AI has been a major topic of debate in recent years. It’s been an especially hot topic in the workforce management (WFM) world.
Will AI eventually replace jobs in contact centers?
Will AI render humans obsolete in the workforce world?
The short answer is no. Though, a Terminator era in WFM may sound cinematic and action-packed, it’s unlikely the direction the industry is headed.
Rather than fully opposing innovative changes in AI technology, workforce management professionals should embrace AI. This doesn’t mean replacing your workforce with artificial intelligence. Instead, consider the ways that future developments of AI can work for your people. AI should enhance the employee experience, not replace it. Think about ways that AI can improve workdays for your team, saving time, minimizing frustration, and improving efficiency.
Businesses should view AI as a resource, not replacement
Providing your employees with context surrounding AI enhancements in the workplace should be a first step in understanding the role technology plays in your workforce. AI should be framed as a resource, not a replacement. Its purpose should be to improve the human experience in the workforce and leadership should provide enablement to employees interested in learning about streamlining processes through automation and AI. Encourage your team to view AI as an ally and an invaluable resource in making their work lives easier.
Better quality management and protections for employees
An unsung benefit of AI in improving the employee experience is the enhancement it can make to quality management processes. AI can not only simplify the quality evaluation process for managers, but it can also provide benefits and protections for employees.
AI features in voice and screen recordings can analyze customer behavior and how employee have responded. This creates learning opportunities to exhibit the best ways to tackle difficult contact center customers, while also rewarding employees for providing solutions to challenging calls.
Automate feedback and training opportunities
AI can help close the feedback gap in busy contact centers when managers may not have the bandwidth to immediately reach employees. Automated performance management systems can monitor interactions throughout the work day, triggering options to assist employees with feedback or potential training modules to mediate skill gaps determined by performance data.
Automated feedback suggestions aren’t meant to replace important communication loops between managers and employees, but supplement assistance during times where direct assistance may not be possible.
Get scheduling precise to keep teams happy
It’s frustrating to get to work and realize the team is overstaffed, giving you little to do. On the flip side, it's even more frustrating to get to work and realize your team is understaffed, leaving you swamped with back-to-back calls. Both situations create a problematic work day for employees, which can impact customer interactions and service levels. Incorporating AI and automation into accurate forecasting and scheduling helps avoid dreaded staffing issues for employers, while minimizing stressful shifts for employees.
Improve employee well-being with work-life balance
AI and automation can be your team’s biggest ally when promoting employee well-being and work-life balance. Predictive technology and automated scheduling can find more options to provide flexible, balanced schedules for teams. Balanced schedules can help prevent employee burnout, improving performance and overall retention.
Develop a clear career path
One of the biggest drivers of employee satisfaction is having professional growth opportunities and a career path within an organization. Predictive technology can develop personalized career paths for individual employees based on available training and development opportunities. Giving employees a clear path of where they can grow and how to get there will increase satisfaction, ideally retaining the most talented individuals on your team.
At Aspect, we’re firm believers that businesses should be allowed to choose how much of a role AI has in workflows. Automate your workforce processes as little as possible, or as much as you require, to ensure business needs are met and employees are happy.
