Workplace technology: Investing to improve the employee experience

Now, more than ever, employers truly understand the importance of a positive employee experience and how investment in technology is key to improving workforce engagement and performance.

During such unprecedented times, it’s vital to pause, take stock and reassess. To this end, together with WorkForce Software, HRD Connect asked senior HR professionals from a variety of industries about how technology is improving the employee experience within their own organisations.

Evolving the employee experience

According to the results of our survey, deskless workers, which account for 80 percent of the global workforce, are often overlooked in favour of their deskbound counterparts. Together with the interviews presented in the report, this highlights the need for technology to improve how well deskless workers are able to communicate with both their supervisors and colleagues.

The report also found that, despite a growing interest in various technologies that can better support the employee experience, many organisations are still not investing enough resources at present. This is unsurprising, given the financial pressures presented by the pandemic. Fortunately, however, as businesses start to recover, interest in such investments is growing.

Among the innovations that are gaining more interest are sophisticated employee-manager communications and just-in-time or micro-training that are delivered to mobile devices. These technologies were highlighted for their potential to provide greater flexibility and opportunities for employees. In turn, engagement levels are improving, despite the operational challenges presented by the pandemic.

The utilisation of such technology ties in with the fact that more organisations are paying closer attention to their employee experience programs. This was also reflected in the results of our survey, with more than two thirds of respondents planning on improving technology to this end over the next 12 months.

Accordingly, HR departments are working closely with their IT counterparts. In fact, the report found that the more closely the two departments work together, the better communication becomes across all levels of the business – from deskless workers out in the field, right through to the upper echelons of even the largest organisations.

As explained by Marc Gingras, SVP, Employee Experience Strategy at WorkForce Software, technology provides the perfect opportunity to create the kinds of “moments that matter” between an employee and their supervisor.

Moving in the right direction

Among the many insights gained from the results of our recent survey, it has become clear that with the help of HR more organisations understand the importance of boosting the engagement levels of their employees. Undeniably, this is the foundation to a positive employee experience.

Although there is still a long road ahead in terms of ensuring the entire workforce – whether sitting behind a desk, working in a production line or on a shop floor – feels truly engaged and valued, the technology to achieve this scenario exists. We have found that as more employers make this realisation, organisations of all sizes and types are now tapping into the technology that can make this dream a reality.

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