KFC is using a range of technological innovations such as voice-activation and social media in order to improve the employee experience. The international chicken chain is testing a number of new employee-facing technology solutions to improve the in-store work environment, hoping that it will have a run-on effect on customer service.
“The customer experience can never exceed the employee experience,” said Ryan Ostrom, KFC’s chief digital officer. “We want to make every day easy and rewarding for team members. When employees are better-trained and more efficient, the more consistent our hand-breaded chicken is around the world.”
Ostrom noted that by 2020, up to 80 percent of KFC’s worldwide workforce will be millennials or Gen Z – two of the most tech-savvy generations ever.
One example is using Amazon Echo to train employees. The video is interactive and allows employees to ask questions. “It provides the associate with the ability, for instance when their hands are deep in flour, to ask questions like, ‘How do I put chicken on the rack?’” Ostrom said. “It helps associates learn on the job. Since we are about hand-breaded chicken, making the product in the back of the house, it’s important to have your hands free.”
“We know the customer experience can’t exceed employee experience,” he added. “We need to create technology in the kitchen and the stores to make training easier and improve team members’ experience.”
