How AI Cultivates Stronger Employee Connections

Our research has consistently underscored the importance of employee connections in shaping overall work experiences. When individuals feel connected to their work, colleagues, and the organization, they’re more engaged and motivated to stay. Factors such as recognition, comprehensive benefits, and team interactions contribute significantly to fostering these connections. Now, with the increasing prevalence of AI, your organization has new ways to amplify these factors in support of more meaningful workplace connections.

Four Ways AI Helps You Build a More Connected Workforce

AI in the workplace has taken off at lightning speed. It helps employees analyze data, write better emails, and automate repetitive tasks, resulting in better efficiency and performance. However, AI offers other advantages. An MIT and Boston Consulting Group study found that, across industries, employees using AI feel “…more competent in their roles, more autonomous in their actions, and more connected to their work, colleagues, partners, and customers.”

Your organization can also leverage AI to help employees feel more empowered and connected. With AI, you can:

1. Facilitate meaningful conversation in team meetings

Our latest study identified team meetings as one of the most critical factors in helping employees feel connected at work. AI note-taking apps can make these meetings more impactful by transcribing and summarizing meeting highlights and then sharing them with all participants. As a result, everyone in the meeting can devote their full attention to the discussion and follow valuable non-verbal cues. Some AI tools can also suggest agenda topics for subsequent meetings based on meeting notes, ensuring everyone stays on the same page regarding accountabilities and timelines.

2. Deepen the impact of total rewards

A comprehensive total rewards offering has the potential to improve employee engagement, retention, and connection to the organization. However, as we found in our latest research, most employees don’t know all the benefits available to them. As you execute your total rewards communication strategy, consider the role of AI in educating employees about available benefits and rewards. For example, an interactive virtual assistant can answer employee benefits questions, suggest follow-up actions, and put employees in touch with members of HR who can provide further assistance.

3. Personalize the employee experience

A more personalized experience makes employees feel seen and valued as individuals, deepening their bond with the organization. By analyzing historical data and other data points, AI enables organizations to tailor several aspects of the employee experience to meet each employee’s needs and expectations. Some examples:

• Learning and development: Make AI-driven recommendations for specific training programs and developmental experiences based on an employee’s position, skillset, interests, and training history.
• Benefits open enrollment: Utilize AI-powered benefit decision tools (provided by your third-party administrator) that make enrollment recommendations based on employees’ benefits usage and claims history.  
• Hybrid work: Empower employees to personalize their on-site workspace with adjustments to lighting levels, temperature, and other settings when they visit the office. 
• Internal communications: Offer a chatbot that informs employees about company news relevant to their team and work. We created a custom chatbot for Splunk that answers employee questions and gives updates on the company’s new branding strategy.

4. Identify areas for improvement

Many factors affect an employee’s ability to feel connected at work, so the more you know about your workforce, the more you can do to make continuous improvements. AI tools can analyze feedback from employee surveys, exit interviews, and stay interviews to help you understand what’s happening to make employees feel more (or less) connected at work. From there, you’ll have a clearer picture of which actions will likely have the most positive impact.

Leverage the Full Power of AI in Your Workplace

AI is not a workplace cure-all, but it goes a long way in helping create work experiences that strengthen the bond between employees, their work, and the organization. Keep in mind that adopting AI solutions is just one of the ways you can help employees feel more connected at work. For more insights and recommendations, read our latest Employee Connections Report and follow us on LinkedIn.