12 Companies Prove Nudgetech Is The Future of Work
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How about Artificial Intelligence that helps you decide better?
I'm not talking about brainstorming with ChatGPT.
That's generative AI. It's useful for ideas, content or code.
Nudge Technology, or "Nudgetech," is a bit different. AI that's built into your daily workflow to spot patterns and support better habits. It could help you master specific skills, for instance.
Well, this is exactly what's happening with Nudgetech, which is as it sounds: nudges are small, tech-powered prompts. These nudges help people stay on track towards their goals. For example, they help users build better habits and reduce decision fatigue.
It’s like a notification. You're notified (or nudged) when it's time to act, course-correct or reflect.
These better habits seem to pay off.
McKinsey found that AI-nudges helped service teams boost productivity by up to 10% and reduce rework by almost 30%. Not bad.
While most people are talking about AI automation, the real value here lies in adaptability.
It's no wonder Deloitte predicts Nudgetech will be a top work trend in 2025 and beyond. Leading companies are already reshaping their ops around these tools so they can adapt to the constant disruption and change we're all seeing.
Let's explore 12 companies that are making Nudgetech work, and how you can too.
Google
Microsoft
Perceptyx (Inc. Humu)
Workday
Thrive Global
Cisco
Novartis
Salesforce
IBM
Amazon
SAP
Kraft Heinz
1. Google - Nudge To Build Trust
Always an obvious frontrunner. Google has been using behaviour nudges at work for years, even if it doesn't call it "Nudgetech."
Take Project Oxygen, for example. Back in 2008, Google explored what makes a good manager. They found that great managers coach more, don't micromanage, and genuinely care about their team's success.
But instead of stopping there, Google built these findings into tools managers already use (like check-ins and feedback prompts) to bring these insights to life.
Then came Project Aristotle, which looked at what makes teams thrive. The biggest factor was Psychological Safety (feeling comfortable enough to speak up or take risks). So, Google focused on inclusive meetings, open communication, and more feedback.
What did they learn?
This one may sound too basic and obvious, but you'd be surprised how many companies still fail to do it.
New managers received a checklist the night before their first day, which included key reminders and essential details. Google found that when managers followed the checklist, their new hires (unsurprisingly) got up to speed way faster.
It's a simple example of nudging in action.
2. Microsoft - Nudge Better Habits
Microsoft is rethinking how its people work through daily habits.
Microsoft Viva, an AI-powered platform that supports employee wellbeing and learning, is at the centre of this shift.
Through Viva Insights, employees receive gentle, personalised nudges within the tools they already use, such as Outlook and Teams. They encourage practices like blocking focus time, taking breaks, or using a "virtual commute" at the end of the day to help switch off and separate work from home life.
Again, it sounds simple. But these small changes can really help people develop better habits with minimal effort.
Managers receive an additional level of support through Viva Glint, which converts team feedback into straightforward action steps. Suppose a survey shows a drop in team communication, for example. In that case, the platform suggests that the manager talk through this with their employees using what they call an ACT Framework: acknowledge, collaborate, and take one step forward.
It's all about practical steps.
And for productivity?
Microsoft rolled out Copilot in Microsoft 365, which brings AI into everyday tasks, such as writing emails or summarising meetings. In early trials, companies using this saved up to 20% of time on repetitive work.
If you aren't yet using this, you should be.
3. Perceptyx (inc. Humu) - Nudge Leadership
Perceptyx, which now includes Humu, was co-founded by the former Head of People at Google. This person has extensive experience in mastering company culture.
It's built on a simple idea: feedback only matters if it leads to action.
Most HR systems stop at collecting survey results and sending managers a report. But Perceptyx goes further. It provides science-backed nudges directly into tools like Slack, Teams, or email.
Here's what that could look like IRL:
A manager might get a prompt like:
"Want your team to speak up more? Try ending meetings five minutes early so quieter voices can chip in."
These nudges are based on actual feedback from the team, so they're timely and relevant.
Perceptyx recently launched Activate, a feature that works with other HR systems. And it's working. In one instance, teams using Perceptyx experienced a notable increase in engagement within six months. In others, clients achieved a threefold improvement in financial performance when they integrated nudging into their workflow.
4. Workday - Turn Feedback into Action
Workday thinks feedback should be practical. We agree.
Using its Peakon Employee Voice platform, Workday conducts regular pulse surveys that track team performance in real-time. However, instead of simply presenting numbers on a dashboard, it prompts people to take action based on the data.
If a team's feedback indicates signs of burnout, it may be because energy levels are low or recognition has been lacking. The manager might get a quiet heads-up.
Something like:
"Team morale is low. Try celebrating your recent wins."
Super easy.
If there's a bigger trend, that's when leadership gets involved. So when signs of burnout started to show, Workday introduced "Thank You Fridays", giving employees surprise long weekends to rest and reset.
No complex playbooks. It's just a real human response.
5. Thrive Global - Nudging Wellbeing into Work
Wellness initiatives can become a gimmick when done wrong.
However, Thrive Global believes that small daily steps have the biggest impact on team wellbeing.
That's where Microsteps come in. These are tiny prompts in daily tools like Slack or Teams to avoid having to open up yet another app.
Say you've been glued to your screen all morning. Thrive might suggest a quick reset break. Or it might remind you to pause and set one clear priority for the day.
And the results speak for themselves.
In one example, employees who used Thrive for three months saw a 36% increase in their ability to set priorities and a 34% improvement in managing stress.
6. Cisco – Micro-Learning
Learning doesn't stop at Cisco.
They take a practical AI-first approach to employee development. This approach is less about formal training and more about small reminders and segments that fit into work.
Take AI Simplified, for example. It's their way of delivering short learning bursts, or micro sessions that introduce key ideas, followed by reminders and simple tasks throughout the week.
The idea is to help people learn something valuable and apply it without having to pause their day.
Recognition also matters.
They utilise a peer-to-peer platform called Connected Recognition, which Cisco developed in conjunction with Workhuman. It allows teams to thank a colleague or celebrate a small win quickly. Informal and easy. In its first year, 85% of Cisco employees utilised it, demonstrating how a simple tool can help reinforce a positive team culture.
They're also trialling AI-powered coaching. These tools offer support tailored to each person's preferred learning style, such as visuals for some and written tips for others.
7. Novartis- Nudging To Reduce Bias
Did you know that nudges can also support inclusion?
At Novartis, nudging isn't just for productivity, but also ethics. It's also helping to build a fairer hiring process.
The company has taken a behavioural science approach to tackling bias in recruitment. Instead of relying on gut feelings or good intentions, they've built in nudges that remind hiring managers to stay objective.
So when they're reviewing candidates, they're nudged to focus on skills rather than stereotypes.
One example is structured interview guides and standardised scorecards. These are now part of the routine, making it easier to compare candidates fairly and stay consistent. Managers get these tools right when needed, during hiring, and not buried in training slides.
As Paul Adang, who leads global talent acquisition at Novartis, puts it, the aim is to "break down unconscious biases and help see the person behind the stereotype."
It's all part of a bigger effort to build a workforce that reflects the real world, especially the patients Novartis serves. And it's working because the nudges occur in real-time, not months after a decision is made.
8. Salesforce - Nudging Coaches
Salesforce is integrating AI-driven nudges into its platform to support managers and employees in real-time.
For instance, their Einstein Coach feature provides context-aware prompts like, "Have you checked in with your team this week?" or "Is it time for a feedback conversation?"
These suggestions are based on patterns in team performance and engagement data, aiming to address smaller issues before they escalate.
Beyond coaching, Salesforce's Trailhead platform gamifies learning by awarding badges and points for completing modules, fostering a culture of continuous development.
Employees can track their progress and climb the ranks, making skill-building an engaging activity.
In terms of employee well-being, Salesforce has partnered with Thrive Global to integrate wellness prompts into daily workflows.
These microsteps encourage employees to take regular short breaks, manage stress effectively, and maintain their focus throughout the day.
The partnership aims to embed well-being directly into the workflow, helping employees build resilience and prevent burnout.
9. IBM - Nudging For Adaptability
Tailored learning speeds up development.
IBM integrates this learning ethos into daily work through its internal platform, Your Learning. This AI-powered system suggests courses and materials tailored to each employee's role, projects, and career goals. For instance, if you're working on a cloud computing project, the system might recommend a short course or case study to enhance your expertise.
The platform also tracks your progress, sending reminders to complete courses or apply new skills. Managers receive prompts by acknowledging team members' learning milestones and discussing development plans, fostering a culture of continuous growth.
Beyond formalities, IBM encourages exploration through internal hackathons and project opportunities. These initiatives serve as nudges for employees to apply their skills in new areas, promoting innovation and adaptability within the organisation.
10. Amazon - Nudges For Safety And Efficiency
Amazon is famed for its productivity. But this one's all about health and safety.
In this instance, nudges are built into everyday tools used by warehouse teams and managers. For frontline employees, wearable tech like the Robotic Tech Vest helps maintain safety by keeping robots aware of their location. But it's not just about movement.
Amazon has tested AI-powered wearables that monitor posture and alert employees to adjust in real-time, nudging people to prevent injury before it happens. These are quiet behavioural cues, not commands, designed to build healthier work habits over time.
Managers get nudges, too. Internal tools flag when someone might be under pressure or overdue for feedback, prompting quick check-ins rather than waiting for a formal review. It's a way of embedding coaching into work, helping leaders stay in tune with their teams without micromanaging.
Even sales and corporate teams get reminders based on AI signals. For example, nudges to follow up with a lead at the right time or revisit a customer issue.
It's part of a larger cultural shift Amazon is making. They've always been data-driven, but AI is taking this to an entirely new level.
11. SAP - Nudges for Decision Quality
SAP utilises behavioural science and AI to enable employees to make smarter, more inclusive decisions with ease.
For instance, in SAP's SuccessFactors HR suite, managers receive real-time prompts designed to promote fairer decision-making. During the hiring process, the system can suggest rewording a job description to eliminate unconscious bias or recommend adding more diverse candidates to the shortlist.
Similarly, in performance management, if a manager's feedback focuses too much on personality traits rather than measurable results, the system gently nudges a shift toward objective metrics.
Beyond HR, SAP's Concur platform provides teams with timely insights to make more informed and efficient choices. These insights could suggest more efficient travel routes or identify unnecessary expenses.
Subtle prompts reduce the mental load of decision-making, helping people focus on what matters most.
12. Kraft Heinz - Nudging Leaders
Kraft Heinz might not be the first company that comes to mind when you think of cutting-edge AI. But behind the scenes, it's using AI in a surprisingly human way: helping managers become more self-aware.
As part of its digital transformation, Kraft Heinz partnered with Cultivate, an AI platform that provides managers with feedback on their communication style. With employee consent, the tool analyses patterns across various tools, including Slack, email, and calendar apps. It doesn't do this to monitor, but to surface small things they might not notice.
If a manager's replies are slowing down, or confident teammates keep getting left off meeting invites, the system might offer a nudge:
"Your response rate dipped this week. Want to set a reminder to check in?"
These nudges aren't about scoring or tracking performance. They're more like a mirror, helping leaders course-correct.
It's part of a culture change within Kraft Heinz, moving away from traditional, top-down management to a more people-focused and responsive approach. And because the nudges appear within tools managers already use, they don't feel like another HR system.
Final thoughts?
These companies aren't just playing with AI to save time. They're using it to improve how people work.
Across all 12, a few simple lessons stood out:
→ Nudges work best when they're part of the day-to-day.
→ The most effective systems work with tools people already use, like Slack, Outlook, SAP, and Microsoft Teams. No extra logins. No new platforms to learn.
→ Learning and leadership are now part of the job, not something separate.
→ Companies like Workday and IBM are ditching the big training days in favour of small reminders that appear when needed. Learning is on the go.
AI isn't making the decisions, but it's helping us notice what we've missed.
You still need to think for yourself. AI is not replacing management or experience. It's simply about spotting patterns, such as someone left out of the loop or team morale starting to dip and offering a subtle nudge to address the issue.
Human input is still required.
And Nudgetech is not just about business; it's also better for people.
Done well, nudges help cut stress, reduce decision fatigue, and protect people's focus. Tools like Thrive Global, Microsoft Viva, and SAP Concur save people a great deal of time and energy.
If your team is exploring AI at work, the real question isn't "What can we automate?"
Instead, ask, "Are we reinforcing the kind of culture we want to grow?"
Superhumxn helps leaders develop the human skills they need to navigate the future.
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