How use of technology can connect a fragmented workplace?

According to the data from the Adobe survey (2016) which was sourced from a self-reported survey of more than 1,000 white-collar workers in the USA, employees spend an average of 4.1 hrs checking their work email each day. That is 20.5 hrs per week, more than 1,000 hrs per year and more than 47,000 hrs over a career.

HR leaders should think about automating these tasks so that the people can use their time to more worthy tasks. Progressive employers are already adapting their workforce for a more mobile, social and culturally diverse workforce. Covid-19 on the other hand has accelerated the process of digital transformation. So why it is important to bring employees together and bridge gaps between remote workers and various cultures? And how it can be done?

Lets first understand the trends which are changing today’s workplace:

Work is mobile

According to Office for National Statistics (ONS) in April, 2020 46.6% people worked from home. The vast majority (86.0%) of people worked from home because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Use of personal devices and non-approved apps is on rise

Employees are continuing to ask for more flexibility in how to do their jobs and the productivity tools they use. Many employees want to use Trello, Google docs, Dropbox and slack etc even they are not approved by the business. They make workflows and knowledge sharing easy. However, use of personal devices and no-approved apps do create security risk.

Generation divide is widening

Gen Z, Millennials, Gen Xers and Baby boomers are four separate generations and each processes information uniquely and has different digital fluency. Each generation has different communication preferences. Productivity and communication tools must be innovative for Gen Z and millennials. However, they should be accessible enough for Gen Xers and Baby boomers.

Employee retention is at it’s lowest

Younger people are continuously looking for roles which will offer them new skills and career advancements. They prioritise work as an experience rather than just a way to earn living.

Work was already changing, and Covid-19 has acted as a catalyst and accelerated this process by 10X. They key question is that how can HR connect a workforce that is so divided by location, generations, time, and culture? The answer is simple by adopting technologies and processes that bring people together through enhanced communication, improved collaboration and sharing of resources. People already want to collaborate and communicate. It is HR’s responsibility to provide the tools to help people do it. Employers need cutting edge technologies to unify the fragmented pieces.

A strong HR Software is a central destination to connect employees with each other, which reflects the company’s brand and culture. It should move beyond the traditional functions of time & attendance tracking, recruitment and 360-degree review, to focus on specialist solutions that solve specific problems. Such HR software should integrate with preferred productivity apps and should enable user-friendly experience.

The HR Software should support cross-functional collaboration, lean workflows, bring your own app (BYOA) and personal devices. Developing and implementing digital workplace strategy can be challenging. However, if you move collaboration online and out of email inboxes, people can be more involved. The workplace becomes a place to work, create and share information. Also, when an HR Software is unified, the employee experience becomes more elevated and seamless.

Complygate HR Software offers simple and fulfilling experience for divided workplaces and company cultures. Explore more: Request a DEMO.

References

Dewey, C., 2016. How Many Hours Of Your Life Have You Wasted On Work Email? Try Our Depressing Calculator. [online] The Washington Post. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/10/03/how-many-hours-of-your-life-have-you-wasted-on-work-email-try-our-depressing-calculator [Accessed 9 December 2020].

Half, R., 2017. The Key to Managing a Multigenerational Team: Don’t Overthink It. [Blog] Available at: https://www.roberthalf.com/blog/management-tips/the-key-to-managing-a-multigenerational-team-dont-overthink-it

Ons.gov.uk. 2020. Coronavirus And Homeworking In The UK - Office For National Statistics. [online]
Available at:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/coronavirusandhomeworkingintheuk/april2020