One of the most pervasive trends in modern business is finding ways to make work easier. As employee turnover rates continue to increase, employers are coming under greater pressure to offer more rewarding work and deliver a better work/life balance. Yet people are still working more hours and facing more work-related stress than ever. At the same time, the rise of mobile workforces and the gig economy isn’t a silver bullet.
The fact remains that employees are overwhelmed. They’re spending more time answering emails or checking their phones than ever. Others spend a large portion of their days on menial and repetitive tasks which can easily be automated. Employee experiences are getting worse, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel. That’s why employee experience platforms have become a critical enabler of greater productivity and morale.
Technology without strategy is a hindrance
Despite billions of euros being poured into technological development, things aren’t improving as quickly as they should be. Most digital transformation initiatives don’t meet their goals, and many businesses are either still lagging behind or making the wrong investments at the wrong stage of the technology hype cycle.
Technology can either be a costly liability or an invaluable asset. Without a clear strategy that aligns technology with business goals, it’s only going to be the former. Rather than just chasing after the latest new techs, employee experience needs to be the overarching consideration. Technology should reduce complexity for the end user, thus helping employees do more with less.
Core competencies in the spotlight
We live in an age of technology bloat, where many of us are using so many different apps and systems to perform a handful of tasks that it only ends up being a displacement activity. Rather than actually getting work done and enjoying the sense of fulfillment that comes with it, people are now spending more time on ancillary tasks they’re not best-equipped to deal with, while juggling notifications from a hundred different sources.
Employee experience platforms are all about providing the tools people need to stay focussed on their jobs without unnecessary distractions. Instead of wasting time trying to work around otherwise trivial technology problems and other issues, employees should be able to focus on their core competencies.
New service delivery models
It’s time for businesses to start thinking about employee experience in the same way they think about customer experience. This means information must be available as needed and people are guided through the right systems and departments using an automated approach. Instead of thinking of employees as employees, brands should think of them as internal customers.
This new service delivery model automates the employee journey, placing their experiences in the company at centre stage. With a unified approach to HR that’s consistent across every branch and department, businesses will be better equipped to address potential issues at all touchpoints and use data-driven insights to move the employee experience forward.
Automation is the answer
Most HR systems are woefully outdated, requiring multiple instances of manual data entry and learning curves of varying degrees. All too often do candidates decide against submitting an application just because the process is too laborious. Just as they do with customers, potential employees act on first impressions, and unnecessary red tape is hardly an encouraging sign.
Employee experience platforms can help simplify administrative work while providing faster and more relevant feedback across every employee interaction point. Onboarding becomes a lot quicker and simpler because it’s automated, and employees will often be able to step right into their new roles without unnecessary friction.
