Accelerate Workforce Productivity With AI-Powered Nudgetech

HR organizations are under mounting pressure to increase productivity as leaders double-down on generative AI (GenAI) investments, however productivity gains remain elusive.

We spoke with LJ Justice, Research Director in the Gartner HR Practice, to understand the behavioral barriers impeding productivity and what actions CHROs should take to leverage nudgetech, which is an emerging set of AI-powered tools to boost productivity and change employee behaviors.

Journalists who would like to speak with LJ regarding this topic can contact mary.baker@gartner.com or gerri.weinberger@gartner.com. Members of the media can reference this material in articles with proper attribution to Gartner.

A: Many organizations aren’t seeing meaningful benefits from GenAI because leaders often overlook everyday behavioral barriers that hinder productive work, such as completing tasks on time. Simply introducing tools that promise greater efficiency without addressing the underlying behaviors that enable it can leave companies falling short of their goals.

Additionally, the rapid pace of new technology adoption is putting pressure on employees. Workers may worry about job loss or role changes, increased productivity monitoring, or disruptions to their daily routines. These concerns can quickly become productivity barriers, which is why CHROs need to take an active role in addressing them.

A: CHROs at leading organizations are experimenting with nudgetech, an emerging set of AI-powered tools, as an option to boost productivity to change employee behaviors. We define nudgetech as an AI-enabled choice architecture designed to elicit behaviors that accelerate targeted positive outcomes at the individual, team and/or organizational level.

Nudgetech applies the principles of “nudge theory,” which says that small design choices in a given environment can encourage people to make better decisions.

In practice, nudgetech can encourage or ”nudge” employees to take quick breaks to avoid burnout, focus on high-priority tasks, or even get real-time, personalized prompts that make it easier to navigate different working styles and collaborate more effectively. While the changes may seem small, they add up to create a more productive environment.

With its potential to drive employee behavior changes, nudgetech is a promising solution to help CHROs close the gap between existing productivity investments and employee behaviors that drive productivity.

A: Near-term: CHROs should start by finding the right areas to apply nudgetech. Surveys and employee focus groups can help surface the key behavioral barriers to productivity. Managers should also track common productivity metrics to see where nudges could make the biggest difference.

Once the barriers are clear, CHROs can set specific nudgetech goals, then partner with IT and business leaders to align investments with those goals. From there, they can roll out nudges that directly encourage behavioral change.

Long-term: CHROs should work with vendors to pilot nudgetech before rolling it out fully, testing solutions in collaboration with employees, IT, and HR teams. This approach helps address AI-related risks and ensures the tools actually fit the organization’s needs.

After nudgetech is deployed, CHROs need to have their teams regularly monitor results, track progress, and make adjustments to keep the tools effective over time.

Gartner clients can learn more about nudgetech in the report: “Trends in Action: Nudgetech Experiments Accelerate Workforce Productivity.”

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Gartner HR Symposium/Xpo is where CHROs and their leadership teams gather each year to reimagine their strategies through the lens of Gartner’s research-driven insights and expert advice on leadership and learning, employee experience, culture and change, talent acquisition and workforce planning, and HR technology. Gartner HR Symposium/Xpo will be held October 7-9 in London, October 27-29 in Florida, and November 17-18 in Sydney. Follow news and updates from these events on LinkedIn using #GartnerHR.

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