AI is transforming every sector of business and commerce. In fact, over 90% of enterprises investing in it have reported measurable business benefits.
However, whilst the business benefit is widely recognised, the impact AI can have on company culture is often sidelined. And as the battle for top talent has become more competitive than ever, creating a workplace culture and employee experience fit for a world class team should be a top priority.
Don’t believe it? Companies who have used AI to improve efficiency and decision-making saw a 75% uplift in team morale, collaboration and collective learning.
So why does it have such a positive impact? We can largely categorise the benefits into two: organisational (in turn creating a more attractive workplace for employees) and individual (directly impacting employees on a daily basis).
Just by deciding to use AI within the organisation forces you to go back to basics to determine what the business is trying to achieve and why. While it sounds fundamental, it’s something that is often overlooked and rarely involves the wider organisation.
By getting employees involved and asking core business questions about what you are trying to achieve and why it’s important, you can get new insights into how the business works and make the whole team feel invested in where the organisation is headed.
Who wants to work for a failing business? When implemented effectively, AI can help build stronger organisations that have greater confidence when facing off competition and this can only have a positive knock-on effect on employee confidence.
Businesses can use AI to build Digital Twins allowing them to sharpen operations and simulate critical business scenarios allowing them to get ahead of the competition and harness new capabilities as they emerge and capture new opportunities.
With organisations trying to understand what their new ways of hybrid working is going to be with the gradual return to the office, it’s even more critical for businesses to stay connected to their employees and build a holistic and well rounded employee experience.
By harnessing the plethora of data across various systems such as HR, email, chat, finance, etc. organisations can leverage AI to bring all these sources together to: better engage with employees, help them connect with peers, discover new content and build meaningful relationships within the organisation. A great example of this is the work Microsoft has been doing with Viva to aid businesses in building an engaging employee experience.
Business leaders increasingly need to digest large amounts of data (internal and external) to make critical business decisions that would have an impact on each and every one of their employees.
Automation and intelligent systems are increasingly becoming crucial in helping business leaders perform vital business activities by bringing together siloed data sources, departments and turning them into recommendations for better decision making. This has been driven primarily by the need for faster and more reliable decision-making among enterprises.
In order to implement AI for better decision making, organisations naturally need to break down their siloes and look at how new AI initiatives can impact every part of the business so that everyone can reap the rewards.
By implementing it across multiple functions, teams and processes, it’s possible to increase team collaboration and organisational efficiency that means employees across the business feel both engaged and empowered.
By far the most important personal benefit to employees is being able to focus their time and energy on activities that are core to their job and spend less time on administrative tasks. This benefit is applicable to every industry, especially in areas where demand for knowledge workers far exceeds supply.
For instance, more than 50% of a doctor's time is spent sifting through paperwork with only 25% being spent seeing patients. We see similar trends with lawyers, administrative departments and a plethora of other professions.
AI can help offload the burden of administrative tasks and supplement knowledge workers with the right information at the right time, further enhancing their productive output and reading work related stress.
Furthermore, if implemented correctly AI can help professionals across almost every sector improve in their jobs in ways never seen before. Examples here would be helping doctors better detect cancer, helping developers write better code or help athletes improve their performance on and off the pitch.
AI software can also play an important role in helping to flag when employees may be coming under too much pressure.
95% of HR leaders admitted that employee burnout is sabotaging workforce retention and this is where more detailed insights during the recruitment process and beyond can help to get a better understanding of an employee’s capabilities to avoid problems before they happen.
AI can also be used to remind HR of key dates that are important to specific employees and to tailor benefits so that they are aligned with key life stages and events.
Ongoing training plays a key role in company culture and a massive 94% of employees say they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their development.
AI allows organisations to customise training so that it is tailored more specifically to individuals. By understanding one’s interactions, areas of focus and content, AI helps understand what training is of most benefit to employees and provide proactive recommendations based on their career growth aspirations.
Companies that innovate are five times as likely to see significant financial benefits as those who sit still.
Thinking of ways to apply AI to products and services can give teams the confidence to challenge long-held assumptions about existing processes and business models which can lead to new learnings that give them the confidence to truly innovate.
Even when implementing new technology, it is still the people who are key to any successful organisation.
To get the best out of their employees, businesses need to understand the value of different skillsets, what drives their workforce, how they interact with each other and what makes a great working environment.
AI offers various software solutions that help business leaders to understand how different workers communicate, influence and collaborate with each other. These deeper insights in turn can help to ensure every employee is working on activities core to their and feel fulfilled in their role.
Building a great company culture is important for a business’s image and identity within the wider industry. Don’t forget that employees from competitors often talk to each other.
By creating an organisation that runs efficiently and where your team has key goals they are invested in fulfilling, you will not only help your business to thrive but will also have top talent knocking at your door.
For businesses who are fully invested in implementing AI innovations from the outset, the opportunity is there to bring the talent and technology together to create a stronger and more competitive organisation where everyone can grow and reap the benefits.
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