With the right combination of good data structure and disparate data source integration, chatbots may well become a go-to guy for employees while spelling relief for HR staff.
Human resources employees in large companies find themselves answering the same employee questions over and over again. How much paid time off do I have? How can I find out if this doctor is covered by our health plan? When am I due for a performance review?
Answering such frequently asked questions can potentially prevent HR staff from engaging in higher-value activities. And in organizations where data is poorly managed, employees can get frustrated waiting for answers that should be readily available.
Onward march for chatbots
This conundrum sets the stage for what analysts expect will become widespread demand for HR chatbots. The technology has proved to be wildly successful in customer service settings and has become an established, popular front-end interface for recruitment systems. Given the proper combination of good data structure and the integration of disparate data sources, analysts believe HR chatbots may well meet the need for an automated HR interface in more complex engagements with employees.
"It's the way it's going to be," IDC analyst Lisa Rowan predicted. "The folks that don't have the proper APIs to support it are going to have to have them quickly."