HR teams are overwhelmed by repetitive inquiries, payroll processing remains time-consuming, and managers are bogged down by administrative tasks instead of focusing on strategic work.
Driving the news:
Sprout Solutions recently unveiled Sidekick Central—a powerful suite of intelligent, role-specific AI assistants seamlessly integrated into its all-in-one HR and payroll platform.
Designed to address real-world business challenges, these AI “Sidekicks” streamline routine tasks, resolve employee inquiries, and enable managers to focus on strategic leadership.
Founded in 2015, Sprout Solutions is the Philippines’ leading homegrown B2B SaaS and HR technology provider.
“Sidekick Central brings AI into the workflows that matter most,” said Sprout CEO Patrick Gentry. “The result is immediate productivity gains without the typical AI learning curve.”
Why it matters:
While many companies adopt consumer-grade AI tools, 83 percent of employees in the Philippines are doing so without organizational guidance or governance. This creates security risks, inconsistent outputs, and missed opportunities for deeper digital transformation.
Sprout’s solution: enterprise-grade AI that understands Filipino labor laws, cultural nuance, and workflow context—eliminating friction between humans and automation.
What Sidekick Central does:
Each AI assistant is specialized for a business function, offering seamless assistance in key areas:
HR Operations:
Cuts employee inquiries by up to 60 percent
Speeds up policy clarification by 45 percent
Auto-generates HR docs and internal messages
Payroll:
Reduces payroll processing time by 40 percent
Minimizes compliance questions by 90 percent
Flags risks using predictive analytics
Management:
Offers real-time workforce insights
Saves up to 15 hours/month via auto-generated reports
Helps plan resources proactively
Employee experience:
Provides 24/7 support
Personalizes policy and benefit info
Sends reminders for deadlines and perks
“Concierge AI has freed our HR team from low-value tasks so they can focus on strategic work,” said Shakira Snowdown, country head of Pepper Money PH.
The big picture:
The Sprout State of AI 2025 Report found AI-savvy workers already save 5.4 percent of work hours—or more than 100 hours/year per employee. Scaling enterprise-level tools like Sidekick Central could compound those gains across entire organizations.
Security first:
Sidekick Central is hosted on Microsoft Azure and adheres to ISO/IEC 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, and Philippine Data Privacy Act standards. Features include:
Role-based access controls
Audit trails for transparency
Local data sovereignty protections
It also identifies common knowledge gaps within organizations—helping teams improve training, clarity, and policy communication.
Who it’s for:
The platform is available to all Sprout HR and payroll clients, offering:
300 monthly credits for Concierge AI
Immediate access through the HR dashboard or https://sidekick.sprout.ph
No additional setup required
What’s next:
Sprout plans to expand Sidekick Central with AI assistants for finance, sales, and operations—and extend integrations to third-party systems.
“This is just the beginning,” said Gentry. “We’re building AI that amplifies Filipino talent, not replaces it.” —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
