Since the start of Workplace from Facebook in 2017, Prepp has made it easy to create chatbots for internal communication and employee engagement. With over 100 chatbots implemented and 4 million messages sent to over 200,000 employees, we have learned a great deal about what works, what does not, and where the real opportunities lie. Here are six insights that every organization should know before building chatbots on Workplace.
1. The FAQ Chatbot: The holy grail of chatbots!
The FAQ chatbot is the holy grail of chatbots! But this approach has significant challenges. Employees often don't know the chatbot exists, and when they do engage, the chatbot lacks comprehensive answer databases. Our recommendation is not to build a conversational chatbot unless you are addressing specific needs. Make sure the chatbot is discoverable, and continuously expand the content. It requires a sustained investment in content creation and updates to succeed.
2. Software Integration Chatbots
Integrating chatbots with systems like Workday sounds promising – employees could complete tasks without logging into multiple platforms. But the world is not ready for it yet. Very few software companies are built 'API first', and the existing solutions need stronger integrations. For many organizations, the honest assessment is that they need a year or two to build the technical foundation required.
3. In-House Chatbot Development
We have seen over 20 companies that attempted building chatbots internally without success. The pattern is remarkably consistent: internal IT teams rarely build user-friendly, regularly-updated chatbot solutions successfully. Our strong caution is against non-software companies attempting to build chatbots in-house. Most companies attempting this approach have failed.
4. Replacing Paper Forms: An amazing use case
Transforming paper-based processes into chatbot interactions shows measurable success. The insurance sector in particular has seen remarkable results. AI auto-fills the form and sends it digitally after employees submit photos, resulting in thousands of hours saved. This use case genuinely works because it solves a real pain point.
5. Broadcast Chatbots
Broadcast chatbots effectively communicate with large groups of employees, particularly frontline workers. Messaging reaches employees more effectively than email due to higher engagement rates. However, it requires adequate chat adoption to succeed.
6. Onboarding Chatbots
25% of company turnover happens within 12 months; for hourly employees, 50% leave within 120 days. Onboarding chatbots automate checklists and improve retention through better manager coaching and support for new hires. Pre-boarding planning remains essential for success, however.
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With over 100 chatbots deployed and millions of messages delivered, Preppio is the trusted platform for employee communication. See how we can help your organization.
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