Artificial intelligence is increasingly reshaping the employee experience (EX), especially among customer service and support teams. Recent research from Genesys explored employees’ concerns about AI and how organisations are addressing those concerns.
The report found that customer experience (CX) leaders and employees were aligned in several areas on the opportunities that AI could create. Even so, employees have concerns and it’s up to CX leaders to clearly communicate the benefits of AI and how the organisation plans to use it to improve the employee experience, while also enhancing agents’ ability to deliver an empathetic, personalised customer experience.
As AI becomes more ingrained in business operations, employees have mixed feelings about how it might affect their jobs. According to a survey of 13,000 workers, concerns range from fears of job displacement (which 35% of respondents cited as a top concern) to increased workloads (22%).
Nearly one-third of employees cited apprehension about a lack of AI-related training.
CX leaders are aware of the issues. A Genesys poll of 1,000 CX leaders estimated that 67% of organisations had already taken steps to address employee concerns or resistance to AI.
Regardless, nearly half of leaders cited employee concerns about artificial intelligence in the workplace as a top obstacle to AI adoption. A further 35% think their employees worry that AI-powered interactions will reduce or eliminate CX employee jobs, such as agents, contact centre supervisors, quality managers and planners.
CX leaders view AI as an engagement driver
Despite employee concerns, CX leaders overwhelmingly believe that AI can have a positive impact on employee engagement. In fact, two-thirds of CX leaders say that increased AI adoption will lead to higher employee engagement, the AI report finds.
CX leaders see AI as a tool that can alleviate routine, repetitive tasks, freeing employees to focus on more complex, value-driven activities that require human skills like empathy and problem-solving. The research finds that CX leaders expect the need for these skills to increase significantly over the next few years.
Organisations are already using AI to enhance the employee experience. Sixty-two percent of CX leaders claim their organisation is using AI to improve agent efficiency, including reducing training time, improving training quality and reducing handling time for customer interactions.
Additionally, employees are using tools like AI-powered forecasting and scheduling to allow for greater flexibility and to optimise staffing, which can reduce stress and increase engagement. Businesses are also using AI-powered tools to support coaching and training, with 44% of CX organisations using AI to provide personalised skills development.
As organisations increase their use of AI to handle repetitive tasks, employees benefit by a shift to more engaging work. Some organisations using AI in the employee experiences are supporting agents by providing real time coaching and knowledge prompts. This helps employees make better decisions during customer interactions, improving outcomes and increasing both customer and employee satisfaction.
AI as a tool for personalisation and growth
Organisations are also using AI to create a more personalised employee experience. For example, using AI to personalise career development plans, provide targeted coaching based on performance data across all an agent’s interactions, and offer more flexible work schedules through AI-driven forecasting.
Millennial and Generation Z employees are particularly receptive to personalised job experiences, with 73% of millennial and 61% of Gen Z workers indicating they’re likely to stay with an employer that tailors their work experience to their needs.
CX leaders expect that as artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into the workplace, it will empower employees to make more informed decisions. For example, AI-powered sentiment and empathy analysis can provide deeper insights into customer interactions, helping staff address issues more empathetically.
Improving employee experience in an AI-powered workplace
To successfully leverage AI to improve the employee experience, organisations must address concerns and identify opportunities. Here are five recommendations, based on CX leader and employee perspectives:
1. Offer AI literacy and training programmes
Employees are more likely to embrace AI when they feel adequately trained. Companies should implement robust training programmes that not only teach employees how to use AI tools, but also explain the strategic importance of AI in improving experiences for customers and employees.
2. Use AI to enhance, not replace, human roles
The best use cases for artificial intelligence involve augmenting human abilities rather than sacking employees. AI can handle routine queries and back-end tasks, but employees still bring critical skills — like empathy and problem-solving — to interactions. Organisations need to focus on leveraging AI to empower employees by providing them with knowledge and customer insight in real time, personalised training, and offering agent-assist copilots that support them during and after interactions.
3. Personalise the employee experience with AI
Much like in customer service, personalisation is essential to enhancing employee experience. AI can be used to provide individualised career development, bespoke work schedules, and even suggest the next-best actions during complex customer interactions. This level of customisation not only boosts job satisfaction but also increases employee retention.
4. Be transparent about AI’s role
One major concern that employees have is the lack of transparency around how AI will impact their jobs. CX leaders must clearly communicate the benefits of AI, how the organisation will use it to support the customer and employee experiences, and any safeguards that provide job security. Transparency builds trust and helps employees feel more comfortable with AI integration.
5. Involve employees in the AI journey
Employees who feel involved in the AI adoption process are more likely to see its benefits. By involving team members early and often in AI initiatives and gathering feedback, organisations can demonstrate how AI will improve their work.