Challenge
New Sales and Services employees at Akamai needed help completing the onboarding program on schedule. The goal was to pass their whiteboard presentation exams and start work in the field fully prepared. An assessment revealed that improved communication between new hires, mentors, and managers would facilitate guidance and accountability.
Akamai needed to enhance ongoing communication during a new hire’s onboarding journey, for reinforcement, resources, and scheduling reminders, as well as connecting new hires more efficiently with mentors and managers in a way that was easy and scalable.
New hires needed to be prompted regarding onboarding milestones and have key subjects reinforced to ensure they complete the program on time and with confidence.
Solution
We engaged an AI chatbot vendor to develop a chatbot that enhanced the onboarding experience for new hires. The chatbot offered a convenient way for employees to connect with their managers and mentors from their laptops and mobile devices. The Chatbot regularly checked confidence levels, offered topic-specific resources, and ensured new hires were on track to complete the curriculum and pass their whiteboard exams.
Results
New Hires who leveraged the chatbot during onboarding were 58% more likely to finish certification and did it in 20% less time on average.