Digital transformation is bringing unprecedented change to the modern world, and businesses that include it in their growth strategy will see benefits in efficiency, productivity, and communication. Introducing HR tech to your business processes can not only improve the bottom line of your company, but also make life easier for your employees.
The good news is that advanced HR software can also help build strong teams through employee engagement.
In this article, we’ll dive into the nitty-gritty of HR tech and its role in employee engagement and why it should be a focus for your organization.
We’ll explore:
- The effects of employee disengagement
- The 5 ways HR tech can address the many pain points of employee engagement
- The importance of digital transformation
The Employee-Employer Disconnect
In the U.S., employees are feeling less connected and committed to their workplaces. Employee engagement dropped from 36% in 2020 to 32% in early 2022. Disengagement leads to lower productivity and high absenteeism, which impacts profitability—costing the global economy $7.8 trillion per year.
But employee disengagement doesn’t happen overnight. While HR teams may have done their best to connect with their employees, they must be ready to embrace change to create more meaningful employee engagement. Part of this change is welcoming HR tech and integrating it into their operations.
5 Ways Technology Can Improve Employee Engagement
HR tech involves the use of software and associated hardware to automate several HR processes in an organization. It generally includes payroll management, talent acquisition, and workforce analytics, among others.
Here are five ways to leverage HR tech to improve employee engagement:
1. Provide Equal Access to Data
One of the main causes of employee disengagement is poor visibility of what goes on in the company. Departmental silos and a failure to provide equal access to data can have a significant impact on employee engagement. For instance, leaders may share their evaluations with the HR department without team members receiving any updates. This can make the employees feel they aren’t being seen and heard.
Employee management tools can easily provide team members with the information they need. HR teams can set up online wikis that serve as a repository of all the resources an employee needs to get their jobs done. Setting up an employee dashboard is also critical for monitoring objectives and key results (OKRs) based on their key performance indicators (KPIs). Some platforms can be customized to automate employee rewards based on their evaluations and accomplishments.
2. Encourage Interdepartmental Collaboration
Collaboration among employees is critical for the success of a company, particularly for departments with related functionalities such as sales and marketing. Connection and communication allow team members to identify pain points, objectives, budgets, and timelines. Getting on the same page makes the process more manageable for everyone, improves efficiency, and prevents mistakes.
Leveraging technology through online platform management systems can ease this process. Collaboration platforms, forums, and tools help teams with remote and on-site workers:
- Stay up to date on project status
- Receive notifications about tasks that need immediate attention
- Brainstorm ideas and compare notes
- Ask questions and receive clarification quickly
A centralized system also prevents the duplication of processes, contributing to additional savings for the company.
3. Improve Communication
Workplace miscommunication has consequences. Failure to communicate roles and expectations, for example, inevitably leads to disruption of business operations. Project delays can happen due to miscommunications, resulting in increased tension in the workplace. According to a McKinsey report, productivity increases by 20% to 25% among well-connected teams.
Using a platform with end-to-end encryption that can be seamlessly integrated into existing employee tools can help, such as a time clock app with an integrated calendar so team members can get real-time reminders of their deadlines and team meetings.
4. Provide Access to Virtual Training
The skills gap is real and is rapidly becoming one of the biggest challenges companies face. One survey found that 55% of respondents acknowledge their organization lacks the skills needed to optimize its operations. 57% of them also understand that reskilling or upskilling their team members can help fill in the gap.
With the increasing adoption of technology and remote work, in-person training may prove to be challenging. One effective way to fill the gap is to train existing employees. Virtual training provides employees with differentiated and personalized learning. While group training can be more cost effective for the company, it often follows a one-size-fits-all approach that may not be appropriate for the needs of all employees.
One solution to this could be for the HR team to develop a resource center where employees can access training and development. Not only will this help employees learn the skills they need to excel in their roles, but this investment in their growth also helps them feel valued by the company. A resource center allows employees to choose what skills they want to improve based on their career path – whether specific technologies or cybersecurity.
5. Encourage Workplace Wellness
Workplace wellness is no longer just a perk. It’s an absolute must for organizations to provide their employees with wellness benefits for ethical and practical reasons. Ensuring your employees are happy and healthy means they’ll be more likely to stick around for the long term, for one. With a digital platform like Grytics in place, it’s also easy to improve employee satisfaction, reduce sick days, and increase overall productivity.
With sentiment analysis and campaign monitoring, it’s a breeze to take the workforce’s pulse and measure success too, so you know if your efforts are paying off.
Increase Employee Engagement with Technology
With digital transformation changing the workplace landscape, organizations must not forget the core of their operations: employees. HR teams must seek to support employees so they can be engaged and productive. This begins with embracing modern solutions.
About the Author
Dean Mathews is the founder and CEO of OnTheClock, an employee time tracking app that helps over 15,000 companies all around the world track time.
Dean has over 20 years of experience designing and developing business apps. He views software development as a form of art. If the artist creates a masterpiece, many people’s lives are touched and changed for the better. When he is not perfecting time tracking, Dean enjoys expanding his faith, spending time with family and friends, and finding ways to make the world just a little better