Hi, Tommy, Welcome to the HR Technology Interview Series. Please tell us about your role at timeOS.
I am the CEO and Founder of timeOS, which I founded in 2020 to transform users’ quality of time and enhance productivity. A byproduct of simplifying those actions is reduced employee stress, leading to overall improved well-being. We are currently a community of 50,000+ productivity enthusiasts and continue to expand and make greater productivity and well-being accessible for everyone.
What is timeOS and how does it currently fit into the modern enterprise technology stack?
timeOS is the first-ever time aware AI technology. Our newest product, TimeAI, is an all-in-one solution for AI-powered scheduling, note taking, and agendas that transforms a user’s calendar from a static tool into a conversational and ubiquitous assistant. Akin to a personalized ‘chief of staff’, TimeAI provides detailed context before, during, and after meetings to augment team decision-making, streamline workflows, and boost employee productivity.
How have AI capabilities, such as GenAI and conversational AI, changed the face of scheduling tools?
Scheduling tools in the workplace have come a long way. But, even with features like online calendars and booking services making things a lot simpler than a written calendar, a lot of manual work still had to be done – like prioritizing certain tasks and finding availability.
AI can now achieve everything in scheduling processes in seconds, without losing any personalization or efficiency.
First and foremost, AI has introduced many professionals to completely automated scheduling. By analyzing participants’ calendars and preferences, AI can now suggest things like suitable meeting times to reduce back-and-forth communications and planning that stunts the real work and conversations from happening.
We’re also continuing to see more of AI’s capability to leverage personalization – meaning it can take into account individual preferences and priorities when scheduling meetings such as prioritizing certain meetings, avoiding specific time slots, or suggest meeting locations based on previous data.
And finally, technology such as timeAI uses current and historic information available in your calendar as context to inform how you should spend your time and identify tasks that AI may be able to complete for you. From there, the AI steps in to attend the appropriate meetings and convey critical points to team members on your behalf. The solution also directs all action items where they need to go via a robust set of integrations with the communication and task management tools that users rely on most.
What are the core time scheduling and note-taking features should any organization invest in 2023-2024?
There are two things I think organizations should invest in when it comes to time scheduling and note-taking tools:
1. First, a tool that helps you streamline to-do lists.
AI-powered tools adapt and learn from employee work patterns, suggesting tasks to prioritize based on employee schedules and deadlines. Teams can even organize tasks by project or deadline, ensuring they stay on top of their workload, taking “productivity tools” to a whole new meaning.
2. And second, find solutions that can develop tailored agendas and action items.
AI-powered technology now has the ability to create automatic drafts of human-level agendas in advance of meetings, as well as follow-up emails summarizing actions populated in the user’s native language. Taking this functionality one step further, it can also provide meeting summaries after an employee takes vacation or is out of office for extended periods of time so no context is lost.
How does TimeAI integrate with other workforce management tools?
TimeAI seamlessly integrates with major communication platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Slack, and more. It offers comprehensive management support by swiftly converting actions from these platforms into tasks within tools such as Asana, Comeet, ClickUp, or Monday.com. From automatically syncing meeting sights with Notion to intelligently organizing your action items in ClickUp, timeOS streamlines your daily workflows and routines.
What significant challenges do modern HR Tech SaaS companies such as timeOS solve for users?
Technologies like TimeAI help prevent “context switching” – the practice of swiftly transitioning between tasks that are often unrelated or loosely connected. This phenomenon is prompted by external disruptions like incoming emails or calls, or internal interruptions such as a sudden idea or the urge to shift to a different task.
And, unsurprisingly, it can lead to significantly adverse outcomes.
These negative impacts stem from the cognitive expense of transitioning between tasks and disrupting our concentration. Once our focus wavers, even briefly, our brain needs extra time and energy to restore full attention (“switching cost”).
In fact, research from the American Psychological Association reveals a potential 40% decline in productivity due to context switching.
By leveraging AI tools like timeOS, employees can prepare for important conversations or post-meeting follow-ups without having to switch tabs. This enables your team to show up as their authentic selves and be fully present throughout the day, without worrying about “shallow work” before, during, or after a meeting.
Most HR organizations are unaware of the security and data privacy frameworks regarding the use of SaaS tools for employee communication. Could you shed some light on this aspect and how timeOS empowers users with its digital resources?
When it comes to SaaS tools leveraging AI, while privacy should always be a top priority and concern, companies should trust that AI is the new frontier and is an asset in combating cyber threats. AI exhibits the remarkable capability to not only recognize breaches in privacy but also autonomously counteract them.
While certain employee communication tools may still require substantial improvements in safeguarding data and corporate communication, numerous AI-driven workplace platforms such as timeOS are steadily advancing towards a nearly impregnable state when implemented effectively.
Thank you, Tommy! That was fun and hope to see you back on HRTech Series again!
Tommy Barav is the CEO and Founder of timeOS, the first-ever time-aware AI technology.
In 2020, Tommy founded the company with the mission to empower teams with a smarter time workflow that augments communication, meetings, and decision-making. With 10+ years of industry experience, Tommy previously worked as the Founder of Supertools, a Founding Member and Director of Marketing at Argus Cyber Security; and he attended Reichman University (IDC Herzliya).
timeOS was founded in 2020, and is backed by top US venture capital firms Resolute Ventures, Ibex Investors, Aviv Growth Partners, Fusion, a network of strategic angel investors, and a community of 50,000+ productivity enthusiasts. The company has employees in Tel Aviv and the United States.