Regardless of specific job functions, business leaders agree that 2022 has been and will continue to be one of the most challenging times they have experienced. Covid-19 created unique difficulties in 2020 that continue to ripple, cascade, and grow, impacting organizations of all sizes and industries in ways that we could never predict. The current economic forecasts indicate that we are either in or are close to entering a recession. However, that too is a unique animal with unemployment remaining low and organizations continuing to face hiring and retention challenges.
With that in mind, MeBeBot set out to better understand the implications of today’s environment on HR organizations and their delivery of an improved employee experience through these numerous obstacles. MeBeBot released a Workplace Survey that focused on business priorities in the latter part of the year. They targeted HR executives in a mix of public and private organizations in growing industries. Here are some of the key takeaways.
Cultural Alignment and Communication Barriers
Eighty percent of the respondents noted that they plan to continue to grow their headcount and that the majority will continue to have at least 25% of their workforce remain remote. The top remote challenges these respondents noted were tied to cultural alignment, engagement, and communication themes. As companies continue to grow, if not resolved, these themes are at the heart of the disconnection and frustration that fuel employee disengagement that impedes company innovation and productivity needed to succeed.
It is clear that even though some organizations are attempting to bring workers back into the office, some level of remote/hybrid work is here to stay. Business leaders understand that they need to continuously improve their communication methods in order to engage this important segment of the workforce. Responders believe that providing consistent communication, especially from the various levels of management in the organization, is their top challenge. This is followed by having unconnected systems and technology for collaboration and communications, which can create friction and frustration for workers, especially in situations where long work hours and burnout are already a concern.
Hope with Digital Transformation
The good news is that these results point toward problems that can be easily solved by leveraging technology that helps organizations do more with less. These workplaces were already using technology to drive connection, 100% of respondents used Microsoft Teams or Slack, and 83% said they were comfortable with chatbots. The foundation and employee desire for evolving the workplace through digital transformation is there, leadership just needs to take the next step.
Solutions like MeBeBot can empower IT, Facilities, Ops, and HR teams to automate and streamline information while maintaining a personalized touch during the employee moments like onboarding, open enrollment, planning for a new baby, or support for grieving a lost family member. The ability to engage with employees fosters the needed alignment, community, and engagement that our workplaces lack.
And there’s a second level of transformation that occurs in conjunction with digital transformation, as resources can be utilized differently. While providing employees with tools and self-service capabilities, there’s an offloading of administrative tasks that opens up team members for more strategic and valuable work. Forward thinkers are letting technology handle the easy, repetitive tasks and letting humans tackle the hard stuff. For example, employees ask many of the same questions about HR, benefits, and systems, so why not let a chatbot handle them automatically, consistently, intelligently, 24/7?
The Bottom Line
Our workplace survey indicates that while it is a challenging time for all types of organizations for all different reasons, there’s hope among our audience that the coming months will be an opportunity for improvement. While leaders are faced with many challenges that impact culture and communications, they are open to taking innovative steps toward solutions that will help them to “do more with less” and digitally transform and improve the employee experience.
How MeBeBot Can Help
MeBeBot’s AI IntelligentVirtual Assistant provides real-time consistent, and personalized answers to employee and manager questions within their primary communication channel (Microsoft Teams/Slack). Employees can give feedback and feel like their voice matters to improve the accuracy of the answers. HR can send tailored nudges and reminders directly to the intended audience at the moment it makes a difference. They can also collect quick data from their employees and managers through short surveys to inform better decisions. Workplaces that integrate this level of digital transformation will find the level of engagement, alignment, and consistency of communication much-needed to provide employees the remote equity, belonging, and well-being they are seeking.
Click here to download the Workplace Survey infographic
MeBeBot’s AI Intelligent Assistant, recently selected as a “Brilliant Bot” in the Slack App Directory, seamlessly installs in Teams, Slack, or web portals to provide employees with instant automated answers to global HR, IT, and Ops FAQS. It also provides real-time usage Dashboards, Push Messaging, and custom Pulse Surveys, generating instant employee feedback on of-the-moment questions. MeBeBot’s “one-stop bot” is trusted by leading organizations to elevate the employee experience so work can be more meaningful and valuable.
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