One AI Assistant Answers Best Practices Guide

Introduction

Answers in One AI Assistant is one of the most powerful ways to shape how users experience their data. The questions you write, the visuals you choose, and the order you place them can turn a static dashboard into a clear and cohesive story. Instead of navigating multiple pages or guessing where to look, users can start with a curated question that brings them directly to a validated chart, an optional natural language explanation, a link to the full storyboard page, and related questions to continue exploring.

Well built Answers highlight what matters and give users a structured, reliable way to move through information. They are especially valuable for anyone new to analysis or unsure where to begin.

This guide covers how to design strong Answers, select the right visuals, write effective questions, organize content into topics, and maintain Answers over time.

What Answers Is

Answers allows you to turn your storyboard tiles into clear, guided questions for users. You write the question, choose the visual it should display, and organize it inside topics you define. When users click a question, or ask something similar in natural language, they get a written explanation (if permissioned), the correct chart, a link to the storyboard for more detail, and related questions they can explore next.

Because every Answer uses a visual you have already reviewed and approved, users get an accurate and reliable explanation based on content you trust.

Why Answers Is Valuable

Answers gives users a simple and trustworthy way to understand their data without needing to locate the right chart or interpret it alone. Each Answer uses a visual you have already validated, so users know the data, definitions, and logic are correct. The experience is structured and approachable, and it supports natural storytelling because you control the sequence and flow of the questions. Answers helps users learn as they go and follow the narrative you intend.

Key benefits include:

• Accurate insights that come from visuals you have already reviewed and approved
• An easy entry point for casual or new users who prefer guided questions instead of navigating large storyboards
• A natural learning path because you control the order and flow of questions
• Strong storytelling through curated questions that present information in a deliberate sequence
• Clear context through links back to the storyboard, with metric definitions and drill through available when permitted
• Faster access to common questions without searching through multi page storyboards
• A smooth transition into Analyze for follow up questions using the same chart
• Alignment with role based security so users only see what they have permission to view
• Simple discovery through example prompts, topic browsing, and asking what questions can you answer

Best Practices

1. Planning Topics and Structure

Topics form the main navigation path for users, so the structure matters. Create topics that reflect how users naturally think about the business rather than how your data is modeled. Good topic categories include Workforce, Turnover, Compensation and Pay Equity, Spans and Layers, Diversity, Recruiting, and Engagement.

Avoid topics that turn into miscellaneous containers. If a topic grows too large, split it into logical sections. Within each topic, arrange questions in a meaningful order. Start with broad or high level questions, then follow with trends, comparisons, deeper analyses, and diagnostic questions. This creates a guided progression rather than a random list.

Use Example Prompts to make Answers easy to discover. Add What questions can you answer along with a few high value examples to help users understand how Answers works.

2. Writing Strong Questions

The question you write directly determines the quality of the AI generated explanation the Assistant produces. Strong questions are short, natural, answerable by the tile, and written in the voice of your real users.

• Keep questions short and natural

Questions need to be 100 characters or less. Keep them concise, and write in the way HR business partners, recruiters, analysts, and leaders speak. Avoid unnecessary jargon unless all users share it.

• Prefer interpretive questions

Interpretive questions help the Assistant describe meaning, not just surface level facts. Questions such as "What does this trend suggest?" or "Where do we see risks?" guide the Assistant toward more thoughtful responses than questions like "Describe this chart".

• Only ask what the tile can answer

The Assistant only uses the data in the selected tile. It cannot supplement missing breakdowns, generate forecasts, or introduce group comparisons that do not exist. As a rule:

• • • Do not ask demographic questions without demographic fields in the visual
    • Do not ask forecast questions without a forecast line
    • Do not ask which group questions without grouped data
    • Do not rely on hidden calculations, drilldowns, or context not visible in the chart

This protects accuracy and prevents hallucinations.

• Avoid vague or undefined comparisons

If a chart does not contain a reference line or benchmark, the Assistant cannot safely answer questions that rely on it. Questions such as How do we compare to optimal ranges are too vague. Instead, name the benchmark directly or add it to the visual. For example: How do we compare to our internal benchmark range of 6 to 8.

• Use richer framing when it adds clarity

Instead of questions that produce simple numeric answers, frame questions to encourage interpretation. For example:

• • • How is gender representation changing over time
    • Based on the current trend, are we moving toward gender parity

These encourage more meaningful narrative responses.

• Split overly complex questions

A two part question is fine if both parts rely on the same logic. If the question mixes unrelated analyses, split it into two separate questions.

• Commands versus questions

Commands such as Show me headcount for the last 12 months return basic summaries. Questions such as How has headcount changed over the last 12 months produce clearer and more narrative explanations.

3. Choosing the Right Visuals

The visual behind an Answer plays a major role in the quality of the explanation. Choose visuals that show meaningful variation, clear structure, or patterns the Assistant can describe.

• Use visuals with patterns for richer answers 

The best visuals include time series, distributions, grouped comparisons, hotspots, scatterplots, geomaps, sankeys, and structured tables. These provide enough structure for the Assistant to describe trends, differences, and relationships. Single value tiles work for simple KPI questions but produce short answers.

• Adjust height when needed

In the future, admins will be able to choose heights between 200 and 500 pixels for tall or dense visuals. Use a taller height when legends are large or the chart becomes compressed (like with funnel or sankey charts).

• Using tables effectively

Tables can work well if they contain a focused set of columns. Avoid broad prompts like Tell me about this table. Instead, write several targeted questions that guide the Assistant to specific insights from the table. If the tile shows Query too large to display, refine or filter the table until that message disappears. The Assistant cannot use a tile it cannot render.

4. Permissions and Access

Answers respects all existing role based security. A user only sees a question and Answer if they have permission to view the underlying storyboard tile. The natural language explanation at the top uses its own access role. If you want a group to see the chart but not the narrative, you can remove that permission.

5. Performance Notes

The written Answer should not time out in most cases. Very large tables or unusually complex questions might take longer. If performance slows, reduce the amount of data returned in the visual or simplify the tile.

6. Maintaining Answers

Treat Answers as a living content library. Review them whenever storyboards change. Retire or update questions that no longer apply. Add new questions based on usage trends or changes in business priorities.

Use usage statistics to understand which topics and questions users rely on. This helps you uncover gaps and identify where more Answers would add value. Test periodically with HR, talent acquisition, and people analytics partners. Ask them what they want to know and confirm that their questions route correctly.

Always test each question after configuring it. Try several natural phrasings to confirm the Assistant interprets your intent consistently. Adjust wording until you achieve a reliable, clear response.

Example Question Packs

Example question packs are available to help you get started. Each pack contains twelve sample questions that demonstrate strong patterns, effective wording, and chart types that work well with Answers. These are intended as starting points that customers can customize based on their data, priorities, and language.

Available packs include Workforce, Spans and Layers, Compensation, Performance and Progression, Gender, Age, and Diversity. Recruiting Lifecycle packs are coming soon. Download the pdf below. 

• One AI Assistant Answers - Imp Packs (1).pdf4 MB