Thrive and Genesys partner to tackle burnout

Burnout is a major issue that is impacting businesses across the world. Staff shortages caused by the ‘Great Resignation‘ are leaving the remaining workforce stretched and tired.

Genesys, a cloud customer experience orchestration, and Thrive, the behavior change technology company founded by frequent UNLEASH contributor Arianna Huffington, have now teamed up to address this problem. Together they have unveiled Thrive Reset for Genesys.

Rather than focus on business metrics, the partnership will see the companies embed wellbeing tools directly in a workflow. By doing this, it is hoped that workers can destress, reset and recharge in real-time.

Thrive Reset for Genesys wants to take an empathy-first approach with its stress intervention tool that is specifically designed for frontline workers. By using proven neuroscience methodology the offering intends to offer employees wellbeing breaks.

In the instance of customer service, the software would be given a brief video-based break designed to reduce stress and help them reset after a stressful call.

It is hoped that this time to recharge will allow the customer service worker to better deliver great service on the next call, rather than dishing out the results they received verbatim.

A real-time, AI (write out)-based sentiment analysis can check when this break would be needed by noting mood, behavior, and tone of voice.

The companies have begun piloting the product and found that within a Fortune 100 retailer the offering managed to improve employee wellbeing and increased customer satisfaction.

The results showed greater customer satisfaction ratings (5%), higher productivity scores (17%), and better overall satisfaction levels with their employer.

Prioritize frontline wellbeing

The product is specifically targeting frontline workers as the likes of customer service have been vital for businesses over the pandemic. Despite this, frontline workers have often been overlooked and left in stressful situations.

According to a Cornell University study, just under 90% of contact center operators report high or very high-stress levels. Even before the pandemic, the attrition rate of contact center workers was twice that of other occupations.

This has led to many leaving areas like hospitality and consumer-facing roles. It is hoped that this technology will stop the poor attrition rate in these sectors.

Speaking about the need for this partnership, Huffington said: “Thrive is on a mission to end burnout. It starts with reshaping the employee experience by giving employers tools to foster individual wellbeing.

“Together with Genesys, we’re embedding wellbeing experiences into everyday workflows, which is key for the sustained mental health and resilience of employees.”

Tony Bates, Genesys chairman and CEO, added: “Many workplaces today are optimized for efficiency and effectiveness. That results in people feeling overworked and their contributions being undervalued.

“With Thrive, we can shift the way businesses use technology to create personalized, empathetic employee experiences.”

Of course, businesses will also need to offer other incentives to keep customer-facing workers. Nonetheless, many will be pleased that a tool with a focus on frontline wellbeing is being introduced.