IBM is a client of the author.
We aren’t all good at building relationships. This is becoming a very pronounced problem with remote workers, particularly those who have never worked on-premises at a company — and especially those who have just graduated from college.
AIs are capable of a lot of things, particularly at helping create and maintain customer relationships, as reported by IBM. IBM has previously disclosed that its Watson solution has significantly increased close rates when used in sales, and increased customer loyalty and satisfaction when used for CRM. That demonstrates a relationship-building capability that could also be applied to employee care.
Let’s explore using AI to improve relationships this week.
The problem
We don’t train kids how to create and maintain good relationships, either personal or business. This is particularly problematic when it comes to hiring fresh-out-of-college people who haven’t ever worked in a large company before. Things that were acceptable at school, like asking out another student, are often not acceptable in the workplace.
Managers are struggling with how to manage remote workers, particularly those fresh out of school, with reports that the Gen Z, a.k.a. zoomer (those born starting in the late 1990s), workforce is broken. A recent Bankrate survey of 2,417 US adults found that during the last 12 months, zoomers were more likely to quit and get a new job than any other demographic. Fifty-five percent reported that they were planning to look for a new job in the coming year vs. 43% of millennials, 28% of Gen X, and 13% of boomers (who are likely just happy to still have jobs).
When employees feel isolated at work and lack the post-school skills to create personal relationships, it is no wonder those employees feel isolated, lonely, and unmotivated.
The AI solution
We are already seeing reports of AI-enhanced companion robots being used to address loneliness for isolated individuals lacking other options. Researchers at Auckland, Duke, and Cornell Universities have even proposed a “Companion Robot Impact Scale” to quantify the benefits of companion robots on health and loneliness. This effort also emphasizes that about one third of the population has loneliness issues that AI can address.
However, real human friends continue to be superior, and given that AI has proven successful for creating better dating matches, it would also be useful for creating lasting workplace friendships and mentor relationships.
In addition, AI is often seen as safer when people ask questions they are afraid will make them look foolish, stupid, or poorly behaved. While another person may have judgments about the nature and wording of a question, an AI is simply going to focus on providing the best answer. And if properly trained, it can provide impersonal feedback on the way the person interacts with it, with a better chance of helping the employee improve their interpersonal…
2023-10-15 05:48:03
Article from www.computerworld.com rnrn