In our current environment, digital employee engagement is fundamental for fostering growth and enabling a happy workplace- online and offline.
Today’s greatest paradox is that while digital transformation has helped companies shift towards remote working, the monotony of Zoom calls, emails, no work-life balance, and impacts on mental health have been detrimental to employees’ happiness and engagement.
So, although your usual workflows and communication channels have adjusted to this new normal, enabled through technology and effective digital strategies, your team may still be growing more disconnected and disengaged. In fact, according to a recent KPMG survey, the number one risk that organisations face is the loss of talent.
In this article, we will be examining some of the fundamental ways to redesign our digital strategies through prioritising employee engagement and experience.
Challenges to Employee Engagement in the Digital Age
Digital transformation has become a necessity for businesses to survive, spurred by the ongoing pandemic and an increased demand for accessibility, at any time and place. But as companies start to enable this transition, digitisation is a long process that may not initially go as planned.
For example when managing a workforce made of primarily older generations, digital adoption may be jargon for them. And with the complex network of frameworks required to simply enable your company operations, installing a system that solely focuses on employee engagement becomes a more daunting task.
However, digitising traditional employee engagement methods, or automating them, may be a challenge for some to adapt to. Furthermore, the cost of a digitalised employee engagement system may be on the higher spectrum, significantly diminishing its sustainability. Convincing leaders that digital transformation of employee engagement is necessary for future success may also be difficult as a result.
Upon approval, finding the right tool that will help you transform your efforts in incorporating a digital engagement strategy can be daunting. You will need to consider all the necessary parameters before choosing a system that best suits your team. Emphasis will also need to be placed on creating a safe work environment that enables employee empowerment and that digital transformation will not harm their jobs in any manner.
Employee Expectations
The most important factor that you need to focus on in the current work scenario is elevating your management efforts. A workforce is incomplete without its people, and they are the main driving force behind the success of an organisation.
But for some, they may fear technology being used as a tool to automate work and replace people. As an HR professional, you must communicate effectively to reassure your employees of their value. Furthermore, to get everyone on the same page, there must be a clear understanding of the benefits of digital transformation.
Your people are the most important aspect of your business, and their expectations should not be dismissed- instead, they should be aligned with the changes that are being made to improve workplace morale.
Take a Digitalised Approach
Digitalisation has now become the backbone of today’s work culture. The way we work has completely changed, most work optimised to be conducted online, whether bridging a communication gap or staying up to date on organisational developments. With the help of digital transformation, information is now easily accessible, reinforcing enhanced communications and engagement.
But how can you use this technology to promote employee engagement? A digitalised employee pulse survey and feedback system will give you the capability to conduct a robust and transparent review.
Traditional methods of conducting employee engagement surveys are often inefficient, especially when managing a diverse and vast workforce. But with a digital approach, you can promptly run a survey even while working remotely.
With the sole goal of fostering an employee engagement culture, you must tailor your surveys to determine what your workforce desires. The surveys should be able to determine your employees’ needs and requirements in order to keep them engaged. Furthermore, the survey questions should focus on what employees think and how you can improve the workplace with their feedback.
As a leader, if you do not solve issues even after figuring them out, it can significantly impact employees’ engagement levels. But if you take swift action based on survey results, you can construct an appropriate action plan to boost employee engagement within your organisation.
In Summary
As a leader, you must comprehend the dynamics of organisational change and align them with your workforce to achieve maximum engagement and productivity.
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