Unleash the power of happy humans in your AI enterprise—learn from Cognizant’s balancing act

As organizations race to adopt AI and automation technologies, they face a critical balancing act: driving efficiency without sacrificing employee experience (EX). Many enterprises are inadvertently sidelining EX initiatives in pursuit of cost reductions and productivity gains. This hyperfocus on AI-driven efficiency creates a dangerous imbalance that threatens innovation, employee satisfaction, and long-term success.

To address these challenges, enterprise leaders must reimagine their approach to AI adoption, emphasizing technological advancement and employee experience equally.

Stop sidelining EX in your pursuit of efficiency and productivity

The rush to implement AI systems across business functions is creating unintended consequences. An HFS study found that 44% of organizations see the hyperfocus on productivity with GenAI as dangerous, citing employee discontent as a top risk when GenAI-driven productivity gains are overemphasized (see Exhibit 1). As AI systems are hastily implemented across various business functions, many employees are experiencing heightened anxiety about their roles and future relevance.

Exhibit 1: Half of today’s GenAI leaders believe a singular focus on productivity leads to employee discontent

Sample: 550 Executives
Source: HFS Research in collaboration with Genpact, 2024

This apprehension is further exacerbated by the lack of comprehensive reskilling programs, leaving many workers unprepared for tomorrow’s AI-driven workplace. For instance, an HFS study of talent in India revealed a critical skills gap: 38% of employees have received AI training in the past two years, and 49% feel unprepared for future demands.

Cognizant’s EX Business approach counters threats to EX created by the rush for efficiency

Cognizant EX Business is helping enterprises reignite their EX efforts through an integrated approach combining human-centric design, AI-powered solutions, and sustainable delivery models:

• Design-led transformation: Cognizant’s EX business employs design thinking methodologies to reimagine end-to-end employee journeys. In one case, a client had seven disconnected systems with manual interventions for onboarding, causing inefficiencies and poor experiences for stakeholders, including candidates, hiring managers, and HR. Cognizant applied design-led transformation, integrating pre- and post-onboarding platforms through APIs, automation, and smart orchestration, improving overall efficiency and the candidate experience. They also used Power BI analytics to identify process delays, enabling targeted improvements across different roles, including HR and onboarding teams.
• AI-augmented HR processes: Cognizant’s EX Business uses AI to enhance HR processes, improving recruiter efficiency and candidate quality. As a global tech company, they deployed AI-powered resume parsing and screening tools, increasing recruiter productivity by 40%. Cognizant also introduced an AI-led solution for candidate assessments, streamlining profile evaluations, identifying nonviable leads, and reducing manual effort. The system integrates hiring data for bulk processing, improving operational efficiency. Additionally, Cognizant implemented a Gen AI tool to automatically create interactive, customized learning materials, enhancing employee training and contributing to better business outcomes.
• Sustainable technology roadmaps: Cognizant’s EX Business helps clients build sustainable technology roadmaps by creating flexible foundations for long-term EX investments. They developed a Gen AI maturity model that assesses readiness across people, processes, and technology to tailor AI adoption plans that align with employee needs and company culture. Cognizant also uses AI-powered interviewing solutions to guide interviews, assess candidate experience, explain role responsibilities, and evaluate problem-solving and customer service skills. These AI-driven interviews can be customized to fit specific company and role needs, seamlessly integrating into the recruitment process.
• Data-driven insights: Cognizant developed talent analytics dashboards to consolidate data from multiple HR systems, offering leaders actionable workforce insights. Correlating EX metrics with business KPIs helps quantify the ROI of experience initiatives, strengthening the business case for EX investments. One client struggled with assimilating data for strategic decisions, so Cognizant built CHRO and pay equity dashboards. These tools integrated data from various systems to provide predictive and prescriptive analytics, enabling leadership to make informed decisions, drive productivity, and enhance employee experience.

Cognizant reimagined the underwriting experience for a global insurance company struggling with outdated systems, low productivity, and high turnover rates

Underwriters are often burdened with labor-intensive data collection and analysis tasks that slow operations and contribute to significant job dissatisfaction. This environment creates a vicious cycle of low productivity and high turnover, hampering the company’s ability to compete effectively in a fast-evolving market.

A global insurance company faced these challenges and sought help overhauling the underwriting experience. Leveraging AI and advanced analytics, Cognizant automated the previously manual data collection and processing tasks. Implementing these technologies not only streamlined the underwriting process but also enhanced the accuracy and speed of decision-making. Cognizant designed a solution that addressed operational and human challenges by focusing on the root causes of inefficiency and employee frustration.

The result was a win-win scenario that enterprise leaders should strive for: improved operational efficiency and enhanced job satisfaction. By focusing on the root causes of inefficiency and employee frustration, leaders can design AI solutions that simultaneously address operational and human challenges.

The Bottom Line: AI-age winners will be companies that can balance the relentless drive for efficiency with a genuine commitment to keeping their humans happy.

Enterprise leaders must recognize that EX is not just a human resources concern but a critical factor in the success of their AI initiatives. Cognizant’s EX Business strategy represents a notable attempt to address the growing disconnect between rapid AI adoption and EX. This integrated approach offers a more holistic solution to EX challenges than point solutions focused solely on technology implementation.