In a Hybrid World, Your Tech Defines Employee Experience - Troy Taylor
I recently read an article from the Harvard Business Review titled, “In a Hybrid World, Your Tech Defines Employee Experience,” by Brad Anderson and Seth Patton. As a leader passionate about utilizing technology to develop talent and streamline operations, this article stood out to me — it emphasizes the increasing digitization of today’s workplace and encourages leaders to ensure their workplace technology supports employees.
This article addresses “The Great Reshuffle”, also known as “The Great Resignation” — a current phenomenon in which more and more employees are shifting career paths and resigning from roles, citing the need to feel valued in a workplace and have greater flexibility as a few of the reasons why. This shift has made the employee experience and workplace culture priorities for organizations looking to attract and retain talent.
In most work environments today, technology is integral to communication, productivity, and collaboration. As such, the efficiency and accessibility of these technologies are integral to the workplace and to employees’ day-to-day life — especially with the rise in hybrid or fully remote work.
“As this trend persists, the technology experiences that employers provide will more or less define the employee experience — technology and workplace tools are, for all intents and purposes, the new workplace… Employees are 230% more engaged and 85% more likely to stay beyond three years in their jobs if they feel they have the technology that supports them at work, according to Qualtrics.”
How can leaders ensure that employees have the right tools to succeed? Anderson and Patton suggest a straightforward plan — communicate and act. Employers should ask employees about their current technology, take action by adjusting the technology accordingly, then ask for feedback, all on a regular basis:
“IT leaders should collaborate with HR on regular employee sentiment pulses that are conducted at least quarterly. Add questions into these pulses to ask what people think about the tools and software they use to do their jobs effectively, and what other technology can help them be more productive, whether from home or in an office. Once that experience data is analyzed, there could be opportunities to modify existing resources or processes or invest in new ones that help different teams feel more connected and engaged.
“…Once employers understand opportunities to improve digital experiences, it’s key they also take action toward closing any gaps. Furthermore, they need to be transparent on priorities and progress along the way. Together, communication and transparency create a positive feedback loop moving forward.
“The technology we use changes frequently, so it’s critical employers keep pace by giving employees a forum to provide feedback, continually understanding how they are engaging with the tools offered to them, and where to make improvements… by following the data, listening to our employees and customers, and incorporating flexibility into everything we do, we believe we can build a world of work that is better than any that’s come before.”
