In this episode, Sophie Hundertmark interviews Florian Schrodt on the use of chatbots in human resources.
About Florian Schrodt and the VBZ chatbot project
Florian is responsible for HR marketing at VBZ (Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich) and the chatbot was one of his projects.
Florian reports on the VBZ chatbot, its development, introduction and objectives. The chatbot is currently still running as a pilot project at VBZ, with the objectives of the bot being adjusted several times during the pilot phase. The use case was to bring added value right from the start and this required some adjustments to the target definition.
The current aim of the chatbot is to inform applicants about the multifaceted profession of tramp pilot. Those interested should receive all the important information they need to be able to reflect on whether the profession of tramp pilot is something for them or not. With the chatbot, VBZ is trying to automate standardizable information. For example, the chatbot provides information 24/7 about the complicated selection process at VBZ or about shift work. According to Florian, the chatbot is a healthy mix of AI (artificial intelligence) and rule-based.
About the project
Planning the bot took just under a year. The most time-consuming part was clarifying the framework conditions, because VBZ doesn’t build a chatbot every day. The first step was to form a team of experts from different fields. Then a sponsor had to be found internally who could release the necessary budget for the project. And finally, the ideal image they had for the chatbot had to be adapted again and again in various places so that the team could really generate added value.
Added value for Florian
Florian explains that the fact that they learned so much even before the chatbot went online is already an added value for him. Among other things, he has learned not to think too much in terms of channels and how important it is to raise awareness internally. This means that we should not underestimate how important it is to involve people and, above all, to ask those who know about the topic. Only then can the chatbot’s answers be of good quality.
When the chatbot finally went online, the team quickly saw what the applicants’ need for information actually is and that this does not always correspond 1:1 with what was planned beforehand. This also allowed them to learn a lot again and continuously improve the chatbot.
Good communication within the team and with the sponsor
Sophie and Florian talk about how important it is to involve the whole team in a project like this. Florian was helped in particular by his great project manager, who took on a lot of the organizational work. In addition, good networking and regular meetings at which everyone involved was kept crystal clear contributed to the success. Almost 80 testers from different areas took part in the pre-roll-out and the project team received excellent feedback.
Budget is always an issue. At VBZ, good communication with the sponsor has been particularly helpful here, so that the sponsor always knows what to expect. And so far there has always been enough budget available for the planned project.
The future of chatbots in human resources
In the interview, Sophie and Florian talk about chatbots in HR and their future. There aren’t that many chatbots in the HR sector yet, but there are some exciting projects underway. Chatbots will also gradually become established in the HR sector in those areas where it makes sense to automate. This is particularly important where recurring information is requested. At the same time, a chatbot creates time and space for employees to provide advice where personal consultation is appropriate.
It’s best to listen to the episode yourself and learn a lot more about the use of chatbots in human resources. Have fun![vc_empty_space height=”40px”]
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