NOTE: The opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of Shortlister
Employee benefits are a determining factor for 52% of people to change their jobs and for 75% to stay at their current ones. Therefore, some people question whether artificial intelligence can help with benefits since they see no correlation between AI and empathy.
The numbers above confirm that employee benefits are crucial in attracting and retaining talent. In addition, well-designed benefits packages foster a positive employee experience and increase employee engagement. For that reason, delivering and selecting benefits demands delicate care and empathy.
Hence, the idea that a machine made up of microchips and algorithms could somehow enhance an organization’s ability to show something as uniquely human as empathy might seem doubtful.
Yet, there’s an increasing prevalence of AI in the HR space. According to statistics, many businesses that adopted AI grew 270% between 2015 and 2019. With the massive development of artificial intelligence, the gap between AI and empathy is significantly decreasing.
Empathy in the Workplace
Empathy is the ability to understand and experience the feelings of another person. It enhances human connections in the workplace and builds strong relationships among co-workers. The bonds forged in the workplace are more valuable than ever, as 57% of employees who have “work best friends” find work more enjoyable.
Every individual has unique values, cultural knowledge, background, and perspectives. Being empathetic helps understand others’ points of view, build the capacity to connect with others, and develop a broader view of the world.
Therefore, empathy is a crucial characteristic among employees, especially middle managers and CEOs. According to a study, 84% of CEOs and 70% of employees believe empathy is the driver for positive business outcomes. Furthermore, 50% of CEOs and 72% of employees believe that empathy motivates employees.
Empathy is not only the way employees and leaders behave.
Employees believe that there is a close connection between empathy and well-being. Therefore, 80% of them regard benefits that are geared towards physical, mental, and financial health as empathetic.
Yet, 68% of CEOs are afraid that showing empathy in the workplace will make them less respected. But, since 90% of Gen Z say that having an empathetic employer is why they stay at the job, the importance of empathy in the workplace is more than evident.1
AI in the HR space
The evolution of technology has paved the way for artificial intelligence (AI) development.
Since 38% of HR leaders are excited and optimistic about using AI in their work, AI will significantly impact HR departments. There are many reasons why companies are inclined towards AI and how they decide to implement AI in HR.
- Improve candidate experience. Sourcing talent for a new job position can require a lot of time. With AI’s ability to identify high-quality job seekers even before they apply, it will take recruiters much less time to find the perfect fit. Additionally, AI can help attract the seekers and turn them into applicants by providing recommendations for job positions based on skill matching analysis or by using chatbots to answer any questions about the company candidates might have.
- Makes recruitment efficient and effective. Recruiter’s jobs are time-consuming and complex and require lots of decision-making. AI applications can analyze, predict, and diagnose data, thus helping HR teams make better decisions. They can predict how long a recruitment process will last based on past experiences or analyze a candidate’s future performance at a company depending on their skills and the skills necessary for the job position.
- Personalizes learning. Figuring out which training to offer to employees to make the best out of them can be very difficult. This is where AI can come in handy. With the advent of learning analytics AI can provide personalized suggestions about skills development. Through analysis, it can also point out the learning gaps in the company as a whole which makes it easier for leaders to know which areas they need to address.
- Assists with compensation and benefits planning. Deciding the value of the compensation and the benefits a company offers depends on numerous factors. Making a decision on them requires extensive research on the rate for employees’ skills, how in-demand they are, and whether it is better to reward employee performance for the specific job position with higher pay or more benefits.
Employee Benefits: How AI and Empathy go Hand-in-hand?
Employee benefits might be the most delicate out of all the areas where AI can be used in HR. Since benefits can often be pretty personal, such as electing benefits during annual enrollment or choosing to schedule that MRI, they demand a certain level of empathy.
But how can HR professionals improve their empathy game, especially when CFOs increasingly demand they do more with less? And how can they do it with something as resource-intensive as providing and delivering benefits?
That’s where artificial intelligence comes into play.
Service delivery on the employee’s terms
AI-based applications can deliver service at any time employees need it. Maybe a benefits question wakes an employee up from their sleep. Or, perhaps they work the third shift. No matter the time or place, AI is online and ready to help. AI-based applications are always ready to connect, with no waiting. The most complex issues might still require talking to a benefits administrator. Still, the most common questions that take up so much of the administrator’s time get immediate attention and resolution.
No language barriers
According to US Census Bureau over 380 languages and language groups are spoken in the US. And since benefits can be complicated, often employees find it easier to get information in their native tongue. Getting answers in a language that isn’t their native tongue can make matters worse and lead to partial or complete disengagement. AI applications, however, can interact with users in the language they prefer.
No value judgments
People can sometimes jump to conclusions and can be quick to judge. They often base their opinions on unconscious biases. AI applications don’t have such shortcomings. They are not biased towards anybody, so they treat and serve all employees equally.
Navigating emotion
Nearly all AI assistants are personified with first names by their creators, such as Siri or Alexa. While they do not have emotions of their own, these “digital entities” are increasingly able to recognize others’ emotions by the words they use.
Programming applications to respond empathetically isn’t easy, but it can be done. They can be “taught” certain human emotions by analyzing chat and phone interactions. Using this information, the AI entity can infer a state of mind based on how users communicate with them and respond accordingly.
No typing required
Nowadays, technology is excellent at understanding the spoken word and responding in kind. Applying language recognition to applications like benefits software results in a more empathetic experience for employees who prefer to ask their questions verbally, those who don’t like to type, or those with visual impairments.
Assistance with understanding benefits
Only half of the employees understand their benefits, and this is because 80% of them don’t even open or read the benefits materials. So, when an employee isn’t sure about what their benefits offer, AI applications can help them. They can pull information from the vendors to find the information required, or they can mine for details on websites to get the answers an employee needs.
Assistance with understanding benefits
Only half of the employees understand their benefits, and this is because 80% of them don’t even open or read the benefits materials. So, when an employee isn’t sure about what their benefits offer, AI applications can help them. They can pull information from the vendors to find the information required, or they can mine for details on websites to get the answers an employee needs.
On a Final Note
Even though it might seem unreal, the fact is that AI is becoming more and more predominant in HR. When it comes to benefits administration, AI and empathy become intertwined with the meaningful service AI applications offer, their effectiveness in helping people when and where they need it, caring about their needs, and consulting them to choose what is best for them, all of this without judgment or language barriers.
Written by Sony Sung Chu, Head of Applied Data Science at Businessolver
Applied data scientist, Sony Sung Chu, was recently named one of the top 20 technology innovators in 2018 by Employee Benefits News. At Businessolver, he leads a team of engineers who drive innovation in artificial intelligence and machine learning for the Benefitsolver platform. His other professional experience includes leading a business development team at Amazon and building machine learning applications to gather insights into Kindle reader and publisher behaviors.
