Written by: Hanadi El Sayyed
Download
In my last article, When Two Worlds Converge and Make Magic, I stress the importance of making the convergence of the Employee Experience (EX) to Customer Experience (CX) to create the oversized growth opportunities. I refer to a study by Accenture and Forrester that shows how companies that do EX and CX right, boost their profitability by 21% compared to 11% if the improvement is made to CX only. In this article, I look at how HR can start making a positive correlation with CX in their companies by improving the experience of their workforce through technology.
Let me show you how.
Today, and just as your customers expect better products and services from your brand, so do your people. It is no longer a differentiating factor of an employer’s value proposition (EVP) but an expectation by employees that their companies provide them with digital tools and services that support them to do their work. Technology solutions are part of the overall internal experience, and sought-after talent will look for tech solutions provided in the workplace when deciding to accept an assignment in an organization or not.
So which technologies should you start to invest in which will drive the EX to CX convergence? While there is no straightforward answer or measure to this, below are three areas where technology can have the biggest impact on EX and overall employee engagement and productivity as a result.
HR Tech
HR as a support function is a thing of the past. HR is now expected and is required to be a value creator, value that business can measure top line and bottom line. HR is becoming key to business growth. Investing in HR technology solutions such as artificial intelligence (AI) powered recruitment solutions and talent management systems enabled by AI and machine learning (ML) will boost EX directly by freeing HR and people managers to allocate time to more valuable tasks.
Additionally, implementing chatbots for example to answer employees’ questions about HR policies (annual leave balance, sick leave policy, medical insurance claims, etc.) and their performance and compensation are essential given the on-demand culture we live in.
Additional Resource: Listen to this podcast episode from myHRfuture where David Green talks to Richard Collins, Co-Founder of ClickIQ, about how Automation, AI and Analytics Are Changing Recruiting
RPA and IPA
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) automates repetitive tasks and processes otherwise performed by employees manually, which can be time-consuming and not considered meaningful work. Examples where RPA can be successfully deployed, thus freeing employees’ valuable time, include but are not limited to sifting a large number of job applications, processing routine admin work, pulling reports, and triggering responses. As AI and ML are advancing, RPA is making way to Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) which can perform tasks that require cognitive processing making it ideal for the tasks that are too complicated for RPA, but too boring and time-consuming for humans. As a result, employees are freed from mundane, repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on tasks that drive value for the business, give them an opportunity to grow, contributing as a result to improved EX. The ultimate impact is, of course, on the company’s CX since the organization is better equipped now to focus on delivering a better experience to its customers.
Wearables in the Workplace
The third way HR can improve EX is by continuing to make the workplace smarter, simpler, safer and healthier. For example, consider offering employees wearable technology to pay for things, monitor their health and wellness, and augment their capabilities. Another example is facial recognition system for card-less access to company premises and improved security. According to a report by Deloitte, Workforce superpowers: Wearables are augmenting employees’ abilities, “wearable technology can augment workers’ physical and perceptual abilities and help keep them safe. It’s time for companies to assess the potential of this technology and consider its impact on workforce planning.”
But whatever new workplace technology the organization and HR decide to introduce/upgrade in order to help employees do their best work, having employees’ input before making the investment is a critical factor to succeed, especially if they are the ones who will be using the technology on a daily basis.
Additional Resource: Our status with tech at work: It’s complicated by PWC
