Can technology really engage employees? 5 ways to make it work for you
Whether your organisation embraces new technology, or you resist any change that technological advancements bring, technology is here to stay and it will only keep accelerating. We have seen forward thinking employers both making the most of the technology available and already in use by staff in their personal lives as well as giving staff access to new technology so they can develop vital skills that can be utilised in the workplace.
One theory from the University of Warwick is, the happier someone is, the more productive they will be. So surely it makes sense to embrace technology and incorporate it into your engagement strategy?
Here are the ways you can make technology work in your favour.
1) Communication is king
Most employers don’t realise that they already have a communications infrastructure in place that won’t require lots of investment or time to implement across the entire organisation. Through employees’ own mobile phones, you have the ability to communicate with staff via a channel you know they are more likely to read the communications.
The best thing is, this is accessible to all staff, wherever they are. Remote workers who are on the road most of the day and don’t look at their phone until the evening, or staff who are on production lines without access to company emails, can all still be part of the conversation, and as a result will feel more included and engaged.
Through an engagement app, staff can receive information on benefits windows, access important business information and receive messages from HR. Also, if it is on their own phone, chances are they will pay more attention than if the message is received via a notice board, a company-wide email or as part of a newsletter.
Communication via mobile devices can be a two-way dialogue and also gives employees the chance to let you know how they are feeling. Pulse surveys sent straight to their phone would be a great way to gauge how staff are feeling in the moment, not just once a year when the annual survey rolls around.
2) Access anytime/anywhere
Depending on their job role, most staff will not dedicate a great amount of time to looking at their benefits at work. It may be that they look at the platform a few times and only really spend time on it when they need to access a specific service or benefit.
Allowing staff to access the platform anytime, anywhere, through any device, means that they will be more likely to engage with their benefits platform and take advantage of it.
Think of the amount of time people spend on their phone whilst watching TV or how often we look for a discount code while shopping, or even are waiting to book a lastminute deal but need to get holiday requests approved quickly. Making everyday things like this convenient for staff will make them more engaged.
3) Death of the intranet
Bringing everything together in one place will mean staff are more likely to embrace using their app outside of the workplace. Lots of organisations have intranets in place that host benefits and lots of company information but these can often be hard to access when not at work.
With an engagement platform, you can access information from lots of disparate systems, meaning that staff can not only access their benefits, they can access HR information, apply for childcare vouchers, buy additional holiday days or book a cheap cinema ticket. The company intranet is fast being replaced with the company engagement app.
4) All for one
Embracing technology as part of your employee engagement strategy is a sure-fire way to delight more staff. With more generations than ever in the workplace you need to make sure that staff can access their benefits in the way that suits them most.
Some baby boomers may prefer staffroom notices, Gen X may prefer email alerts, while millennials may prefer push notifications as a way of hearing from HR.
We’re told Gen Y expect the latest in technology and if you are not offering it to them it might be hard to retain them. When it comes to planning a benefits roll out or your internal comms strategy, be sure to consider every generation in your workplace and not just one group.
5) Bridging the digital skills gap
This is not one of the most obvious things to consider when looking at employee engagement, but giving employee’s access to the latest technology through salary sacrifice doesn’t just save them money. It also gives employees access to technology that may have previously been out of reach.
Developing their IT skills could benefit your business in the long run as well as making them more engaged. The current digital skills gap is estimated to be costing the UK Government £63 billion and through these types of schemes companies are engaging families and investing in their staff. Skilled workers with enhanced IT skills may stay longer if they are engaged in their job and appreciate their employers support in improving their access to technology.
While we all accept that technology is here to stay and will continue to have a profound effect of the workplace of tomorrow, investing in technology for technology’s sake is never the answer. Find technology that helps you meet your existing business goals, invest in technology that will appeal to all of your staff, and choose the technology that will increase employee engagement as well as productivity.
This article was provided by Personal Group.
In partnership with Personal Group
Personal Group provides the latest employee benefits and wellbeing products.
