What is HX (human experience)?
Human experience, also referred to as HX, is the interactions, perceptions, and emotions of humans. These are felt through an individual’s life journey and are subjective. The term human experience is broad and encompasses the entire journey of a human from birth.
Related: What is employee experience management?
HX in the age of AI
Artificial intelligence is booming and rapidly changing the business environment. In this context, human experiences are taking another dimension. Creating relationships in the workplace becomes more important. AI has a direct impact on productivity as it offers efficiency gains. However, overused, it may have a negative impact on human experiences. As an example, the use of artificial intelligences may reduce human interactions, thus creating distance between colleagues. As companies integrate AI in the business environment, they should stay vigilant to cultivate positive human experiences.
Related: 60 practical tactics to manage the UK’s work burnout epidemic
The different types of HX
There is a wide range of human experiences. The section below categorises those experiences and presents the different types of HX.
Emotional experiences
Human emotions are an integral part of the HX. Joy, anger, fear, sadness and excitement are all emotions humans feel. Our emotions shape our experiences.
Intellectual experiences
Humans constantly learn new skills. This can be accomplished actively or in a passive way. By engaging in ideas, concepts and problem-solving situations, humans learn new skills and develop intellectual experiences.
Related: Professional development: how teaching employees new skills can improve employee retention
Social experiences
Social experiences are the results of our interactions with others. They shape our human experience as we build friendship, participate in events, or navigate conflicts.
Related: AI and diversity and inclusion: explained to employers
Cultural experiences
Cultural experiences are the ones originating from our cultural background. They shape our beliefs and traditions.
Physical experiences
Physical experiences are those felt by our bodies. Smell, tastes, hearing and sight are all physical sensations.
Professional experiences
Professional experiences are those lived at work. For example, achieving a career goal is a professional experience.
Related: Your key steps for a best-in-class digital employee experience
The importance of human skills in the age of AI
AI is transforming the workplace and undeniably adds value through automation. However, there are some essential human skills that artificial intelligence cannot replace. These are essential to maintaining positive employees and customers experiences. Here are areas where the humans thrive:
Human interactions and communication
Humans are social and need to interact and communicate with one another. These interactions open the door to learning opportunities from others’ experiences. Empathy and communication lead to emotional insight as well. On the other hand, artificial intelligence lacks emotional insight.
Ethics and control of boundaries
Morales and ethics are individual to each one of us. They play an essential role in setting ethical boundaries. As AI does not have consciousness, it does not have moral standards. AI depends on human-provided ethical frameworks, which require careful oversight due to cultural variations.
Related: How to conduct an ethics audit
Human common sense
Common sense is built from mental models. Humans develop common sense through their experiences, their understanding of objects and behaviours of others. Artificial intelligence relies on data and statistics that may lack context. As such, the output provided by AI is limited to its statistical analysis, it is deprived of causes and effects.
Emotional intelligence and empathy
Although AI may detect emotions, it is not able to understand or experience them. Cultural references, sarcasm or body language can only be understood by humans. Emotional intelligence is essential to human experiences, either positive or negative. Empathy transforms into emotional support, creating positive work environments.
Adapting to new environments and learning continuously
Humans continuously adapt by integrating new information in real time. This is a capability that AI lacks due to its fixed training and deployment process. AI’s inability to learn continuously highlights its limitations. When it comes to continuous learning, advancements in AI lifelong learning are underway.
The benefits of HX on employee and customer satisfaction
Employee engagement has a significant impact on the success of the organisation. It drives productivity, inspires innovation, and leads to better decision-making. Ensuring a positive employee experience is investing in the company’s future. Here are some benefits of human experiences in the workplace and how it impacts both employees and customers satisfaction.
Improved employee retention and attraction of talent
Employee retention and attracting talent are critical factors to build strong and consistent business growth. Positive employee experience attracts talent who want to work for a great employer. Businesses which promote positive human interactions can increase employee loyalty by investing in talent management. The approach has a direct impact on top talent in the business as it encourages them to stay with the organisation for longer periods of time.
Related: How to develop talent and improve employee experience
Increased teamwork and collaboration
Teamwork is specific to humans and is not applicable to AI. Interactions with others shape the company culture. By encouraging collaboration, companies foster a sense of belonging that is essential for teamwork. In turn, the collaborative atmosphere creates a culture of support.
Related: What is cross functional collaboration?
Boosted employee engagement
Employee satisfaction and wellbeing encourages employee engagement. Businesses that ensure a healthy work-life balance and good mental health of their employees empower them to thrive at work. Employee engagement can be supported by tools and technologies such as AI but needs human interactions to flourish.
Related: AI and mental health: 5 biggest AI risks and how they can impact your employees
Stronger employer branding
Focusing on employee engagement helps create a positive company culture and strengthens your employer brand. It enhances your public image, attracts customers, and inspires employees to take pride in and advocate for your organisation.
Better productivity and business growth
Concentrating on employee wellness significantly boosts organisational performance. When companies prioritise employee experience, they see greater efforts that improved productivity, and higher revenue, ultimately driving stronger profits.
Using AI in today’s digital age is essential to remain competitive. However, businesses should be aware of the need for human interactions. Finding the right balance between AI and human experiences will allow organisations to maintain and cultivate healthy human experiences.
