The pandemic has changed the way that organizations function. With the move to a hybrid workforce fully upon us, companies are having to revisit and restructure the way that they are organized, including the technologies and processes that they use. Things such as employee experience, wellness, and skill development are coming to the forefront of employers’ minds to ensure that their company continues on the path to success. Gallup noted that companies with a highly engaged workforce were likely to be 21% more profitable than those that lack employee engagement. Those companies that aren’t focused on employee engagement risk losing talent. According to Microsoft, 40% of employees are considering leaving their employer this year. That is a high percentage! So, what can you do to ensure that your workforce isn’t spearheading “The Great Resignation?”
As we all have experienced, digital burnout is real. Over the past 18 months, online meetings have increased 2.5x with digital chats increasing by 45% (Microsoft Work Trends Index 2021). With all that screen time, employees are looking for less—less technology, and a better experience. While HR processes and technology are necessary, there are things that you can do to improve the experience and cut down on unnecessary steps for employees:
- Move to the cloud from your on-premise solution. This will help with keeping a modern experience, as well as with maintaining updates regularly. Software providers will be able to automatically push updates to the technology without much work on your end, keeping the experience as seamless as possible.
- Focus on the end-user experience, not just the admin-use case. Many self-service portals are great in theory but only focus on the admin point of view. You can ensure that these portals are user friendly by minimizing task and streamlining processes. You can also utilize a digital adoption platform to provide in-app guidance and ad hoc support to users for easier learning and faster adoption.
- Choose the right technology for your needs. Many HR technology providers are reimagining and redesigning their platforms to better meet the needs of users. They are looking at how users actually engage with the tools, not just what they want them to do, and are adjusting to meet those needs.
There are many software and service providers out there that will tell you that you need a plethora of new technology to adequately adjust to the hybrid workforce, but that isn’t really the case. It is more a matter of design. If you design your technology ecosystem to meet the needs of your employees as easily and efficiently as you can and are supported by seamless processes, then you will be on the path to success.
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