A chatbot is a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users over the Internet. It is mainly used by the after-sales departments of major brands. This machine-learning revolution puts this conversational agent in the core of customer relation, and its technology is much more than a simple exchange, but allows to integrate previous conversations and to understand the actual meaning of interactions.
CHATBOTS AND HR STRATEGIES
12 years ago, the company Inbenta already developed bots. However when they tried to implement them into HR, the market wasn’t ready. A few years later, most of the major companies use them to interact with their employees on topics such as administrative procedures, or work environment. It is making HR people save a precious time, but some people are afraid that this technology might concur to the “dehumanization” of work.
IS THE HUMAN RELATION AT RISK?
Switching from man to machine naturally raises some questions. Isn’t this innovation precisely against the values of HR? Doubt is allowed. But when looking closer, we realize that chatbots are not there to replace a job, but rather to support it. Taking care of all the repetitive work allows the HR agent to focus solely on the relational and human aspects of the job.
Even better, the technology claims being able to analyze employees’ well-being at work through different questionnaires: a goldmine of data for managers to detect and manage alarms with employees. Again, it is not about giving the machine all powers, but rather to use the intelligence gathered to foster efficient and relevant discussions.
ARE CHATBOTS THE NEXT RECRUITERS?
Because of this increasingly important presence in HR, chatbots have been tested in recruitment processes. However targeted questions seem pointless: the interview is, despite everything, a moment of human contact where interaction cannot be carried by AI. Chatbots are helpful for low-value-added processes, but recruitment cannot be automated, even with algorithms analyzing candidates.
