When our world entered lockdown in March 2020, many employers had to shift overnight to support remote working. Some challenges, such as ensuring people could log on from home had relatively obvious (if not always easy) technology fixes. But others, such as understanding how people’s wellbeing may be affected, called for a response that balanced technology with human understanding.
When professional services firm PwC wanted to help staff identify the impact new ways of working were having on their wellbeing, they asked for volunteers across the firm, and ended up issuing wearable fitness trackers to 2,000 people. By analyzing data from these devices, alongside other data sets such as calendars, timesheets, cognitive tests, and self-evaluation, PwC was able to provide individuals with unique insights and help them plan their days. This analysis also helped PwC shape policies and a new deal for all staff that underpins a more flexible approach to work.
However, the success of the program didn’t just rely on technology. It’s an example of how technology is at its most effective when used in harmony with human qualities such as trust, transparency, and understanding.
“Two companies could roll out the same technology, but one might be a success and one might fail,” says Nick Bouch, data and analytics partner at PwC UK. “The difference comes down to culture, communication, trust, and understanding—all human qualities. You need those things before technology can add any value. You need a balance of humanity and technology.”
Asking employees to volunteer to be tracked is potentially incredibly invasive, but PwC was transparent about what it would be doing with the data collected, providing reassurances about the anonymization of data and clearly communicating the benefits.
“If people thought it was about surveillance, they wouldn’t have opted in, the project would have failed, and the investment in technology would have been wasted,” adds Bouch. “But because they trusted the intent was to help, the technology was welcomed into their lives.”
Striking this balance between a human-led, but tech-powered approach is increasingly the key to business success.
Right now, most brands are well aware of the value to be derived from mining customer or employee data. But, as people become more aware of the value of their data, they are becoming more discerning about which organizations can access it—and what they expect in return. Organizations must show they have anticipated and addressed this human response.
Most consumers welcome highly personalized experiences—but only if they trust the organization collecting the data required to create such experiences.
“Monzo is a fantastic example,” says Karen Penman, partner at PwC UK. Challenger bank Monzo analyzes spending data and provides customers with a monthly spending report, so they can see clearly where their money is going, and manage their budgets more effectively.
A lot of data is being collected, and Monzo will benefit from being able to better shape its offering. But no one is feeling short-changed or creeped out, because there is a tangible benefit which feels commensurate to the level and nature of data used by the bank. The necessary human understanding and the application of technology are in accord.
“In this case, technology is being used to enrich customers’ lives,” says Penman. “By quickly and powerfully analyzing customer data, Monzo is able to improve the service it provides. But it is based on a clear human insight, that people want greater control and understanding of their finances, and it is delivered in a way that seems entirely consistent with that need. A lot of the process can be automated, but what can’t be automated is judgement; the initial judgement regarding the right way to use data in a mutually beneficial way.”
Calibrating the right way to use technology to create mutual benefit is an increasing theme across business.
The disruption of the last two years has highlighted the need for organizations to address issues of risk and resilience within their supply chain. But at the same time, they are looking for ways to respond to consumer needs for more information about where products come from, how they are produced, and how workforces are treated.
Johan Jegerajan, Consulting CTO, PwC UK and EMEA, says: “Consumers are factoring their own values as well as ethics and sustainability far more into their buying decisions. They also want choice and immediate availability. At the same time, organizations are dealing with supply chain disruptions, and a need to mitigate rising costs by identifying risks and inefficiencies in their supply chain. Underpinning all of this is a need to invest in technologies that meet the customer and business need for real-time information, without transgressing the customer need for a fair price. Again this is a real balancing act between human needs and preferences, and the potential of technology.”
It may seem risky to reveal the intricate details of how your business works, but staying closed up can be riskier in the long term, because you’re cutting your business off from opportunities. It’s well documented that brand trust leads to customer loyalty—whether it’s conscious or not.
“I may not be able to tell you precisely why I trust a particular brand with my data,” says PwC’s Bouch. “In part, it is an emotional reaction to the values and behaviors I see the brand promote, how transparent it is. From a technology point of view, I expect the most robust and resilient approach to risk and cyber security from any business holding my data. But those factors may not even come into play if it doesn’t pass more emotional, human tests.”
To understand what customers need, businesses must refer to multiple sources of information—both digital data and direct human responses, which are now easier to come by than ever before.
“Right now, people can tweet the President of the United States, and they do,” says Jegerajan. “They demand to be able to tell leaders—from business leaders to politicians—what works and what doesn’t.”
The brands that make use of these channels of communication are going to have an immediate advantage, because they’ll be planning their use of data and technology with a live understanding of people’s expectations and preferences. They’ll be better placed to strike the right balance.
Covid made a lot of companies recognize that their trade-offs between cost, resilience and usability had been unacceptably high.
“What we’re now seeing is organizations really stand back and say, this isn’t just about cost, it’s about resilience, it’s about investing in technology that will enable us to be agile and to bounce back in times of crisis. And it’s about showing we understand and are responding to the human needs and benefits people are looking for,” says Penman. “That’s never been more relevant than in the market we’re in today.”
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This article was originally published by WIRED UK
