Employee recognition is one of the last purely human experiences at work. However, some fear that AI is taking over the realm of employee appreciation, in which bots delivering a “thank you” will replace real human connections.
While AI is creating a whole new era of innovation, it should not be feared. Instead, organisations should harness it responsibly to elevate recognition to a whole new level.
The fear factor
There’s always a level of scaremongering that accompanies the rise of new technologies, such as concerns that VHS recorders would hemorrhage the film industry, or that computers would take power away from the people. AI is being viewed with a similar level of fear and unease, with concerns that AI will take jobs, remove unique human thoughts and replace human-to-human connections.
For instance, 64% of U.K. employees surveyed by O.C. Tanner are concerned that AI will make recognition less personal. However, as history has taught us, so long as it’s used responsibly, technological innovations can improve the human experience – and AI is no different.
Keeping AI in check
As it stands, technology is already part and parcel of recognition programmes, with nearly 61% of employees using a digital platform for giving and receiving appreciation. Harnessing technologies to streamline recognition makes sense, with a range of platforms and tools available for supporting the giving and receiving of recognition, and elevating career celebrations.
With the rise of AI, we’re seeing the increasing use of AI tools to support recognition programmes, however it’s important that leaders set boundaries as to how they use this new technology as part of appreciating and recognising employees, otherwise they could harm rather than enhance their workplace cultures.
Organisations that lean too heavily on automation and AI to deliver recognition could detriment the employee experience. This could take the form of fully-automated recognition giving in which managers and colleagues simply press a button to deliver recognition. The recipient may receive a notification or an emoji that they’ve done a great job.
They may even receive an AI-drafted note praising their work. However, an AI “thank you” will never elicit as powerful a response as recognition that’s personalised and tailored with the ‘human’ at the heart. Automated, inauthentic recognition giving also does little to nurture employee connections, workplace culture and productivity.
How should AI be used in recognition?
Organisations must never simply go through the motions with recognition. It can’t be a transactional act, but must be viewed as transformative, with an ability to build strong cultures in which employees are highly engaged, delivering great work – time and time again.
Personal, authentic, tailored and meaningful recognition are key here, and so AI must be used wisely with this in mind – focusing on strengthening human bonds, not replacing them. Examples include AI-driven micro-coaching that guides employees on how they should recognise colleagues to ensure it’s always timely, personal and memorable while preserving the recognition giver’s original voice and intent.
With 45% of O.C. Tanner’s survey respondents admitting that they have used an AI tool to help write a recognition message for a coworker, employees are clearly open to using AI to improve how they recognise others.
AI can also be used to alert managers and colleagues to a recognition giving opportunity, perhaps when a new hire is about to join, a project has been completed or an employee is fresh into a new role. AI can even be harnessed to highlight when employees haven’t been appreciated lately and so may be at a higher risk of leaving. In all these cases, the human is being supported rather than replaced, helping to elevate the power and impact of employee recognition.
The future is human-centric
Recognition must always be underpinned by human connection as this is what makes it meaningful and impactful. Leaders that understand this will never look to replace the ‘human’ element of recognition with AI. Instead, they will harness AI to more powerfully support their recognition programmes, ultimately building thriving workplace cultures with highly engaged employees. The future belongs to these organisations.
After three decades helping hundreds of global and Fortune 500 companies build strong cultures and communities through employee recognition, David is one of the industry’s most trusted subject matter experts. He is passionate about helping companies grow by caring for their people’s wellbeing through recognition. Over the years, his talent has been tapped by nearly every department at O.C. Tanner, from sales, product, and marketing to IT and customer service. He’s recently returned to the product team as Chief Product Officer, working to deliver the best technology, award, engagement, and communication solutions in the recognition industry.
