"Bots are the new apps", said Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, back in early 2016 at the Microsoft developer conference "Build". Today, chatbots are on everyone's lips and are already being used successfully in e-commerce and high-tech companies. Now, ground-breaking changes are also expected in the field of human resources - with the digital HR assistant Sophie.
What exactly are chatbots?
Chatbots (or bots for short) are dialogue systems with textual or auditory capabilities that enable interaction with a technical system in natural language. Technically, bots are more closely related to a full-text search engine than to artificial or even natural intelligence. However, increasing computer performance means that chatbot systems can access ever more extensive databases faster and faster and thus also offer intelligent dialogues for users. This is why such systems are often referred to as virtual, personal assistants.
Chatbots and the workplace 4.0 - a strong team
The potential of chatbots is growing rapidly with technological progress. These smart helpers can also be an answer to many of the challenges posed by the modern workplace 4.0 in the HR sector. The use of chatbots enables HR to be available to employees 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, flexibly and on many different channels, regardless of location. At the same time, a significant increase in process efficiency is achieved by minimising waiting times, for example.
Chatbots are not only an interesting tool from an HR perspective, employees also benefit from numerous advantages. They can carry out their daily HR-related tasks and needs quickly and easily, regardless of the system - and in an environment in which they already spend a lot of time: the messaging service of their choice. There is no need for time-consuming training when introducing systems, and sources of error are minimised thanks to standardised input and proactive input suggestions in many processes. These time savings through efficiency gains and freedom from repetitive routine work allow HR teams to focus on the essentials of their job: the people.
Sophie - A digital assistant for the Swiss employee
At HR Campus, we believe that the use of chatbots in HR offers the greatest added value when it is set up as a digital assistant for employees. This provides employees with carefully evaluated functions and processes in the messaging service of their choice throughout the entire Employee Journey and proactively contacts them when needed. This is why we developed " Sophie " - our digital assistant that can be implemented independently of messaging services and back-end systems with a lean implementation project.
The future of chatbots in HR
How quickly chatbots will become widespread in Swiss HR departments depends, among other things, on how chatbots become established and accepted in other areas of employees' lives. Chatbots already enjoy a high level of acceptance among younger users. And older generations are also increasingly engaging with this new Technology.
It is therefore important for companies to be open to this trend. HR can actively shape the success of chatbots through the conscious use of this innovative technology. Whether and when WhatsApp, the most popular messaging service in Switzerland, opens its platform for chatbots is also likely to be decisive for the establishment of chatbots in HR.