Benefits of using a voice chatbot: Communication, both internal and external often play a critical role in the success of any business. Over the years, many companies have been leveraging available technologies and channels for robust communication.
One widely quoted yet misunderstood example for the same is chatbots. Chatbots are conversational interfaces powered by artificial intelligence and aim at providing a human-like conversation to the user via text or auditory methods. One such area that is ripe for intelligent automation within an enterprise is Human Resources.
Many HR software used today leverage a conversational interface to provide a better experience for all the end users. For example, several workflows of the HR software are supported by the conversational interface. Amongst the buzz what most of us essentially miss is potent enough to be the most critical shift – the death of narrative text.
Yes, you heard that right, like every other business even the HR tech is shifting to a post text communication world that is dominated by voice. This ineluctable shift has been powered by the popularity of chatbots like Alexa/Siri, that people leverage in their personal lives, and also new age communication methods like podcasts. modes are rapidly gaining in popularity and are capable of implementing more powerful and better-received information without the hassle of text input.
Chatbots in HR, are here to improve the overall employee experience and cater to the various needs of the workforce. Chatbots can potentially transform HCM software and make it much more useful. Additionally, chatbot interface can be used in HCM software to enhance workflows like recruitment, benefits, and Administration. Through this article, we will be discussing how a wisely chosen, well-implemented voice chatbot can boost the HR related productivity of employees.
What does a post-text HR world look like?
Online text documents can be cumbersome to read on the present smartphone screen. While , asking HR related questions on your phone through a voice-activated chatbot and gaining information can be much more effective and engaging.
For many legal and compliance related reasons, HR function will want to maintain its repository of written documents, but if it wants to get and keep the attention of employees and managers, it must offer a range of easier to digest voice-based interactions. These non-textual options are categorized into different functional areas of HR based on the touchpoints and impact.
1)Providing policy information
Rather than having to read a policy document, in the post text world, employees will ask questions about policies via their mobile phones like you now do with Siri or Alexa. Similarly, a chatbot like digital assistant will answer them verbally. This feature will inform the employee about related information that others have also searched. Of course, the information provided will be completely personalized to the employee’s function.
2) Benefits related Questions
Benefits are the area where employees seek the highest number of HR related answers. Once again voice chatbots can provide standard answers to related questions which are provided verbally by an employees phone. In case the issues get complicated, employees can automatically be transferred to a higher human support. Machine learning algorithms can also alert benefit professionals to new questions as well as the most useful answer
3) Employee Engagement
It is not just about SLAs and surveys; it is about understanding and making the employee feel comfortable in their workplace. To achieve excellent employee experience is not only the senior management’s job, engagement mostly happens at all touch points. This becomes true when the employee is empowered enough to take action through a digital self-service environment. With the help of voice chatbot, not only the manager but also every employee can work towards building a community. A complete all rounded employee engagement voice bot works on creating loyalty programs and gets the employee to engage in a conversation.
4) Feedback
Feedback is something that every employee expects from their manager. In most of the companies, having too many employees in one team makes it tough for the manager to sit and segregate each person and then give a personalized feedback. A voice-based chatbot makes things easier here as the input happens via voice which is a more natural form of interaction, Managers for that matter would have to voice their request of pulling out the list of employees he is willing to give feedback, and the list is made accessible to them. This makes it easy for the employees as well, who can request feedback from their managers just as swift and easy.
5)Payroll Assessments
Problems that are related to payslips can be taken care of thanks to HR chatbot. With further enhancements of the chatbot, the voice feature would make things easier. Employees can view and download related documents and also ask doubts related to their salaries such as tax deductions, pf claim, and other relevant queries all this with an intuitive, voice based interface.
Many in HR who focus entirely on compliance will argue against this shift away from written narratives because that approach allows covering up of every painful detail. Voice chatbots offer the advantage where it can be listened to when you are waiting or walking. If the whole focus is on providing information that is viewed, heard and acted upon, its time to start a significant shift toward voice activated responses and podcasts.
