Say No to AI CEO

Some worrying news from Meta, where the ubiquitous Mark Zuckerberg is apparently planning an AI CEO that will pop on screens and give feedback to colleagues across the company.

I do realise this is not the first of its kind and that avatars have previously been harnessed by leaders for a range of communication tasks. For example, I remember a major bank here in the UK used avatars in an onboarding programme some years ago, with virtual leaders popping up to guide new colleagues through the company. So, there are clearly some very interesting ‘use cases’.

I don’t think giving feedback is one of them.

Now, we only have the headlines at present, and the plan may well be more targeted and/or nuanced than the reporting makes it appear. Yet, in any scenario, feedback is sensitive, and can be taken personally. An ‘AI CEO’ sems unlikely to be the best messenger, and if the feedback avoids being personal, it risks being too generic, even corny.

More to the point, one of the major ‘buzzwords’ in internal comms in recent years has been “authenticity”, with a focus on making a genuine connection between leaders and their people. That brings benefits to all sides, and I would argue really strengthens the connection in a way an avatar never can. In fact, I fear the opposite might become true.  

We’ll have to see how this evolves, and only those inside Meta can truly say how this innovation will address an issue they have discovered or an opportunity they have spotted. On the face of it, though, it feels like a step back in employee engagement rather than an exciting development.

Sidestepping seasonal stress

As Future Islands proclaimed, seasons will change and “winter will crave what has gone”. As we mark the start of meteorological winter, I reckon many project teams will be wishing they could reclaim time from previous months.

I suspect we have all been in situations where Christmas looms large and project deadlines simply cannot be extended. Cue the frenetic rush to complete every item in our project plan, before crawling into the holidays seeking seasonal respite rather than cheer.

I think this scenario leads to poorer rather than better outcomes. In my experience, ‘haste’ is barely on nodding terms with ‘quality’.

Before we get to this point next year, perhaps we could somehow seek to break that repetitive cycle. Build in more realistic timelines. Create some contingency time. Push back on senior management while time is on our side.

Recognising the likely onset of seasonal stress might help us all avoid the situation and the consequences that come with it.

Keep communicating with candidates

 A recent study by Totaljobs, reported in Personnel Today, suggests that ‘average time to hire’ has nearly doubled since last year. That elongated timescale creates a communication imperative.

Enhancing methods for connecting with potential recruits has become quite the industry in recent years. The rise of tracking technology has been particularly pronounced, but no amount of technological wizardry will keep potential hires engaged without clear, compelling and consistent messaging to excite them about their potential employer.

Over the years, across different industries, I’ve spoken to many people involved in application processes. Candidates who are exploring their options and examining what different employers might have to offer. Invariably, I have been told that employers who communicate effectively stand out, because they have recognised the need to keep showing candidates why the company is a great place to work and what differentiates it from other destinations.

In an elongated recruitment process, any employer needs clarity over its messaging and a systematic approach to candidate communication. Without such a plan, it’s easy for candidate enthusiasm to fade away in the midst of more effective engagement from elsewhere. Or, by contrast, for candidates who might not align with company culture to remain in the process, tying up your time and resources, rather than realising this is not the right route for them.

In this situation, enhancing communication is not a ‘nice to have’. It’s absolutely essential.

The company with nothing to hide

If you're in the UK, you may have seen a new creative campaign from Quorn, entitled 'Nothing To Hide'. It might just have reminded you of an onboarding programme from Absolut, about which I wrote some years ago...

 

At the Engage for Success conference this Spring, I saw a powerful presentation by the Chairman and CEO of Absolut Vodka, Anna Malmhake. She told a story that was deceptively simple and extremely impressive.

Like many other institutions, in different countries and sectors, Absolut wanted to ensure their brand values were shared and followed by colleagues and partners around their world. In their case, they wanted clear and consistent messages in which they could engage teams and markets in the wider Pernod Ricard family.

After distilling five campaign beliefs they want to weave though all their brand marketing activity, worldwide, they summed their mantra up as “the vodka with nothing to hide”. The thinking being: we are a pure vodka and nothing detracts from our purpose or our product.

The Absolut team then looked inwardly and examined how this mantra could be brought to life for current and prospective recruits. The internal perspective being: we are an open company that is fair, straightforward and engaging for everyone.

But how to bring this life for people, so they can see the company means what it says?

Simple. Produce a film to communicate the message. Using employees.

Naked employees.

Colleagues from across the company’s single production site in Sweden appear, au naturel, in an induction film that communicates and celebrates what is special about the company and its culture. It is a bold concept, wonderfully expressed, in a really engaging film. Click here to see it on YouTube (if you’re over 18!). It has attracted nearly two million viewers.

I love the idea and its expression because it is simple yet bold, aligned with the values of the brand. It’s also interesting that they looked at what they were trying to say to consumers and realised they could do more with this concept from an employer branding perspective.

Fabulous stuff.

 

Engagement can be temporary

 I’ve always been intrigued by the challenge of engaging temporary or seasonal workers so they live up to your values and represent the company effectively. After all, no-one dealing with them knows or cares whether they are temporary recruits or long-term company stalwarts.

It's a fascinating challenge from a business perspective, particularly if you’re bringing in large numbers of temps for a busy period or a particular event. Having been a seasonal worker myself, back in the day, I can testify that it’s interesting to the individual, too. You want to know what’s expected of you to fulfil your brief, whether it’s for one day or several weeks.

I can’t recall much preparation when I was in that position, which either shows the company had great confidence in its recruitment process or (perhaps more likely) suggests that onboarding did not receive the focus it gets today.

However, my experience at a recent festival suggests at least one organisation is doing it well.

Thousands of people, in a massive open-air venue, with a series of different tents or stages and changeable weather throughout the day. Seas of people with lots of questions, seeking directions to facilities or information on timings (and a whole lot of other random queries!). Yet every representative I spoke to or heard interacting with others was unfailingly calm, clear and polite. They went beyond merely answering questions to provide extra levels of detail, walk people towards where they needed to go, wish them an enjoyable day.

I’ve been to plenty of events over the years where the experience of dealing with those representatives has been disappointing, to say the least. It was very refreshing to encounter an organiser that clearly puts a great deal of emphasis not only on recruiting the right people, but on preparing them for their role, even if it was for just one day.

From front-line to Finance

When working with clients on values and behaviours, I always stress the need for relevance and resonance across the organisation.

Values should cover both beliefs and behaviours: the principles that guide an organisation and steps needed to deliver them in practice. They should help employees know what is expected of them and show potential recruits the culture that awaits them. To achieve either goal effectively, the values must be realistic and relevant to every area of the organisation.

Too often, values fail to connect with different employee groups. For example, they may work for people in customer-facing roles, but have little resonance with supporting functions. Or, at the other end of the scale, they are so vague that they carry no meaning for anyone.

If values are going to be useful, for both current employees and potential recruits, they must resonate widely. I use the simple phrase ‘from front-line to Finance’ to signify the scope needed. Without this, new or refined values risk undermining rather than strengthening the desired sense of clarity and common purpose.

We are not magicians…

Lately, I’ve seen posts on here discussing how colleagues in HR or other corporate functions are not magicians. The same can be said of internal communicators! 

We can be strategic, insightful, creative and innovative: often all at once.  We can share sweeping visions and deliver pragmatic plans. But we need trust, input and empowerment from the colleagues we’re supporting.

For while we can create something from nothing – and often do! – we’ll add far more value for our companies if we’re treated as true business partners, with the involvement, briefing and collaboration this requires.

My worst example was being asked to come up with a new set of values for a large company within a couple of hours. I still shudder when I think of it. And no, I don’t want to be reminded of what I wrote.

As a profession, we’ll always bring a little alchemy to any company, just don’t expect us to be able to pull a rabbit out of the hat on every occasion!