The Path of HR Automation

Intelligent Process Automation has shown to bring great improvement to company inefficiencies.  Processes in Accounts Payable and Order Processing have shown to be very popular areas for implementation. There is however no shortage of use cases that can, and should, be adopted by businesses looking to improve speed, accuracy, and gain a competitive advantage in their marketplace.  Where repetitive tasks and processes exist, automation should follow.  Human Resources is one such department in most companies that is primed for the opportunity.

Efficiency for the Sake of Retention

There is little doubt that talent is what really drives a company.  And the mindset of that talent is currently being modified.  We are in a time where employee experience and engagement has become a real factor in retention.  Resigning and job hopping have become a norm.  Companies are in more and more of a crunch to make sure that they do whatever possible to have smooth and efficient HR operations.  Technology, specifically automation, can be a great advantage for businesses looking to sure up their processes.

Automation is not necessarily a new concept in HR circles. In processes like onboarding, workflows have become fairly common.  Various companies offer these types of features with great success but, with per user pricing, larger companies may be better suited bringing this in house for a more cost effective solution.  When taking a closer look though, this is only the tip of the iceberg.

Task Distractions

Representatives spend a good portion of their day answering the same types of questions.  Inquiries regarding payroll, benefits, and PTO policies become a repetitive and costly part of the position.  While many companies will create a repository or intranet for employees to find answers, it often goes unused or underused (…or even worse, employees call and email asking where to find the resource).  There is a need for instant gratification which can be overwhelming and focusing beyond these tasks can often become difficult when so much of your time is absorbed in this way.    Access is one of the most important words and yet the truth is that the information is already there.  It can be found in handbooks, paystubs, policy descriptions and other available tools.  HR ends up being the necessary link between that information and the employees.

All of this can add up to some serious issues.  It is important to remember that HR is about consistency.  HR is about accuracy.  It is complex and mistakes can be very costly, both in staffing and financially.  The larger the company, especially when across time zones and languages, can make for an even greater challenge. Todays largely remote workforce can create such additional challenges for HR as well.  This is why communication is an area ripe for automation technology, specifically Conversational AI.

The Bot Experience

Although typically seen as a solution for customer service and experience, Conversational AI provides a unique internal opportunity as well. In consideration of how many questions are posed to HR, and their repetitive nature, Conversational AI can help to alleviate the burden.  Imagine if all of those conversations could be handled through text and/or voice bots?  Repetitive scenarios can be developed to the point where they are natural and engaging.  It is estimated that 80% of employee questions can be self-served and that the result is a nearly 40% improvement of ESAT all while reducing the total cost to serve.  Additionally, bots can accomplish what most agents cannot.  Bots can be easily adjusted for various languages, providing that unified and scalable platform that is so important to the company.

Learning and Adapting with AI

Automation technology continues to innovate and improve.  One aspect that is most interesting and advantageous to adaptors is ‘learning’ concept.  Software developments like Deep Learning, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing enhance user experience as it takes known historical data to identify and execute on trends as it learns user intent.  This provides an even greater confidence in the output given by the technology.  To clarify, it can start to acknowledge where a given response was ‘correct’ or ‘incorrect’ in the eyes of the user and ‘remember’ paths to satisfaction for future improvement.

Hyperautomation for and End to End Solution

Conversational AI does not live within a bubble though.  When paired with Robotic Process Automation (RPA), the ability for the technology to provide answers and access becomes even greater.  Through Hyperautomation, web searches, database crawls and other steps can really enhance the capabilities.  To give an over simplified example, one question that can come up a lot is in regards to the IRS milage rate.  As this does change from time to time, programming a response can be a poor choice. If someone does not remember to make the adjustment in the responses, the wrong information will be disseminated.  Once this step is reached in the automated conversation, a software bot can look up the rate in real time, providing a consistent and accurate response.  This happens in a fraction of the time it would take a human and without the distraction from more strategic projects for the administrator.  This is also available 24/7/365 providing a level of support that would otherwise be daunting.

Time, accuracy, and access are just some of the reasons that HR Automation is such a viable solution for businesses.   Conversational AI and Hyperautomation provide a solution that can benefit both sides of the equation (employer and employee) and provide a great return from both a satisfaction and a financial outlook.

Why Roth Automation?

The team at Roth Automation has decades of experience deploying Intelligent Process Automation solutions.  With carefully vetted strategic partners, the Roth team works tirelessly to provide the right solution for clients individual needs, regardless of, and in full consideration of size and budget.