Using AI to regulate teleworking
The corona virus pandemic has made telecommuting a standard practice for many French workers and companies, potentially making it a permanent practice. Structures are therefore faced with many challenges. How to manage telework in order to make each employee feel satisfied despite the situation? Not obvious, since all actions must now be done remotely.
Could the use of Artificial Intelligence improve the life conditions of teleworking employees? Or will digital tools have an impact on their productivity and mental health?
Supervision and control of workers through AI
Studies have demonstrated that telecommuting has improved employee productivity and efficiency as much as 20%. This comes from reduced time spent in transit, the ability to work at individually convenient times and in the desired location. Many employees also tend to work more hours when they are at a remote location. Despite this increase in productivity, many managers still seek to monitor their employees in order to motivate them further.
A number of AI tools today allow for intrusive tracking and measurement of employee productivity. For example: the Microsoft 365 software, which helps managers to track the activities performed by each member of their teams individually. The software collects several data, including the frequency of e-mail consultation, the use of the Internet, the processing time of documents, the participation in group conversations…
Privacy Protection and Respect
Surveillance and monitoring of workers by their employers is not a new concept. It has been around long before this standardization of telecommuting. Companies have previously installed surveillance systems for computer security. AI was already present. Today, with technological developments, the level of monitoring and control of digital tools is much higher. But such possibilities raise privacy issues. Many workers worry that their bosses will intrude in their lives and use biometrics collected on them.
Nevertheless, this enhanced employee tracking can have some benefits. It can help identify where workers need to improve to maximize their productivity or get promoted. It can also prevent mistakes that can be harmful to the company, as well as improving working conditions and more.
Using AI to Keep the Workplace Relationship Going
Most employees seem to enjoy telecommuting and are still hoping to take advantage of it when the health crisis ends. But there are some risks to working remotely, such as social isolation and emotional management. A growing number of employees are complaining about feeling isolated and left to their own devices. Companies are then facing a big challenge: maintaining professional links between colleagues and teams. AI is a powerful tool for this purpose, through video conferencing solutions. Technological innovations make video calls of optimal quality, giving everyone the feeling of being there together. Corporate offices and home workspaces merge into one. AI makes it possible to recreate the human link that unites employees, realistically, but at a distance.
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