The 2024 Global Talent Trends report by Mercer has revealed that more than 8 in 10 employees are at risk of burnout this year, a worrying trend that unfortunately hasn’t changed much since the pandemic.
Several factors contribute to burnout like an always-on work culture, too many applications, and even a poor or unreliable IT experience.
To address these challenges, many organizations are exploring innovative approaches to eliminate pain points like digital friction that can push people to the brink. By 2028, it is predicted that 85% of CIOs will leverage organizational changes to harness AI, automation, and analytics in a bid to deliver agile and insight-driven digital businesses.
Proactive AI—which refers to AI systems designed to take initiative and act independently rather than merely responding to inputs or commands—is now playing a crucial role in transforming workplaces.
But unless you plan on working with an entirely human-less workforce, then it follow that Proactive AI can (and should) be utilized to help organizations with their most important asset: people.
How to use Proactive AI to enhance employee well-being
Personalized Experiences
Viewing employee experience as a one-size-fits-all approach is outdated. Employee expectations for the workplace have changed and technology now exists to allow organizations to tailor experiences to individual needs and preferences. However, personalization goes beyond simply meeting each employee's desires and instead requires a deep understanding of diverse needs to make informed decisions.
By creating meaningful and unique experiences, personalization can create a deeper connection between employees and their employers, enhancing engagement, satisfaction, and retention. In fact, workers who say that their technology is enabling productivity, compared to those who don’t, are 158% more engaged in their jobs and have 61% higher intent-to-stay at the company beyond three years.
AI enables companies to collect and analyze data that provides critical insights into individual preferences and behaviors. On an organizational level, advanced analytics support better-informed decision-making, allowing businesses to understand and identify key groups within their employees to create more targeted personalization. Implementing AI-driven personalization for addressing well-being at work can help ensure each employee feels valued and understood.
Real-time Resolution
Disruptions in workflows can be a significant source of stress in the workplace. Whether due to slow or delayed responses to IT issues or other operational challenges, these disruptions shouldn’t be overlooked.
For instance, disruptions relating to poor communication issues alone lead 80% of workers to identify it as a major cause of stress. Not only does stress increase, but productivity suffers, highlighting a critical area where workflow disruptions and operational efficiency need to be addressed.
Sometimes employees don’t realize that even the of slightest digital disruptions can have a negative knock-on-effect. For example, a brief interruption with your application connectivity can be all it takes to lose focus on the task at hand. Every time we face a distraction, we run the risk of losing anywhere from 8-25 minutes of productive work time.
Efficient IT support and real-time problem resolution are crucial in mitigating these stressors. Proactive AI can equip organizations with real-time insights into their environment so they can make informed recommendations on how to fix those issues before they spiral out of control.
Customized Feedback and Support
With employees now utilizing an increasing number of tech tools and applications, it is unrealistic to expect the average employee to master every single tool and know how to effectively manage issues when they occur. Therefore, there’s a legitimate need for strategies that can augment self-sufficiency with technology.
For example, connecting AI chatbots to DEX tools offers a way for employees to ask for help and receive concrete answers that close out inquiries rather than prolong them. In some cases, AI bots may even be able to remediate issues in real-time without having to even engage with the employee.
By giving employees greater control over their technology, they become empowered to take ownership of it rather than feeling overwhelmed when something goes wrong. This shift transforms technology from a potential source of stress into a powerful partner, enabling employees to use AI assistance to resolve issues independently.
Enhanced efficiency and productivity
Manual and repetitive tasks have been found to be a creativity killer, impacting as much as 94% of U.S. knowledge workers with their daily work assignments.
Although manual tasks might be easier to perform, they typically fail to provide the necessary mental stimulation required to stay active and engaged at work. Employees thrive on challenges that push their skills and incite their creativity. Without this mental engagement, employees experience boredom which can lead to serious consequences for employers, including high turnover rates as people leave in search of new challenges.
Technology may hold the potential to eliminate some of the monotony of modern work. With Generative AI alone having the potential to enable labor productivity growth by up to 0.6% annually through 2040, it makes sense why many companies are turning to AI solutions to tackle efficiency.
AI-driven operations and automation accelerate routine tasks and reduce the need for manual human intervention, providing greater flexibility and freedom to focus on more strategic and creative tasks.
Utilizing AI to eliminate repetitive work can provide greater efficiency on an organizational level, as well as giving time back to individuals to drive productivity at a personal level.
Fostering a holistic approach to well-being
With an estimated $8.8 trillion lost in productivity and $8.9 trillion lost to low engagement globally, it's clear that addressing disengagement should be a top priority for organizations seeking to enhance productivity. Tackling productivity is not just about enhancing operational efficiency, it is also about maintaining a healthy and engaging work environment.
By integrating AI-driven solutions into everyday tasks and processes, organizations can foster a smarter approach to protecting employee well-being and driving operational efficiencies.
