We’ve got some exciting news to share. Today, we’re launching The Technology Boardroom, a brand-new podcast offering you an all-access pass to one of Microsoft’s leading partners in the UK.
Presenting an all-star lineup of industry experts bringing you technical expertise, roundtable debates and strategic industry advice, The Technology Boardroom will break down the latest tech developments and trends, ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) and cyber security to sustainability and professional development. Whether you’re a decision maker responsible for thousands of employees or just a real tech enthusiast, we think this show is for you.
In this blog, we’re going to introduce some of the themes discussed in our first episode, “AI and the future of workplace experience”. Our experts delve into a topic that’s at the forefront of everyone’s mind – AI and its impact on employee experience. It’s a subject that intertwines with almost every aspect of modern IT and The Technology Boardroom is here to unpack it for you.
Discover how AI is shaping the future of work in our very first podcast episode
Episode one sees Peter Wilson, Dan Coleby, and Chris O’Brien come together to explore the profound impact of AI on employee experience. They tackle some of the most pressing questions about AI’s role in shaping the future of work and provide valuable perspectives from their extensive experience at Advania, but before we get too far into the details, let’s meet your hosts.
Meet the Boardroom
The Technology Boardroom features a rotating roster of presenters, so each episode you will be hearing from people with unique expertise and a broad skillset, meaning that we can provide insights on every aspect of our world and the challenges faced by modern businesses across the globe.
Here’s who you’ll meet in our first episode:
- Peter Wilson: With nearly 30 years at Advania, Director of Sales Expertise Pete brings a wealth of experience and a historical perspective on the evolution of IT. His role in pre-sales involves understanding client challenges and translating them into effective technology solutions.
- Dan Coleby: The Director of Client Technology Value, Dan has been with Advania for about ten years. He is passionate about leveraging technology to drive business value and offers a strategic viewpoint on how organisations can maximise their investment in new technologies.
- Chris O’Brien: Chris has a background in development and a decade-long tenure at Advania. As the Products and Services Director, he focuses on innovation and how Advania can continue to add value to clients through its services and expertise.
AI and employee experience: a symbiotic relationship
The main theme of the first episode revolves around AI and its intrinsic link to employee experience. Pete, Dan, and Chris get into the meaning of AI and consider that with the rapid pace of tech evolution, AI is no longer just a buzzword but a transformative force that is reshaping how employees interact with technology and how businesses operate.
AI as a catalyst for change
As we embarked on this discussion, it became clear that the employee experience has never been more critical. The Covid-19 pandemic drastically altered the landscape, transitioning us from traditional office setups to hybrid working environments.
Lockdowns and remote work policies have pushed organisations to re-evaluate how they engage and support their employees. AI has emerged as a pivotal tool in this transformation, promising to enhance productivity, improve wellbeing, and drive innovation.
As Dan describes, the past few years have been particularly disruptive – yet opportunistic. He emphasises the role of technology in maintaining continuity during the pandemic and how AI is now poised to further revolutionise the employee experience.
The evolution of employee experience
Reflecting on the journey from merely adapting to remote work to strategically leveraging AI to enhance the employee experience, Chris notes that organisations are keen on creating a strong fabric of employee engagement, regardless of whether employees are working remotely, in a hybrid model, or back in the office full-time. The challenge lies in using AI to support this engagement meaningfully.
Dan shares his insights on how AI, particularly through tools like Microsoft Viva, has attempted to monitor and manage employee experience. While these tools show promise, they also have certain limitations. For instance, Viva Insights aims to measure communication and collaboration but falls short in some areas that have not yet been solved. Similarly, Viva Topics seeks to streamline knowledge management but faces hurdles in user adoption.
The potential of AI
One of the exciting aspects is the potential of generative AI. Unlike its predecessors, generative AI brings a new dimension to how we interact with technology. It’s no longer just about process automation; it’s about creating and enhancing human capabilities. Eloquently describing it as ‘technology that can free us from mundane tasks’, Dan delivers his verdict that AI is giving us time to focus on more strategic and creative endeavours that add real value to our operations.
This sentiment resonates deeply within Advania. We pride ourselves on being customer zero, meaning we experiment with and implement these technologies internally before offering them to our clients. This approach allows us to understand the nuances and potential pitfalls of AI, ensuring we provide informed and practical solutions.
Chris also points out the broader implications of AI, such as its ability to level the playing field for employees with disabilities. By providing tools that can interpret and communicate complex information, AI can make workplaces more inclusive and supportive.
Balancing AI and human input
A crucial theme throughout this episode is the need to balance AI and human input. While AI can undoubtedly enhance productivity and efficiency, it cannot replace the human touch in crucial, business-critical scenarios. For example, in HR processes like recruitment and performance reviews, AI can provide valuable support but should not replace human judgment. This particular example leads directly to questions about the ethics of AI itself and how we ensure AI is safe and free from any developer bias – topics that you’ll see us drill down into in future episode of The Technology Boardroom.
Looking ahead: the future of AI and work
Looking ahead, Dan, Chris and Pete explored the concept of agentic AI – AI that operates autonomously to perform complex tasks. This next step promises even greater efficiency and productivity. However, it also raises questions about the role of humans in such an AI-driven environment.
Chris shared an intriguing statistic from Harvard Business Review: companies in the top quartile for employee experience generate 50% more revenue than those in the bottom quartile. This underscores the importance of investing in AI and employee experience as a strategic objective.
The potential of AI really is transformative. It’s an exciting time to be in the tech sphere, and we are eager to share the journey with you and hear your perspective on the issues we talk about.
Take a seat in the Technology Boardroom
Join us as we navigate the fascinating landscape of technology and its impact on the workplace.
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