Revolutionizing Employee Experience: The Imperative of an Integrated AI-Powered Experience Layer in HR

In the ever-evolving landscape of Human Resources (HR), the concept of an "experience layer" has gained considerable traction, particularly in relation to enhancing the employee experience. While the benefits of a superior employee experience are well-documented in retention rates, the complexity of HR applications often creates a daunting maze for employees. This article delves into the significance of implementing an experience layer, fueled by generative AI, to streamline HR processes and drastically improve the overall employee experience.

Understanding the Experience Layer:

HR organizations operate using a myriad of applications and tools, ranging from Core HR Systems to payroll, time registration, health, and learning & development. This diverse array of applications can overwhelm employees, leading to questions about where to find information, raise queries, and navigate the complex system effectively. To address these challenges, the implementation of an experience layer is crucial.

The experience layer, often exemplified by platforms like ServiceNow and MicrosoftViva, serves as a "single start shop." This entails providing employees with a unified portal that integrates seamlessly into their workflow, eliminating the need to switch between applications. The key components of an experience layer include:

Unified Portal for Employees the “single start shop”:

1.?????? Employees gain access to a centralized portal that consolidates all relevant information in one place.

2.?????? Integrated into their workflow, the portal delivers notifications, reminders, tasks, and more.

Effortless Ticketing System:

3.?????? Employees can raise tickets across various functions (HR, IT, Finance, etc.) within a single platform, avoiding confusion and redirection.

Managerial Insights and Approvals:

4.?????? Managers benefit from a "single start shop" within their workflow, providing insights into moments that matter for their employees.

5. Approval processes are streamlined, enhancing managerial awareness of team development needs.

AI-Powered Chatbot:

6.?????? A chatbot equipped with Generative AI offers direct, context-aware responses to employee queries. In the absence of an immediate answer, the chatbot facilitates the seamless creation of tickets.

Enhanced Workspace for HR Agents:

7.?????? HR Agents receive a centralized workspace for collaboration across functions, workload oversight, and streamlined processes with great potential to automate tasks.

Why Implement an Experience Layer in Your Organization?

Picture this: Your child was born yesterday, and you're overjoyed but exhausted. Your priority now is arranging parental leave, updating your manager, and focusing on your family. You open your laptop and navigate through Sharepoint to find information on parental leave. It's a maze – no direct hit. You decide to call HR for help, but they're unavailable. Following instructions, you write an email and receive a notification: a low-priority ticket was created, and you'll have to wait five working days. Trying to inform your manager, no response. The process is frustrating, time-consuming, and your focus shifts from work to family. It takes a week to resolve, and your team is only then aware of the reason of your absence. A horrible experience.

Now, imagine this with an experience layer and an integrated AI Chatbot:

You enter the "single start shop," open the chatbot, and type, "My child was just born. I want to learn how to request parental leave." The chatbot congratulates you, provides parental leave information, and asks if you're ready to request. After a set of personalized questions, you receive a message: "Your ticket has been created, and will be resolved within 48 hours." The HR Agent receives a new case, and registers your parental leave in the core HR system. Simultaneously, your manager gets a notification, a to-do list: call you to discuss the handover, send a gift, and congratulate you together with the team. You receive an email with relevant organizational policies for new parents – daycare, additional leave, and tips on balancing work and parenting.

In just five minutes, you found answers, raised a ticket, and most importantly, could shift your focus to your family. Automatic, relevant information was provided, and your manager reached out with a thoughtful gift, congratulations, and discusses the handover with you. You sit on your couch, smiling with your partner and newborn, appreciating the considerate actions of your employer.

This is the power of an experience layer and AI Chatbot, transforming experiences and making them seamless and efficient.

The Future of Employee Experience is quickly becoming a reality:

Pioneering organizations are already harnessing the power of generative AI within their experience layers to redefine employee experiences. By treating employees as customers and focusing on providing the best possible experience, HR is adapting to the changing landscape of work. The chat bot example provided is already a reality for the first front runners.

Conclusion:

As we witness the emergence of a new era in HR, where the employee experience takes center stage, the integration of an experience layer becomes not just beneficial but imperative. The combination of a unified portal, AI-driven support, and streamlined processes exemplifies the future of employee experience management. In the upcoming newsletter, we will explore the shift from a "case-to-case" mindset to "lifecycle management" as the new paradigm in HR. Subscribe to stay ahead in understanding the evolving landscape of employee experience.