‘Experience Agents’ address issues while users complete surveys, online reviews and other interactions.



Qualtrics Experience Agents, which the company introduced at its recent X4 user conference, come with a unique pitch: They’re more about the employee and customer experience than they are about increasing efficiency.
The Experience Agents use Qualtrics data to interact with users in “personalized, proactive and empathetic” ways, the company said. That should have a direct impact on engagement, even as the agents help provide data analysis for companies to use in business and workforce planning.

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Because the agents step directly into employee interactions, companies won’t have to wait for feedback to be compiled and analyzed. They can address issues while users complete surveys, online reviews and other interactions, tailoring their approach to each individual’s preferences and needs.

For example, an employee’s feedback might say HR has been slow to respond to their recent queries on time off or benefits. Experience Agents can respond in real time, within the survey or through another channel, to learn more about the problem and resolve the issue.



Advertisement: Looking for the perfect HR software? SelectSoftware Reviews offers tailored guidance to help you choose the best HRIS, ATS, and payroll tools for your organization! No costs, no obligations, just great advice from people who understand HR technology. Visit SelectSoftware Reviews.News & NotesA widening gap between corporate needs and qualified talent is getting in the way of AI adoption. Since 2019, AI-related job postings have surged by 21%, said Bain & Company, with compensation growing 11% annually over the same period. Without the right talent, “businesses will struggle to move from ambition to implementation," said Sarah Elk, Bain’s Americas head of AI, Insights and Solutions. Nearly half of executives, 44%, said a lack of in-house expertise is a key barrier to implementing generative AI. The talent gap is expected to persist through at least 2027.

In the U.S., demand for AI talent could reach 1.3 million by 2027, Bain said, while supply will reach less than 645,000 workers. The UK could see a shortfall of more than 50%, with just 105,000 AI workers available to fill up to 255,000 jobs. Germany could see the biggest gap: Only 62,000 AI professionals are available to fill the country’s estimated 190,000 – 219,000 AI job openings.

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A new generation of AI-powered talent intelligence tools are making roles more fluid, teams more cross-functional and career paths less linear, said SHL Chief Science Officer Sara Gutierrez. These tools give business leaders a real-time view of their company’s skills, potential and readiness. That helps employers to think about capabilities, agility and fit for the future, as opposed to just a role. “Where we once operated reactively – filling roles, plugging gaps and relying on intuition – AI is helping us operate proactively,” Gutierrez said. “It gives us the ability to forecast the skills that will matter most, understand who in our workforce is primed to grow into new roles and personalize development in ways that truly matter.”

Integration capabilities are the most influential piece of HR software purchasing decisions, followed closely by pricing and ease of onboarding. At the same time, just 41% of employers say they’re “very satisfied” with the state of connectivity between their technology systems. More than two-thirds, 68%, use integrations to share payroll data with internal systems or external benefits providers. The numbers come from Finch, an HR platform API provider.