Transforming Employee Help Desk Experience with AI

At 6:00 PM do you wonder and ask "where did the time go?" Yeah, me too.

Between the daily hustle, have you ever paused to audit your workday?

When you closely look at your workday, you'll discover that a large chunk of your time (and energy) is consumed by "micro-tasks"

You know those endless policy inquiries, project updates, waiting on someone to get answers to basic questions, and so on. No wonder you catch yourself muttering, "I get the real work done after official hours."

While micro-tasks chip away at productivity for every team, for the Human Resource team, it's an entirely different ballgame. From CEO to the intern, there's a constant line at your door, each with their unique queries. These range from questions about leave policies to intricate questions around workplace policies or issues that can affect employee retention.

For your team, finding specific information in a pile of documents is like going on a wild goose chase.

The scene is familiar: Your team vividly remembers crucial policy updates being shared. To find them, they resort to email searches and keyword hunts that mostly lead to futile efforts, resulting in frustration.

The Central Repository Solution?

So let's just have a central repository for all information. In the utopian realm - all information is organized, all documents are updated, and everyone refers to those documents. Ah, bliss!

However, in day-to-day operations, this is challenging. Other pressing tasks demand our immediate attention and effort. Updating and organizing information often takes a back seat.

The current knowledge structure has the following challenges:

1) Built on "structure" and "nomenclature": Initially it seems robust. However, as your business expands (and so does the team), it becomes increasingly challenging to maintain.

2) Users still need to know the source: Information often scatters across various documents and sources. To conduct a search, employees must recall the document's name or whether it was shared via email, on the HRIS platform, or elsewhere. This turns searching into a memory exercise.

3) Missing Insights: In the current knowledge base setup, it's difficult to identify which questions the team is repeatedly searching for. This misses the opportunity to evolve from a reactive stance to a proactive approach.

The Help Desk Approach

Now, help desk solutions do work wonders in streamlining certain aspects and providing relevant answers. However, in a world where even a 30-second video feels long, waiting hours to get information on simple questions is definitely not the best employee experience.

The Solution: AI-Powered Help Desk

Yes, I get it - AI can sound like a buzzword thrown around these days.

But picture this: when your team asks a question, AI analyzes information across all sources (from Slack threads to Notion pages to documents) and provides an accurate answer along with the source—without waiting on anyone.

This goes beyond efficiency. It instills a sense of empowerment and autonomy in the team.

Let's explore how integrating AI can transform your help desk operations:

Focus on What Matters

If you ask me to mention only one advantage, this would be right at the top. Introducing AI into your help desk can free up your time significantly. Your team gets instant answers to their questions. The weight of micro-tasks no longer ties you down. Your focus can shift to those impactful tasks that can potentially yield meaningful results.

Scalability

Scalability is where AI in the help desk truly shines. It can handle any number of queries simultaneously, ensuring every question is addressed in a timely manner. You don't have to be concerned with queries getting overlooked – AI has it covered. Plus, it brings consistency to responses, eliminating potential discrepancies.

Enhanced Employee Experience

The traditional help desk's significant flaw lies in its lack of constant accessibility when your team needs it. Frustration increases when employees are left waiting for hours before someone gets back to them with an answer.

Making Sense of All Information

One of the significant drawbacks of traditional knowledge repositories is the necessity for proper nomenclature and structure. Teams often struggle to recall keywords when seeking specific information.

AI streamlines the entire process. It can analyze information across all sources, even unstructured Slack threads, providing instant answers to questions. Your team only needs to ask questions – no more endless scrolling or keyword searches. The experience becomes similar to ChatGPT, where your team can ask questions, engage in conversations, and find the information they need within seconds.

The Human-AI Balance

In today's landscape, AI and human touch need to work hand in hand to improve the employee experience. While the majority of questions can be handled by AI, for queries where AI might not provide satisfactory responses, there's always the option to reach the HR team. It's a balanced approach, ensuring efficiency with AI while maintaining the essential human connection for more nuanced matters.

AI is giving traditional IT and HR help desk software a much-needed facelift. It answers your team's questions before the coffee's brewed. Employees don't feel stuck waiting for information, and you're freed from mundane tasks. The result is a workplace where AI is your reliable ally, transforming the way you navigate the workday.