Businesses often leverage technology to gain or maintain a competitive advantage. This can come in many forms, from market expansion to new business models to new solutions for growth in order to capture additional or more profitable market share. With a growth focus, it can be easy to overlook or underestimate the effort required to ensure their workforce is prepared to help them meet business demands.
Employees should be tapped to bring expertise, creativity and dedication to work. They are the ones who translate the company’s vision into action, forge meaningful connections with customers, and execute business plans. In short, tapping into their insights and creating alignment can set a business apart. Off-loading work that can supplement their actions, create insights faster and/or make their work more efficient and effective is a place to look to AI.
Today’s employment landscape shows just how valuable the workforce is to a company — according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, there are 8 million job openings but only 6.8 million unemployed workers. What’s more, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that total factor productivity increased by 0.7% in 2023, significantly improving from 2022’s 1.6% decrease.
Yet, employees can bring more to the table. This is where artificial intelligence comes into play.
Many businesses and industries are still early in their ability to leverage AI to optimize processes, gain valuable insights and make data-driven decisions. However, the true potential of AI lies not just in its ability to streamline operations but in its capacity to empower and uplift the workforce.
By integrating AI technologies into HR processes and workforce management strategies, companies can create a more supportive, engaging and productive work environment for their employees. AI can automate repetitive tasks, provide personalized training and development opportunities, uncover root-cause issues and detect patterns that can be leveraged proactively to change business outcomes.
Unlocking Efficiency and Engagement
Among the most significant benefits of future proofing with AI are cost savings and labor optimization. By automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks, AI can help reduce the workload on employees, allowing them to focus on higher-value activities that require human intuition and creativity. Alleviating these tasks increases productivity and efficiency, helps reduce turnover rates and, ultimately, lowers overall labor costs. Employees who feel their time and skills are utilized effectively are more likely to remain engaged and committed to their roles. According to Gallup, “Highly engaged business units realize an 81% difference in absenteeism and a 14% difference in productivity.”
Moreover, AI-powered tools can enhance employee engagement and operational efficiency by facilitating better communication and collaboration across the organization. This is particularly crucial for the deskless workforce, who often face challenges in staying connected and informed. By leveraging AI to personalize employee experiences and provide easier access to information, companies can bridge the gap between frontline workers and management, fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging.
For example, a company could use AI to identify employee scheduling patterns or employee skills and training that may correlate with an increase in safety incidents. HR and operations professionals can devote time to proactively adapt procedures to reduce employee fatigue and improve safety based on information about what will have the greatest impact. As another example, companies can use generative AI to create intelligent search tools that help employees find relevant documents, templates and other resources, further streamlining processes and reducing the time spent looking for information or on administrative tasks.
Another key benefit of AI in the workplace is its ability to improve focus on employee wellness. By analyzing real-time work data, AI algorithms can identify patterns and trends that may indicate potential impacts to employee engagement. This proactive approach allows organizations to address concerns before they escalate, creating a safer and more supportive work environment. Additionally, AI can help reduce workplace-related stress and burnout by optimizing workloads and ensuring employees have the resources and support needed to do their best work.
Beyond the internal benefits, AI can help companies better serve their customers by enabling faster, more personalized experiences. By automating routine customer service tasks and providing instant access to information, AI can free up employees to focus on more complex and nuanced customer interactions. This improves customer satisfaction and allows employees to develop deeper, more meaningful relationships with the people they serve.
Implementing the Right Way
Organizations must carefully navigate a range of technical, ethical and cultural considerations to ensure that AI is deployed responsibly and effectively.
One of the most significant challenges is developing comprehensive AI policies that govern these technologies’ ethical use and deployment. As AI becomes more sophisticated and pervasive in the workplace, organizations must have clear guidelines to ensure it is used fairly and transparently, covering issues such as data privacy, algorithmic bias and the potential impact of AI on job displacement.
To develop effective AI policies, organizations must engage in a collaborative process that involves stakeholders from across the business, including HR, IT, legal and employee representatives. This process should be guided by a set of principles that prioritize the well-being of employees and the responsible use of AI technologies. Organizations can build trust and confidence in AI while mitigating potential risks and unintended consequences by taking a proactive and inclusive approach to policy development.
Another critical challenge is ensuring that the benefits of AI are accessible to all employees, regardless of their role or technical expertise. While AI can potentially transform the way we work, it could exacerbate existing digital divides and create new barriers to entry for certain groups of workers. Organizations must provide training and support to mitigate this risk and help employees develop the skills and knowledge needed to work effectively with AI.
The potential applications of AI in future proofing the workforce are vast and may take some time to be fully realized. Organizations can unlock new levels of efficiency, insights and employee empowerment by taking a phased approach to AI implementation. In doing so, they can create a more agile, resilient and engaged workforce better equipped to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the future of work.
As AI becomes an increasingly integral part of our daily lives, we must not lose sight of what matters most: people. The key to success is approaching AI as an extension of our human capabilities, not a full replacement for all employees. It’s about finding the right balance between the efficiency of automation and the ingenuity of human creativity. It’s about using data not to replace human judgment but to inform and enhance it.
Instead of businesses looking to wield AI externally, their own employees can be excellent stewards of the technology and improve the organization from within.
Nicole Neumarker has more than 20 years of enterprise software experience setting strategic direction, leading people and ensuring results across business, operations, technology and finance functions. As chief operating officer at WorkForce Software, she oversees solutions product strategy and delivery, directing Product Development, Product Management, Cloud Services, Global Support and Professional Services organizations. Together, these groups design, develop, deliver and support industry-leading products to meet global customers’ requirements and ensure a high-quality, scalable and secure cloud SaaS software delivery platform for WorkForce Software and its customers. Neumarker holds a degree from Brigham Young University and is an active female leader in STEM programs.
WorkForce Software, now part of ADP, is the No. 1-rated workforce management solution for large, global employers and the first to deliver integrated employee communication capabilities.
