Communication Breakdown: Partial vs. Whole Solutions
While the ongoing pandemic has shattered business as usual in many ways, the truth is that there will be no return to normal. Most teams are working remotely, employees are shifting work hours to balance family responsibilities, and companies have a new openness to hiring contingent talent or workers outside their immediate vicinity to fill skills gaps. All of these situations have become – and are likely to remain – the new normal.
This massive shift has driven companies to rethink how they keep their teams engaged and informed. Indeed, with remote and geographically dispersed teams no longer in the office, chatting with colleagues in the hall or dropping by HR for a question aren’t options anymore. As new policies regarding the Covid-19 workplace emerge, answering employee questions quickly and efficiently should be a priority.
A new approach for the new normal
While there are various systems designed to help employees access important information, not all are created equally. Perhaps the biggest question in finding the right system is whether you want a partial or complete solution.
Bigger platforms, like Workday or ServiceNow, may offer chatbots designed to help answer employee questions, but such functionality is often limited. That’s because these features are just one minor aspect of those bigger, all-encompassing HR solutions. Recognizing that this capability is a must-have for many organizations, they’re often developed reactively to try to meet those needs. However, they are still only partial solutions that can leave employees confused about where to go for their questions.
Socrates.ai is different in that it was created specifically to improve employee engagement. Not an afterthought or a late addition to an existing platform, Socrates.ai is a standalone solution that uses the latest in artificial intelligence and natural language understanding. As a result, employees can simply ask their questions, and the system will instantly scan all company policies and benefits information to deliver the right answer in easily understood language.
We recently presented Socrates.ai at the 2020 HR Technology Conference, which like other events, had shifted to a virtual event. This session gave us the opportunity to show the thousands of HR professionals in attendance how this solution is different. They saw firsthand how it can make their jobs easier – not just by reducing the number of questions they receive but also contributing to a well-informed, engaged, and satisfied employee base.
Addressing the complete employee experience
What further sets Socrates.ai apart is that it covers all aspects of the entire employee experience – from new employees who are starting their jobs remotely to addressing the needs and concerns of all employee populations, including interns and contractors. While those latter might not have the benefits that full-time employees have, their questions are just as important.
More than just answering questions about insurance options or time off policies, Socrates.ai provides crucial information for their day-to-day work. This includes proper safety procedures if they go onsite or meet with a client, information on how to deal with stress and the overall benefits available to them. Such a platform is also crucial given the greater focus on diversity and inclusion – Socrates.ai can help connect employees of all backgrounds, make everyone feel part of the team and ensure employees at all levels can access critical information.
While we don’t yet know when the pandemic will be over, we do know that the workforce will be forever changed. But the right tool – as a complete solution – can make sure employees easily get the information they need now and going forward.