Leaders across HR, IT, and Finance are increasingly exploring how they can leverage the technologies they already have to enhance internal operations. One common question that arises is whether Microsoft Copilot, a powerful AI assistant embedded into the Microsoft ecosystem, can be used to service employee inquiries. While Copilot and tools like ChatGPT represent remarkable advancements in AI, there are some notable advantages and limitations when using them for employee support. In this article, we’ll discuss both the strengths and the gaps that HR and IT leaders should consider before relying on Copilot to handle employee inquiries.
One of the most attractive aspects of using Copilot for employee support is its accessibility for organizations that already use Microsoft products. Since many businesses rely on Office 365, Teams, and other Microsoft tools, Copilot is readily available as part of these services, making it a convenient option without the need for additional procurement or setup.
For HR and IT teams, this can be appealing because there’s no need to onboard a new platform or train employees to use a separate tool. Instead, they can harness the familiar interface of Microsoft Copilot directly within the ecosystem they are already using.
Another benefit of Copilot is its deep integration into Microsoft’s ecosystem. Whether you are in Teams, Word, Excel, or Outlook, Copilot can assist employees with various tasks or answer basic questions without needing to switch between multiple systems. This integration also extends to common workplace applications, making it easier for employees to access the support they need wherever they are working within Microsoft’s suite of tools.
Copilot is well-suited to handle simple, general inquiries, which can be helpful in an employee support context. For example, Copilot can easily answer basic questions like "What is a deductible?" or "How do I reset my Microsoft Teams password?" For organizations with straightforward processes and employees looking for general information, this can provide quick and efficient support.
However, while Copilot shines in certain areas, it also has significant limitations when it comes to more complex employee inquiries, particularly those that require personalized responses or detailed organizational knowledge. Let’s explore these challenges in more detail.
One major limitation is that Copilot lacks the ability to understand which policies are relevant to which employees. For organizations with a large, geographically dispersed workforce, this can be a critical issue. Policies around benefits, leave, and payroll often vary across regions, and employees need accurate, location-specific information.
Example:An employee in California may ask about family leave, and while Copilot might provide a generic answer, it may not take into account specific state regulations such as the California Family Rights Act (CFRA). This could lead to confusion or incorrect guidance, especially if the employee was expecting a personalized response that accounts for their location.
In addition to this, Copilot may sometimes combine policies across different geographies, further muddling the information. This lack of contextual awareness makes Copilot ill-suited for organizations with employees spread across multiple jurisdictions, each governed by different labor laws and policies.
Another major drawback of Copilot is its inability to answer questions using employee-specific context. Copilot doesn’t understand your organization's structure, the specific benefit plans employees are enrolled in, or any personal payroll information. This lack of insight into individual employee data limits its ability to provide meaningful support for more complex, context-driven inquiries.
Example:Consider an employee who asks, "Why was my paycheck $25 lower than the last cycle?" In this case, Copilot won’t have access to payroll systems or specific employee records to understand what caused the discrepancy. Perhaps the employee switched health plans, or maybe a one-time deduction was applied. Without visibility into these details, Copilot is unable to provide a satisfactory answer, leaving HR or payroll teams to step in and manually address the issue.
This limitation is particularly important in cases where employees expect personalized responses based on their specific employment terms, benefits, and payroll history—something that Copilot, without deeper integration into internal systems, cannot deliver.
Given these limitations, organizations looking for a more tailored employee support solution should consider alternatives that are purpose-built for HR, IT, and Finance inquiries.
At Wayside, we’re building a solution specifically designed to support employee inquiries, addressing the gaps that generic AI tools like Copilot and ChatGPT struggle with. Our platform is engineered to provide personalized responses by integrating directly with your organization’s existing systems, such as HRIS, ticketing solutions, and Teams.
Unlike Copilot, Wayside’s AI assistant pulls from employee-specific data, such as benefit enrollment, geographic location, and job title, to provide accurate, relevant answers. This ensures that when an employee asks a question about their benefits or payroll, the system knows which policies apply to them and can respond accordingly.
Example:An employee in New York asking about their healthcare deductible will receive a detailed answer based on their specific health plan, state regulations, and company policies. This eliminates the confusion of generic responses and ensures that employees receive the right information the first time.
Wayside’s AI tool also utilizes metadata to identify which policies are relevant to each employee, ensuring that regional or role-specific nuances are always accounted for. This prevents the mishandling of policies across geographies or departments and ensures that employees get the most accurate, tailored support possible.
For example, employees in a specific state or job role may have unique benefit offerings, and Wayside ensures they receive responses that align with their exact circumstances, reducing frustration and improving the overall employee experience.
While Microsoft Copilot offers some useful features for basic employee support, it falls short in areas where personalized, context-specific responses are required. For organizations with a large or diverse workforce, the limitations of Copilot—such as its inability to differentiate between policies or provide answers based on employee-specific data—mean it may not be the best tool for handling complex employee inquiries.
Alternatives like Wayside, which integrate directly with your internal systems and offer tailored, employee-specific responses, provide a much more effective solution for organizations looking to enhance their employee support capabilities. By leveraging AI designed specifically for HR, IT, and Finance, companies can ensure that employees receive the personalized, accurate support they need—without adding to the workload of HR teams.
