant (Who Never Takes PTO)
Zia is Zoho’s built-in AI assistant, and inside Zoho People, she shows up as a chatbot your team can talk to—just like they would with you.
It works on the web and the Zoho People mobile app, and it’s designed to automate common HR questions your employees ask all the time.
Here’s how I use it in my business:
- Someone asks about how to submit their hours
- Or how many PTO days they have left
- Or when reimbursements are processed
Now I just say: “Ask Zia.” Because she already knows.
How to Set Up the Zia Chatbot in Zoho People
This isn’t one of those features you have to hire a developer to use. It’s built in, and the setup is surprisingly straightforward.
Step 1: Make Sure Zia is Enabled
Zia is usually active by default, but to double-check:
- Go to Setup > Zia > Zia Chatbot
- Make sure chatbot functionality is enabled for your organization
If you don’t see this, your plan may not support Zia. It’s available in Zoho People Professional and higher tiers.
Step 2: Add FAQs and Custom Responses
Zia comes pre-loaded with a few basic queries, but the real power is in customizing her brain.
You can add your own FAQs like:
- “How do I request time off?”
- “When is the next holiday?”
- “Where do I submit my hours?”
- “How long do reimbursements take?”
To add them:
- Go to Setup > Zia > Chatbot Settings > Custom FAQs
- Click Add FAQ
- Write your question and answer (Zia understands natural language, so keep it casual)
- Save and repeat for your top 5–10 questions
You can even add keywords and variations so that “vacation” or “PTO” still trigger the right answer.
Step 3: Test It Like a Team Member
Once you’ve got a few FAQs in place:
- Head to the Zoho People homepage and click on the Zia chatbot
- Ask a few of your new questions to make sure she responds correctly
- Adjust the phrasing if something doesn’t land (Zia learns best with feedback!)
And yes—this also works in the Zoho People mobile app. So your field team or part-timers can get answers without bothering you, even if they’re out in the wild.
Why This Changed the Game for Me
Before Zia, I was either answering the same questions over and over—or ignoring them and hoping someone else would answer first.
Now?
- I don’t have to be the human search bar
- My team gets instant answers 24/7
- And I can spend time building systems instead of explaining them
Also: Zia doesn’t get tired, doesn’t misremember policies, and never forgets where to find the holiday calendar.
TL;DR: Let the Chatbot Do HR for You
Zia in Zoho People is the AI teammate you didn’t know you needed. Once you train her with your most common HR FAQs, she’ll:
- Respond instantly to employee questions
- Free up your time from repetitive admin
- Keep everyone aligned on policies and procedures
If you’re the accidental HR manager in your small business—Zia’s about to be your new best friend.
Want more ways to use AI to save time in your business?
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