At work, forces colliding are putting established methods of managing and structuring work under strain. Employees’ types of work, as well as where and how work is done, are changing as a result of new and developing technology.
Of course, not all jobs, or even all shifts, are suitable for remote work. New technology and changing employee attitudes, on the other hand, are influencing how people work and, as a result, their productivity, whether in an office cubicle or at a kitchen table.
Many human resource managers face this difficulty regularly. According to research, 51 percent of employees in the United States, or one out of every two persons now employed, are actively seeking new jobs. If you operate a firm or head the HR department, you obviously want to prevent excessive employee turnover because it costs a lot of money to replace and train a new employee (some estimates put it at up to 200 percent of the lost employee’s salary).
People change employment for a variety of reasons.
According to a leading business journal, the top reasons people move jobs are a lack of progression opportunities (31%), poor management (22%), and a toxic work environment and culture (22%). This is consistent with a LinkedIn poll of 10,000 workers who moved employment in 2015, which found 45 percent, 41 percent, and 36 percent, respectively. As you can see, all three factors are linked to the workplace, implying that we need to adjust our working habits.
While changes in technology are unavoidable in the digital workplace, the ultimate definition of a successful digital workplace is how it benefits the user, i.e. the employee, and how well it satisfies their wants and expectations.
The key to boarding the digital workplace train is to be proactive rather than reactive. Trying to keep up with all of the technological advances as they occur is both costly and wasteful. You must first identify crucial aspects of a successful digital workplace before proceeding.
Hiring
Employees having the necessary abilities and a positive attitude for working in a digital environment are required in a digital workplace. Not everyone is capable of utilising internet communication tools. Furthermore, some people do not function well in groups and may not be a suitable fit for a joint project. Others collaborate effectively with others but lack the necessary skills and experience to do the task.
However, some job environments do not necessitate teamwork, and loners may be successful in these situations. In reality, most introverts thrive in a digital workplace with few face-to-face interactions.
The recruiter must have a well-defined set of criteria for what defines a valuable hire in a certain digital environment and must adhere to them.
Relationships and the workplace
Collaboration
A collaborative structure must be in place in the digital workplace. Because most individuals currently work together without having face-to-face meetings, they need a system in place to contact team members, share data, brainstorm, identify solutions, and communicate choices. A collaborative framework can also help you keep track of your work and maintain accountability.
Provide collaboration tools to your staff and ensure that team members and management use them consistently. Some businesses will just require one or two tools, while others will require far more. The length of the work cycle and the number of persons involved will determine this. RisePath PlanCentral can be a good option.
Feedback
In order to improve their offers and maximise conversions, many businesses prioritise consumer input. A feedback system for employees that keeps them competitive in retaining their personnel follows the same principle. Meeting with employees on a regular basis is critical for enhancing the digital workplace since it informs management about what is working for their employees and what needs to be reworked or replaced.
Policies
Even in a digital office, people function best in an organised atmosphere. While some flexibility and openness are important, policies provide the structure that employees and businesses rely on to succeed in the long run. Make sure you have well-thought-out and well-defined procedures in place for everything from tardiness to online meetings, and that you consistently enforce them. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page and will allow them to collaborate more effectively.
Agility
Because the digital workplace operates in an ever-changing world, you’ll need to use agile solutions that will allow you to handle any unexpected changes in processes or goals. Agile technologies that focus on increasing employee collaboration and productivity are especially well-suited to the digital workplace since they ensure that work is completed on time and correctly. Many agile technologies are available that are specifically developed for the digital workplace, and the tools you choose will be determined by business requirements.
Meetings through videoconference
Many people believe meetings to be a waste of time, but this is only true in the setting of a typical office, where workers must take time away from their essential tasks to gather in one place. Video conferences are an excellent approach to communicating on an as-needed basis in the digital workplace to resolve an issue or correct a misconception. A successful video conference can involve two or more people, but it only requires the presence of those who need to participate, so it is time well spent. Instant messaging can be used in place of a video conference in a pinch, allowing participants to get more work done.
Storage in the cloud
Employees should be able to access and share data, files, and documents for their project, team, or reference in one location in a digital workplace. This is especially significant when multiple projects and teams are working at the same time, such as when an essay service with a large staff of writers is involved. Invest in a safe and trustworthy cloud storage platform.
Integration
One of the most aggravating aspects of using digital tools is when they are incompatible with one another and lack integration. It renders the organisation inefficient by making it ungainly. Communication, human resources, CRM, and information systems, in particular, should “speak” to one another. This will help you avoid errors and failures while moving data from one system to another, as well as cut down on your application running expenses.
Artificial Intelligence.
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is making inroads into the digital workplace, but not alone. In most cases, AI or machine learning technologies make the digital workplace more effective by filtering and displaying only the most important information to the user, decreasing digital “noise” or data avalanche from collaboration and communication tools. This improves productivity and efficiency by streamlining operations and other systems.
Another fascinating application of AI is in sales. Chatbots can communicate with sales prospects 24 hours a day, seven days a week, acting as the first point of contact, answering basic questions and introducing them to the product before passing on the more qualified leads to human agents.
Security
Data security is a major problem for any company, large or small, and your employees will expect you to have effective IT governance in place. If you don’t give them a secure and safe environment in which to collect, collaborate, and use data, you’ll lose their faith and confidence.
Connectivity, collaboration, and compliance should all be supported by your IT governance, as well as a reduction in the danger of a data breach. The governance model you select will be determined by your company’s rules as well as industry compliance norms.
BYOD
The majority of people nowadays have a favoured device for doing their work. A Bring Your Own Device, or BYOD, policy might potentially boost employee productivity by allowing people to utilise devices they are acquainted with rather than forcing them to use unfamiliar technology that does the same thing. It shortens the learning curve and allows you to spend less money on employee-assigned devices.
Mobile phones, laptops, and other personal devices may represent some data security risk, but in most circumstances, this is outweighed by the benefits of lower technological expenses and better productivity.
Assess the challenges that a BYOD policy may have for your organisation if data goes missing, realistic strategies to reduce private data breaches, and constraints you may place to guarantee your employees do only company work on company time before implementing one.
When done correctly, your employees may be fantastic brand advocates, and their recommendations are more trustworthy because they are on their personal accounts. Employees are more likely to engage in positive social brand conversations if they are conscious of and flexible with them.
Flexible Work
Finally, you should think about including remote work, or at the very least, flexible work times, into your mix. Remote employment has become considerably more viable for both businesses and individuals as a result of technological improvements. Many firms are implementing partial or complete remote and flexible work arrangements these days since studies show that workers who work from home or have flexible work hours are more productive than those who work in an office.
While there is no assurance that this will be the case for your company, giving your employees the option can be a big role in whether they remain or go. Furthermore, by having some of your employees work remotely, you can save money on office space, utilities, and supplies. One of the things that keep your digital workplace genuinely in step with the times and mindset of your employees is a flexible work arrangement.
Conclusion
A digital workplace is more than just its technological components. Fancy equipment and cutting-edge software that don’t focus on the people who will be using it on a daily basis are a waste of money and won’t help you create a successful digital workplace.
People are still crucial to your company’s success, so keep them in mind while you plan your digital transformation. Any changes you make to your workplace should focus on improving your employees’ user experience to increase their satisfaction and productivity. You should be alright if you use the essential factors listed above as a guide when making decisions.
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