Is personalization the perfect science to strengthen engagement, experiences & equity?
When considering new workplace technology that incorporates personalization, companies must prioritize data privacy, security and ethical considerations.
Search, social, shopping sites…there’s almost no modern digital experience that is not supported by artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning-enabled technology. As people scroll or swipe, these technologies are working in the background to serve up the most relevant ad, content, post or product to every individual which ultimately enhances the experience they have in that environment (and sometimes in others too like a shopping website reminding someone in a social app that they forgot to buy something long after they left). It’s a win-win situation as these technologies also compel the person to engage or re-engage (e.g., buy, click, share, stay longer, visit again) for the businesses deploying them.
Unfortunately for many employees and employers, this 1:1 personalized experience is missing from the interactions they have with workplace technology in place to elect benefits, learn, monitor performance and more. At a time when most employers are desperate to improve engagement with their teams, consumer-like personalization could help. Is it the perfect science? No, but it’s very close.
In a recent survey of HR decision-makers, respondents indicated “improving engagement and experience” was their biggest opportunity this year. This is likely because the same group noted “increasing employee experience (EX) expectations” as the top threat facing talent retention this year. While there are expectations around myriad workforce matters – from compensation to communication – consumer behaviors and browsing and buying habits are shaping digital-experience expectations at work.
The same people scrolling and swiping through algorithm-based search, social and shopping experiences (before, during and after work) are the same people signing into their employers’ systems to elect benefits, take a course, schedule time off, set goals and conduct a variety of other human resources (HR) related tasks. For the latter, there is rarely any personalization at play.
There is no doubt that when something is relevant to someone, they are more likely to engage. Today’s most intelligent human capital management (HCM) technologies are serving up consumer-like experiences, so employees get relevant suggestions and personalized paths to accomplish HR tasks that truly support their wellbeing – across finances, career development, social connections and more. Here are just a few examples:
- Tailored learning paths: Automatically matching employees with relevant learning content based on their career interests and performance supports their growth.
- Customized benefits and rewards: Personalizing benefits packages and rewards to align with employees’ preferences and needs ensures equitable offerings. This includes suggesting relevant benefits and timely notifications based on life events.
- Enhanced onboarding: AI-driven personalization streamlines onboarding processes by suggesting next steps, facilitating introductions and providing 24/7 support through virtual assistants.
- Fair performance management: Personalization mitigates bias in performance evaluations, ensuring employees are assessed based on performance rather than perceptions.
If employers can reduce the widening gap between these consumer experiences and the experiences employees have at work, they stand to not only improve engagement through relevancy but also equity and even customer experience too.
Related: Benefits advisors’ secret weapon: personalization with data
In fact, 89% of HR leaders believe that the experience employees have at work, directly impacts the experience they provide customers. Nearly identically, 90% of employees themselves believe the same to be true.
When considering new workplace technology that incorporates personalization, companies must prioritize data privacy, security and ethical considerations. Doing so puts them in a much better position to build trust with employees that are being asked to adopt these new solutions.
Though not a perfect science yet, personalization evolves with use, making it a valuable investment in fostering engaged and equitable workplaces and improving overall business outcomes.
Celia Fleischaker, CMO of isolved