Employees leave a company for a myriad of reasons. Sometimes, it’s the company or the boss. Other times, it’s personal, such as relocating or family changes. Whatever the reason, replacing an employee costs time and money. How much depends on the industry, the location, and the position. Lack of employee engagement is the underlying reason for much of employee turnover. Employees that are not engaged are less productive. They come to work, do a “good enough” job, and leave.
Employee engagement.
According to Harvard Business Review, engagement drives productivity. Engaged employees spend discretionary time on work-related projects, are committed to the organization, and feel connected to other employees. Analysts and researchers have differing opinions on how to keep employees engaged. Some suggest shared activities inside and outside of work. Others focus on corporate culture. But, one of the best ways to keep employees engaged is to provide exceptional employee experiences.
Employee experience.
Employee experiences are the total of all interactions between an organization and its employees. It begins at recruitment and never ends. Employees take their experiences with them. Like customers, they will share their experiences—good or bad. Chatbots are one way to improve the employee experience. They help employees feel connected, empowered, and valued.
Empowering employees.
Nothing lowers productivity more than interruptions. You’re moving through your list and cranking out emails. You’re trying to clear your schedule to work on an upcoming report that’s due. You’ve blocked out the afternoon to get it done.
As you pull things together, you realize you need data that was sent in an email. You search your inbox, but you can’t find it. You check your files in case you saved it. No luck. Suddenly, the productive afternoon may be taken up looking for that email.
Or, you could ask a chatbot, “What are the production estimates for the Centerville plant for March?” Within seconds, you have your answer—no hunting through emails or files. Instead of a wasted afternoon, you have the afternoon to complete the report as planned.
Chatbots enable employees to find the information they need when they need it. They don’t have to worry about accuracy because the chatbot relies on a single source of truth. Knowing that the data is trustworthy means additional research is not required.
Chatbots empower employees. It’s rewarding when a customer service agent can find the answer without putting a customer on hold. It’s empowering for employees when they know that the information they need will be there. There is no hesitation in tackling work or delays in their workflow.
Connecting employees.
The average employee reviews over 100 emails per day, so what is the likelihood that an internal email will be read? With push notifications, chatbots can send out a notice that employees are more likely to read. It’s faster than phone calls and provides a record of what was sent to whom and when. This feature is a great way to ensure that employees stay connected and informed.
Chatbots can also connect employees with the right person. What happens when an employee needs information but doesn’t know who to ask? With AI-powered chatbots, the technology can find the best person to answer a question or provide information. Employees don’t have to send an email, only to have it forwarded to multiple people before finally getting the information.
Bots can answer questions or direct employees to someone who can. If a chatbot receives a question it can’t answer, it can still help. AI-powered chatbots forward questions or requests to subject matter experts for resolution and then ingest the response for the next time around. Over time, the bot gains more knowledge and can provide answers 24/7 with minimal human intervention.
Valuing employees.
In a knowledge-based economy, employees are the most valuable assets. That’s why companies must find ways to let people know they are valued. Empowering employees with easily accessible information is one way to show them that they are valued. Moving repetitive and mind-numbing tasks from employees to bots is another. Beyond empowering them, companies can do the following to show they value employees.
Onboarding.
Companies can show that they value employees, beginning with onboarding. Typical new hire processes involve paperwork, reading volumes of documentation, and trying to remember names. Work-life becomes a struggle.
Provide new employees with a brief orientation followed by an introduction to the company’s chatbot. The chatbot can answer the standard new hire questions without comment or bias. Chatbots do not get tired of answering the same question over and over again.
An AI-powered bot can provide training materials as the new hire needs them. If information is outdated, users can provide feedback and the bot can submit a ticket to a human-in-the-loop to get the information updated. This self-guided learning empowers people, demonstrating from day one that employees are valued.
Staff development.
Chatbots can deliver ongoing training and skill development. This support for continuous learning is another way to show employee value. Investing in their growth resonates. Chatbots can keep employees informed on upcoming training or development opportunities. Broadcast messages can be delivered to specific groups, and chatbots can help guide interested employees to sign up. Bots can even be used to record participation for human resources records.
Recognition.
Acknowledging employees’ contributions rarely happens unless there is a specific recognition program in place. Managers forget to tell employees they’re appreciated or congratulate them for completing a development course. It’s vital to employee engagement that supervisors and managers recognize employee effort.
Chatbots can help. Managers can ask who was on the Glade Project or who has completed the cloud strategy seminar. With a single question, leadership can find out individual accomplishments and acknowledge the employee’s effort.
When employees are connected and empowered, they remain engaged. When they are valued, their experiences are rewarding, even on days that are not.\