How AI can help enable flexible work practices

The concept of flexible work certainly isn’t anything new or even considered just for parents looking for part-time hours. It’s now the most in-demand attribute for job seekers, gaining increasing momentum as more organisations and their employees experience the benefits. And with the help of advancements in technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), flexible work is now more achievable than ever.

Surprisingly though, in a recent poll we ran on LinkedIn, a huge 75% of participants were NOT currently using AI technology in the workplace. Of course with a variety of AI applications, it’s possible many may not even realise they are using it on a daily basis, but we see this as an exciting opportunity for improving flexibility in the workplace. Here’s how.

 

Use it to enhance remote collaboration

In today’s digital age, AI-powered virtual collaboration platforms have become essential for facilitating remote teamwork. These platforms offer real-time communication tools, including video conferencing and chat features, allowing teams to collaborate seamlessly regardless of physical location. Additionally, AI-driven project management systems can be integrated to streamline coordination and task allocation, promoting efficient remote collaboration.

Automate IT assistance

IT, tech support and office support are vital to organisations today with everyone relying on technology to do their jobs. However, IT departments run the risk of spending large amounts of time answering a pool of similar technical questions, limiting how much IT personnel can get done on any given day.

The solution? Your organisation can use machine learning to train AI algorithms to diagnose and respond to common technical problems. AI tech can create a chatbot that employees can interact with instead of waiting for an IT employee who undoubtedly has more pressing issues, allowing the problem to be fixed quickly and improving flexibility by giving everyone on the team more time to focus on the most important tasks.

Onboard and train new employees

Why not use machine learning to optimise training and onboarding programs while also customising them for each trainee’s personal needs?

Machine learning in training and onboarding allows your organisation to have greater flexibility in the way it teaches new employees and onboards new hires, particularly in a remote setting. The result is often a more effective and personalised training experience.

Automate tasks

Part of building flexible workflows and a flexible organisation overall is eliminating the amount of time your team spends on mundane tasks. Streamlining and simplifying everyday tasks is one of the best ways to improve productivity in the workplace to enable flexibility. Simply by minimising the number of repetitive tasks employees must do, you can give them more time to concentrate on emerging and real-time challenges.

Streamline scheduling and time tracking

For those requiring a little help with time management and staying on task, or who are still required to complete timesheets, technology with AI characteristics can help with that too.

What about an AI-powered app to automatically plan a user’s workday? Variables could include deadlines and estimated time frames to complete tasks or attend meetings, and some include a visual system to differentiate between daily duties a person must finish at a specific time versus those offering more freedom about when someone chooses to do them.

Improve email management

Email is undoubtedly a convenient way to communicate, but it can quickly become overwhelming if people gradually see their inboxes filling up with messages they haven’t read yet.

Some tools with AI features automatically group emails by priority, minimising the chances that the genuinely important content gets buried in the less critical or junk messages. They also have snooze and do-not-disturb features that prevent people from getting emails when they need to focus. Tools also exist to help people write emails faster, such as Google’s Smart Compose and Smart Reply functionality which suggests how people could complete sentences as they type them.

 

With an abundance of applications and usages, integrating AI into the workplace can be a complex process, so it is essential that organisations develop a strategy to ensure a smooth and successful transition. Key steps to think about when developing an AI integration strategy include:

  • Evaluate your needs: First, identify the areas of your business that could benefit from AI. This may include tasks that are currently manual or repetitive.
  • Determine the costs: Evaluate the costs associated with integrating AI, including hardware, software, and personnel. Determine your budget and prioritise your AI initiatives accordingly.
  • Choose an AI solution: There are many AI solutions available on the market, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Select the solution that best fits your needs and budget.
  • Train your employees: AI will change the way your employees work. Provide comprehensive training so they can learn how to use the new technology effectively.
  • Build a pilot team: Start with a small team to test the AI solution and ensure that it is delivering the expected results before rolling it out to the wider organisation.
  • Measure success: Develop metrics to measure the success of your AI integration and track progress towards achieving your goals.
  • Continuously improve: AI is a rapidly evolving field. Continue to monitor and evaluate your AI solution, and make adjustments as needed to ensure maximum effectiveness.

 

Flexibility ultimately looks different for everyone, and so will the challenges it presents. But with the help of AI technology to drive efficiency, productivity and growth, flexible workplace practices are achievable and could be a game changer for organisations still trying to make it work. Where do you think you could use it most effectively?

Searching for a new job?  You might find our previous articles in this series of interest including how to upskill in the technology to stay competitive in the job market here, and even how to boost your job search using AI with this article here.