Company culture is vital for the success of all businesses. Companies with great cultures enjoy higher employee retention, greater morale, and increased agility thanks to the contributions of engaged employees.
Having a great company culture can also save businesses money. Companies that value their staff are less likely to lose productivity due to burnout and can help employees alleviate work-induced fatigue before it becomes an issue.
Strengthening Company Culture Through AI
Today, companies that wish to strengthen that culture now have another trick up their sleeve – AI. AI-powered solutions can improve employee mental health, reduce the time staff spend completing mundane tasks, and spot culture-related issues before they spiral out of control.
AI Leadership
AI-integrated leadership may sound like an employee’s worst nightmare. It’s easy to imagine a dystopian workplace with scenes from classic films Metropolis or The Matrix. In reality, AI is designed to help leaders achieve their potential and better serve the employees who follow them.
AI can provide training opportunities for leaders in the workplace. AI-integrated training programs can track quantitative data and give leaders insights into the effectiveness of new motivational strategies.
AI-integrated leadership is particularly useful in businesses with flat organizational structures where one leader is responsible for many employees. Businesses like manufacturers and production companies can use AI to speed up pattern analysis and identify trends. This means that leaders can spend less time digging through data and more time honing their skills.
AI and Skills
Typical AI algorithms are adept at completing repetitive tasks and generating reliable outcomes. However, AI programs that utilize deep learning can complete more complex tasks and help employees gain technical skills.
AI-led learning programs are already popular in the education sector. Programs like DuoLingo and Gradescope give learners an intuitive and user-friendly learning platform to develop skills and receive useful feedback.
AI can also be used in professional training. Companies like Google now offer further education using AI programs that make use of deep learning and machine learning.
Google AI can help participants gain technical skills and gain a deeper understanding of machine learning. Employees who learn how to program and edit algorithms are more likely to buy into automation programs and will be ready for the future as AI becomes more central to our everyday lives.
Automation
Automation is revolutionizing workplaces around the world. Employers who utilize automation can save time and money, as simple tasks like sending invoices and emails can be fully automated. This optimizes employees’ workflow and means they can spend more of their workday on tasks that matter.
Businesses that are considering automation should start with simple tasks first. Consider automating tasks like:
Email confirmations following an order;
Time tracking and scheduling;
Task management in workflow apps;
Chatbot responses to FAQs.
These tasks are simple and low-stakes — failing to send a single email confirmation is unlikely to undermine a business’s operations. However, sending invoices and responding to FAQs can easily eat up employees’ entire days and leave little time for the work they care about. Automating simple tasks can build trust in AI and help employees buy into the idea of an automated workplace.
Over time, businesses can automate more tasks to further improve company culture. More complex tasks, like data entry and social media posting, can be automated and tracked using AI. The goal, however, should always be to facilitate greater employee engagement — not to automate it.
Companies that want to inspire a free, agile workplace can use automation to protect their employee’s schedules and promote better health and well-being.
Morale and Mental Health
Employees’ mental health is indicative of company culture. Negative workplaces can undermine employees’ mental health, as burnout, fatigue, and chronic stress build up over time and wreak havoc on morale and motivation. Likewise, employees who feel supported in their workplace are 26% less likely to report one or more symptoms of a mental health disorder.
As a solution, AI can be used to track and report morale and mental health. Recently developed AI can even use voice recognition to “hear” respondents. These programs are twice as likely to detect symptoms of depression and can help employees get the help they need.
Wellness apps that use AI are particularly useful for organizations that operate remotely. When working remotely, it’s easy to miss the signs of low morale and poor mental well-being. AI can empower remote employees by giving them access to relevant resources. Automated reporting programs can also be used by therapists and healthcare professionals to track symptoms and assess the effectiveness of treatment.
Conclusion
AI can help business leaders identify trends in data and reassess their current approach to corporate leadership. Workplaces that embrace automation also benefit from greater efficiency, as employees can spend more time on the tasks they care about. AI can also help employees track and improve their mental health and well-being, as specialized apps are designed to help staff get help should they need it.
Charlie Fletcher is a freelance writer passionate about workplace equity, and whose published works cover sociology, politics, business, education, health, and more.
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