The ongoing progress of automation and AI continues to disrupt our digital landscape at work. Some people feel nervous about this disruption, viewing this transformation as a human versus machine match-up in the foreseeable future. Many sci-fi movies have depicted that scenario as having dire consequences, but a more constructive view is warranted.
From helping our clients leverage bot technology and working to develop, share and inspire the creation of dozens of core skills, I believe machines are likely to be our No. 1 draft pick for the foreseeable future — teammates that can help us do our work smarter, better and in less time. Companies that take advantage of these innovative and evolving technologies will have a competitive workforce advantage.
This is a broad topic, so let’s focus on how the new adoption of one technology — chatbots — may positively impact the workforce experience and, as a result, business performance. In narrowing down the conversation to chatbots and their role in HR, we should consider where chatbots can have the most impact, as well as their top benefits and key risks.
High-Impact HR Areas
Several key HR areas can be positively impacted by chatbots. Right now, chatbots are used during recruitment, with many companies leveraging them to enhance screening processes, making it easier to answer candidates’ questions and more. Onboarding is another area that can help ensure a trouble-free transition. There are several more high-impact areas too.
• FAQs: Chatbots can answer common questions and queries around company policies and procedures.
• Training: They can help provide more interactive experiences and personal journeys for both new employees and those looking to grow their skills.
• Benefits enrollment: Chatbots can be used to provide a step-by-step guide while gathering the right information promptly.
• Engagement surveys and performance reviews: Chatbots can be used to give an instant exchange of feedback and insights that can be captured, analyzed, and fed back to appropriate audiences.
Advantages To Leverage
There are several advantages to integrating chatbots into your HR environment and workflow.
• Driving up convenience: Chatbots operate 24/7 and do not have well-being concerns. Today, lines are blurred between work and home, so the ability to ask a question and get answers or undertake an activity at a convenient time — even if it’s after hours — is often appreciated by employees.
• Putting the human back in HR: It might seem counterintuitive to think that technology can help us be more human, but chatbots can free up people resources to impact the moments that matter. The ability to automate repetitive and transactional activity with a higher degree of success by taking advantage of machine learning capabilities creates bandwidth for HR to provide higher-touch experiences.
• Redeploy capital to critical people programs: One chatbot can handle thousands of conversations at once. Rather than spending HR budgets on adding more people to deal with specific tasks or high-demand areas, your CFO may determine that funds can be reallocated to higher-value people programs.
• Gain a better understanding of what is trending: Data will never cease to provide business value. Its currency continues to rise, so the ability to provide near-instant reporting and management information will pay huge dividends.
Key Risks To Be Managed
These benefits aside, there are critical HR areas that must be mitigated or managed appropriately according to your company’s risk appetite and tolerance.
• Legal boundaries: Make sure that your chatbots operate in their swim lanes. Complex questions should still be routed through to the right people. For example, questions regarding health plans or employee share programs are best left up to the human. Chatbots must be built to answer generic queries and to defer complex issues that may have legal and ethical consequences.
• Content management: Chatbots are only as useful as the information provided to them. They must be kept up to date. Yes, they can learn, but the information source is critical to their success. Put a content management solution in play.
• Continuous improvement: Chatbots, like people, need to evolve their skills to stay current. So, continue to innovate and challenge assumptions. This area is similar to content management because you must ensure innovation never stops.
It’s time to buy into this new world of work and welcome automation and AI into our daily work routines. Every company must accept the simple fact that the role of technology in HR will continue to grow significantly. Ignoring that reality may cause your organization to be left behind. Indecision is the enemy of progress, so consider chatbots as a go-to play while making sure you manage the risks appropriately.