7 Jun 2024
Engage with Technology for a Positive Workplace!
Every year, employee well-being and the employee experience are in the top 5 priorities for HR departments. They are essential components of an engaged and committed workforce and the importance of developing and retaining staff is an acknowledged priority. As a result, HR teams are focussed on supporting employees in any way they can to ensure they remain engaged and motivated. Frontier Software Consultant, Sandra Walker considers how technology can help support positive outcomes in the workplace.
With an unprecedented amount of change to the workplace experience in recent years and with many employees no longer working full time in an office, the employee ‘mood’ has become harder to gauge. With technology at the forefront of remote/hybrid working practices, providing employees with the tools they need to perform successfully and enhance their work experience is also now a priority. Whilst technology is essential, the idea is not to disengage remote working employees, but to minimise the time required to complete routine and time-consuming tasks that can lead to a disconnection. Administrative work is a necessary evil in any role, but employees bogged down by ‘admin’ and paperwork may become bored and forget what they love about their job. With tools that automate processes and help reduce the routine, an employee is free to pursue activities that create positive engagement with others and support their work/life balance.
At Frontier Software we recommend the introduction of mobile and self-service options to empower employees with access to data 24/7, helping to support flexible work arrangements. These options deliver access to vital information as and when most convenient for individuals and the positive integration of work and personal lives is a sure-fire way to enhance the employee experience.
Self-service portals and mobile apps offer benefits that support positive engagement such as:
- Increased employee autonomy
- Increased employee input to decision making
- A solid basis for learning, development, performance management and career planning
Furthermore, from an HR perspective they simplify key tasks including viewing leave entitlements and an easy leave application process, plus immediate access to real time salary and pay data. When coupled with the potential cost savings and efficiencies for your organisation, self-service offers a practical, effective tool to facilitate engagement and produce positive outcomes. If a positive employee experience is in your top 5 priorities, now is a good time to consider the benefits of business tools that make life simpler for everyone. Adding self-service and mobile access to your HR tool kit will help realise the benefits of an engaged and happy workforce.
Technology Matters
Consider some consequences of inaction:
Lower job satisfaction - When employees are frustrated with technology, they are less likely to be satisfied with their jobs overall. But, where they have job satisfaction, they are more likely to stay long-term, saving the high costs associated with retention and employee turnover.
Reduced innovation - When employees are disengaged and frustrated, they are less likely to be innovative. Further, where employees focus on administrative tasks rather than their core responsibilities, they may not have the time or energy for innovation or creativity.
Through engagement with technology, you can strike the right balance between automation and human interaction, personalise the employee experience, embrace flexibility, and focus on the user experience to deliver positive outcomes for all.
Article originally published on Public Sector Focus June 2024.