Automation, artificial intelligence and customer experience
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COMBINING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT
Most businesses are increasingly confident in how AI can enhance the recruitment process. Artificial intelligence can also underpin positive customer experience management. However, it’s essential to establish trust first for this approach to succeed.
Why it's essential to consider AI alongside the customer experience
As businesses seek to deliver the best possible experience to their customers, AI’s role is becoming increasingly important. Automation and machine learning can drive efficiency and innovation. However, this needs to be supported by transparent data usage and clear communication.
Many organisations are investing heavily in AI without a clear roadmap. But with budgets under increasing pressure, C-suite executives will need greater clarity and expect to see proof of ROI. It’s time to consider the best ways to combine AI and customer experience (CX) initiatives.
What do automation and AI bring to the hiring process?
Increased capacity and scalability
Automation and artificial intelligence in customer experience allow us to operate at scale. For most talent acquisition teams, handling large volumes of candidates has historically been strained by human capacity.
AI tools allow hiring managers to complete processes at a scale that is simply not achievable by humans.
Potential loss of human touch
Every individual's decision to change jobs is deeply personal. From seeking career advice to understanding the current job market, people trust people. This is where the art of human interaction becomes essential.
While AI streamlines processes, the personal connection and nuanced understanding that recruiters provide can’t be replaced. The challenge is to blend AI’s efficiency with the human elements of recruitment.
However, by using AI to automate certain tasks, you can free up time to focus on customer interactions.
What are the ethical considerations in artificial intelligence and customer experience management?
There has been much promise about AI and how it will help to rid the hiring process of bias. However, the reality is that most solutions in the marketplace today rely on previously gathered data - and existing data can carry its own biases. It is a misconception to assume that generative AI automatically makes hiring inherently fairer.
The ethical implications of integrated AI in the screening process are still to be figured out. The European Commission sets an expectation of ongoing human involvement at the key points of any hiring decision. Transparency is essential, especially when it comes to explaining AI-driven recommendations. By being transparent, we can improve artificial intelligence and customer experience management processes.
How AI and automation can improve customer experience
Incorporating AI in recruitment has shown some exciting results, particularly in engagement.
Automated engagement with candidates
At Hays, we have successfully used automation tools like an AI-powered chatbot, Mya, to improve communication with candidates. This conversational AI has helped us to achieve a 41% better response rate from outreach efforts.
The best possible customer experience requires contact at the right time and the most relevant information for the challenge you're trying to help the customer solve
Increased job satisfaction for hiring managers
Using automation here also enhances the consultant experience. Customer interactions can be more efficient and effective because consultants are calling the right people. Allowing AI to tackle basic questions makes room for meaningful conversations. In turn, this approach improves the consultants' job satisfaction as they focus on building personal relationships.
Expedited application journey
We have also had great success using Automation Anywhere to streamline repetitive processes in the front and back office. For example, gathering and processing compliance data can be a tedious and complex task for candidates and consultants alike.
Automating this process has made the applicant journey much faster, ensuring a less onerous journey for candidates.
Where to start with AI for customer experience
What we’ve learned from our experiences is to start with basic principles first. Avoid automating a bad process. Instead:
1) Map out how your process should ideally work.
2) Redesign existing processes with your customer needs at the fore.
3) Then bring in the technical solutions to support it.
Considerations before integrating artificial intelligence and customer experience
1. Data collection and personalisation
By collecting more data, you can personalise each customer’s overall experience. That might involve understanding more about candidates as individuals, the hiring manager’s expectations, or an organisation’s culture.
Think about how you can prompt a candidate to share more information. Offer advice or valuable content in return. When you inevitably ask for customer data, be clear about how it will be used, stored , and managed. This step is critical to establishing trust with your organisation.
2. Customer-centric design
AI and automation must be implemented with the customer at the centre. Google's approach to customer-centric design is a great example. Taking time to analyse customers’ frustrations and joys can create products that are truly aligned with customer needs.
User research is time-consuming but incredibly useful. It gives a different perspective on how people interact with their environment – and your products and services. Integrating those insights into the design process is paramount to adoption and success.
Try A/B testing your designs to increase customer satisfaction with real-time results. Don’t just assume what your preferred approach is always best.
3. Customer journey mapping
All organisations usually have a range of customers. With that comes a multitude of touchpoints and interactions with each of those customer groups.
Map out the various customer touchpoints before attempting to combine processes. Consider stages of the customer journey like:
- Your Careers website.
- Email responses.
- Application portals.
- Compliance processes.
- Engagement marketing.
- In-person contact.
Mapping out the various customer touchpoints is essential to understanding where AI can add value. This process also brings clearer outcomes and results for enhancing the customer experience.
Key takeaways: How can you add AI and automation to your processes?
Here are the key takeaways when considering artificial intelligence for customer experience management:
Focus on the problem: First, work out what the problem is you’re trying to solve. Defining the outcome will guide your process and help you keep a clear vision of your AI implementation strategy.
Adopt a customer-centric view: Secondly, look at the process through a customer’s eyes. Map the customer journey and experience all the touchpoints from their perspective. If you can, conduct research directly with customers to truly understand their points of view. This will highlight areas where AI can enhance the experience.
Redesign processes: Once you know which part of the process you want to improve, consider redesigning it. Anticipate customer needs and consider whether the process meets those needs and is efficient.
Ensure transparency: Make sure that the AI technology is transparent and easy to explain to customers. Does it align with your organisation’s commitments and values? Are you comfortable that it doesn’t add bias into the process?
Customer advocacy: Every AI project should have a customer advocate. Make it their job to be the customer's voice throughout the process.
To conclude, when used properly, automation should never negatively impact the customer experience. It’s critical that people, not machines, continue to play a dominant role in hiring and staff engagement. We need to bring that magic of human nuance and build person-to-person relationships.
AI can make processes more efficient, but the personal, human connection will always be key to career and hiring decisions.
Want to learn more about artificial intelligence and customer experience management?
Or contact us to discuss how to leverage AI for your organisation.