Tim Newnham

Whether the world of HR wants to acknowledge it or not, the industry continues to change rapidly through advancements in data that affect every function of HR. Through their data-driven insights, ADP, a leading global technology company providing human capital management (HCM) solutions, has continued to optimize the way that they collect, utilize and apply customer and client data to improve the user experience. Joe Kleinwaechter, VP of Global UX dives deep into the state of UX development and some important things to consider when using data for innovation.

The Details are in the Data:  Data is everywhere, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that all data is important. Sometimes the best advice can be to ignore a lot of it, because the danger with more data, is larger room for error and misinterpretation. When looking at the data, developing a hypothesis that supports it can help you draw conclusions as to whether the trend is accurate or not. Data is always the launch pad for further insight into UX improvement, but the hard part is figuring out what people are actually doing vs. what the data tells you. 

Coming Right Up!: In an ideal world, the best UX emulates a barista at a coffee shop and is able to understand its client base and use data and patterns to prepare a service for them before they walk through the door. ADP’s Intelligent Self-Service product takes this concept and expands on it further, by analyzing customer service call data and crafting their information to field those frequent inquiries, saving both the firm and the client valuable time. The state of UX is going to become increasingly more predictive as time moves on, and once those predictions return a high degree of confidence, the end goal is to be able to take action on a client’s behalf if that’s what they would like. 

Finding a Balance: ADP’s biggest competitive differentiator is their wealth of data, and with that UX developers must understand and adapt to the line between “creepy” and helpful data use. Years ago, no one expected firms to have such a high level of data, but today there’s an expectation that it’s being used to improve UX and to drive innovation. For example, in 2002, if someone was to explain that you needed to start driving because your flight leaves soon and the roads were blocked, it’d be a bit odd, and you’d likely wonder where they got all that information from. Today, it’s seen as useful and intelligent data to make sure you stay on schedule for your trip. 

Trust is Important: Trust between a business and its clients is paramount to being able to use data effectively. In the past, companies have gotten in serious trouble for taking user information without permission to improve their offerings and provide a better product. Although the result is something that benefits the user, it blurs the line on what the boundaries of personal data truly are. Trust requires full disclosure, full transparency, and a strong ethical policy in place to meet people where they are in terms of their data privacy.