I have to admit my wildest dreams as a child have been passed like Jeff Gordon passing the Sunday driver. The thought of Captain Jim Kirk demanding Scottie to beam him up immediately by speaking into a hand-held gizmo expanded our imaginations. It’s 2016 and technology continues to make quantum leaps as we saw at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) recently. How does all of this technology empower us as workers, managers, business owners?
More importantly, how do we harness what can seem as impersonal technology to create greater engagement in our work? Sean Pomeroy (@VisSoft), Visibility Software’s “Top Dog” & CEO, develops and sells software designed to recruit and retain organizational talent states, “The biggest factor in keeping the best talent, even bigger than career path, is keeping the team engaged and we at Visibility make this an emphasis in everything we create and deploy.” Here are some employee-engaging technologies if deployed properly can keep your people engaged and your organization ahead of the competition.
Self-Service
Anyone that has renewed their driver’s license online, as opposed to going to the DMV, will agree with this wholeheartedly. With the adoption of online ordering and having information available at out fingertips with the assistance of Google, bing, or whatever your flavor is, we value speed more than ever. This phenomenon is going to increase exponentially as millennials continue to climb the corporate ladders. Give your team the ability to DYI their tasks at work: look up or change HR information (dependents, address, life-changes, benefits, time off, etc.…), retrieve the information they need to make decisions without having to put in an IT ticket, make purchases (within scope and restrictions) necessary to accomplish their jobs, and even “wikifying” (enabling team mates to contribute, alter and form) certain projects and initiatives. Employees that feel empowered feel good about their organization.
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)
Giving our teams the ability to work the way they work best with the technology that is already deeply ingrained in their lives increases their engagement because it is just easier. I have talked to many CIO’s who staunchly oppose this, citing potential security concerns. While valid, there are ways to make applications and functions that do not require the same level of security as Patient Identifiable Data (PID) in healthcare. Further, enterprise information security companies such as Trust Digital, MobileIron and Good can deliver solutions to address these concerns. At one company that I worked, one of the things the team looked forward to the most was the “Look What I Can Do with My Technology” after-hours pizza party.
Instant Messaging
The power of being able to ask a remote teammate a question while on the same conference call is invaluable. It also gives your team the ability to ask quick questions with less disruption. I caveat this technology with the assertion that you MUST publish and enforce corporate IM responsibilities and ensure that your team understands how to use the technology’s “Do Not Disturb” function.
Video Calls and Conferencing
This is not a new concept by any means. Yet, very few companies utilize this technology on a regular basis. As workforces continue to become more remote, video is an inexpensive and effective way to not lose that “personal touch.” Whether it is an enterprise-wide unified communications platform (Cisco Jabber, Microsoft Skype for Business—previously Lync, etc.…) or using FaceTime by apple or Skype for Android on individual cell phones, this technology can bring your team, partners and customers together in ways that will set you apart and create a feeling of belonging…engagement even.
Organizations today are battling for the best talent. Culture and morale are important parts of creating work environments that attract the best. I have seen at many companies the Xbox that the executive team put in the break room to boost morale, only for it to sit there unused – because if employees are going to play, they want to play somewhere else (not to mention being perceived as someone with not enough to do). Leverage technology to empower your employees by getting the more engaged and you will find your organization moving quicker, with creativity and, and with better attitude.