Behavioral Economics Meets Virtual Assistant Tech Redefining the Workplace of Tomorrow

April 18, 2019

In a series of multi-media research reports, globally acclaimed and bestselling author, Prof Dan Ariely, sheds some light on psychological insights which can rejuvenate and bolster the dynamic between human employees and desktop robots.

Who would have thought that 'thinking big about RPA' could potentially restore the natural order in the workplace? When deployed correctly and aligned to the varying and intricate needs of human employees, the inclusion of virtual assistant technology can improve process design, reinvigorating humans to focus better and access creative thinking. With intelligent desktop robots taking away all the repetitive tasks requiring processing speed and accuracy, humans are freed up to focus on what they do best, being human. While robots handle all the 'boring' tasks which can dampen the human spirit – human employees gain more time and space to grow their unique talents and creative potential. Investing in virtual assistant technology, such as NEVA, is ultimately an investment in employee well-being. Desktop robots can support human employees in many ways, enabling them to perform better, stay focused and use their human and interpersonal skills during live customer interactions.

Lets take a quick glimpse into some of Dan Ariely's smart psychological insights, confirming a strong case for integrating virtual assistant technology into the workplace.

Desktop Robots Can Reduce Employee Uncertainty
Employees today are generally under pressure to navigate large volumes of content and perform multiple tasks. This can raise anxiety resulting in feelings of uncertainty. Desktop robots, such as NEVA, can bring more structure and predictability to the everyday pressures facing the human workforce. But how? Take for example when an employee meets a customer for the first time, without a previous frame of reference, they may form an entirely inaccurate mental model of the situation. The virtual assistant has the capabilities to present relevant and contextually rich information to the employee to assist them to form a more accurate profile of the customer. This is done by extracting contextually relevant data from any and multiple enterprise applications in real-time and intuitively displaying this information (via an interactive pop up screen) to the employee at the precise time at which they need it. This saves the employee the time and effort of navigating through many different applications, while the customer is waiting. Furthermore, by providing accurate information, in real-time, the employee can more accurately profile the customer and in addition, form a broader and more extensive context that may not have otherwise been possible.
Operational Transparency Can Create Greater Perceived Value
We have already established that virtual assistants have the capabilities to communicate with employees in real time (by providing contextually relevant information) in addition to performing various repetitive tasks on the employees' behalf. By freeing up the employee to focus more on the live customer interaction itself, creates an opportunity for the employee to communicate all the behind the scenes work that is being done to complete the customer's request. According to Dan Ariely, customers who feel that an organization is working hard for them, will assign greater value to that organization's product or service.
Human Behavior Extends into the Desktop
By leveraging Desktop Analytics technology, human desktop behavior can be better understood and ultimately managed to drive greater operational success while boosting employee motivation. Desktop data gives management a holistic view of how productive or unproductive an employee is while carrying out their work on the desktop. Performance gaps can be easily diagnosed, and then Desktop Robots can be set up to offer each individual employee real-time, step by step guidance to more easily achieve their performance goals.
Desktop Robots Keep Employees Compliant
Prof Ariely explains that the human tendency to cut corners in order to get things done more quickly can backfire. From a regulatory or compliance perspective, cutting corners resulting in compliance breaches can have far reaching implications for organizations, such as expensive lawsuits. Intelligent virtual assistants, with built in real-time behavior, have the capabilities to remind and prompt employees in real-time to read the small print and stay compliant. For a more in-depth account of how NEVA can support compliance adherence in organizations click here.

Thanks to the profound psychological insights presented by Prof Dan Ariely and the many practical guidelines described via NEVA, the possibility of successfully integrating both the virtual robotic and human workforces is a strong reality. As such, organizations will become more mindful of designating the appropriate tasks to each workforce, leveraging the strengths and understanding how to better manage the limitations of each.

About the Author

Catherine Gurwitz

Catherine is a product marketing manager for NiCE Advanced Process Automation Solutions. She is an energetic, results-driven marketing and communication professional with 14 years of industry experience across strategy development, marcom, PR/media relations and content creation. Her deep corporate and agency experience in addition to managing global communications and brand launches has resulted in a proven track record in achieving impressive customer growth and retention rates and greatly exceeding publicity targets.

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Behavioral Economics Meets Virtual Assistant Tech Redefining the Workplace of Tomorrow

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