Download [CRACKED] Workplace Tech
Quinten Moye
If IT leaders really want employees to embrace the digital workplace, they may need to ditch outdated views about workplace tech and more actively engage with key stakeholders to hear their concerns and show them the tangible benefits of digital workplace strategies.
The key to success is demonstrating the ability of digital workplace technology to make life better for employees, whether tech is improving their day-to-day activities or equipping them better to excel during digital transformation when processes and ways of working shift.
But IT leaders will have to ask themselves whether their own assumptions about workplace tech are outdated. Common misconceptions, such as the three cited here, could stop you from winning over workplace tech users, so it may be time to shift your mindset.
For example, video meeting solutions and visual collaboration applications have been widely adopted, but most organizations use these tools to emulate previously existing communication and collaboration experiences. They are missing the opportunity to change processes to reap the full benefit of digital workplace technology investments and initiate new ways of working.
While the work hub is a technological construct, take an employee-first approach to understanding the workplace capability needs for each functional department, business unit and employee group. For instance, customer support services may require distinct capabilities to interact, share and receive documents with clients, with data privacy guaranteed and compliance and security integrated for safe external collaboration.
Matt Cain, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner, is a futurist focusing on the intersection of technology, job skills and workforce culture. He founded Gartner's Digital Workplace and Digital Dexterity key initiative, which is designed to help executive leaders plan and execute technology strategies that incorporate consumer, workforce and business trends.
From the development of automated production to wireless communication, technology has fundamentally influenced the way we work. The current shift towards a digital world has driven pronounced changes at an increasing pace, challenging organisations to rapidly rethink their business models. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the need for organisations to optimise their use of technology to foster productivity during times of extreme change and uncertainty. Yet working with new technologies without proper understanding of their impact on the employee experience risks negative consequences for both business and people in the long term. As people professionals, we need to consider whether we are ready to lead conversations about the human implications of working with different technologies.
Last year we conducted a survey with UK employees to explore their perspectives on this issue. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the working culture for many has since changed substantially. To reflect this shift, we carried out several focus groups to look at people's experience of working with technology during the pandemic. The insights captured in our report, Workplace technology: The employee experience, provide several reflection points:
Engaging the workforce in meaningful dialogue around the use of workplace technology not only provides opportunities for people to air their concerns, but builds confidence in their ability to adapt to change. Although only 35% of employees and/or their representatives have been consulted prior to the implementation of new technology, among those who have been, their expectations of how technology will impact work and business outcomes are largely positive.
People may have misconceptions about the impact technology will have on their job roles, and they may have ideas about how technology could be successfully implemented. If organisations fail to put change management and communication plans in place, the potential benefits of new workplace technologies may not be fully realised.
Successful intranet adoption is partially dependent on your knowledge of the latest tech trends. So, how do you keep up-to-date? Sure, there are books, podcasts, magazines, newsletters, blogs, and more...
Following some of the leading minds in the technology world will provide an easy opportunity to keep up with the trends. These experts are likely predicting and setting the trends with their expansive knowledge of the field. Here is a list of some of the top tech influencers with different areas of expertise that you should follow to keep up on technology trends.
Meghan is the CEO of Talent Culture and runs her own podcast/twitter chat called #WorkTrends, which discusses workplace tech trends. She focuses on empowering employees through creation and expression, and frequently incorporates technology trends. Her goal is to enhance the workplace to help businesses and employees alike flourish. She is one of the leading minds on the future of the workplace, and she has captivated many people with her intriguing theories. If you are thinking of adopting an intranet in order to empower your employees, Meghan is the expert for you.
Christina is a Senior Cloud Development Advocate for Microsoft and combines her love for technology and media in her twitter account. She carried this combination into her journalism career, covering the intersection of tech and entertainment in her work. While this is her niche, she has a wealth of knowledge in multiple areas, and speaks frequently on topics such as mobile technology, new media in journalism and entertainment, social media ROI, personal branding, and evolving web trends.
Christian is the Founder & CEO of CollabTalk, a research and marketing services company that aims to modernize marketing strategies in the workforce. He is an award-winning author, technology evangelist, and 7-time Microsoft MVP. He is also avidly involved in advancing video technology through his work with revealit, which delivers interactive videos to its clients. His area of expertise is in SharePoint, and he has co-written three books on this topic. In addition to those books, he wrote three books on software configuration management as well. If the evolution of SharePoint interests you or is relevant to your company, then Christian is the person you want to follow.
Jeff is another Microsoft SharePoint guy, who recently received the Microsoft MVP award for the third consecutive year. He is currently the VP of Digital Inspiration for Rightpoint, which works to digitally transform businesses. Along with his MVP awards, he has also been named one of the top SharePoint and Office 365 personalities for past five years in a row. He is one of the key tech industry influencers on web collaboration, social networks within enterprises, and enterprise IT strategy. Jeff is always looking ahead in the workplace tech trends, and following him will help guide your enterprise towards the top-of-the-line enterprise technology.
Daniel focuses on mobile applications as well, but not the actual development of them. His area of is the adoption of these apps in the workplace. He is considered one of the top mobile app experts based on his expertise. He had humble beginnings in the tech industry. He simply started studying mobile app press releases and blogging about them on his blog, EnterpriseAdoption. Now, he works for InnoviMobile as their Mobile Enterprise Adoption Strategist & Project Manager. His motto is "Without adoption, you have nothing", so if you are looking for tips on mobile app adoption for your enterprise, look no further than Daniel DiMassa.
Rachel is one of the leading voices on wearable tech and data (of which her enthusiasm can be seen featured on her twitter page), and therefore very important in the conversation of workplace tech trends. She is currently a Data Scientist & Fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. Rachel also has a background in neuroscience and worked for the NeuWrite West and the Stanford Neuroscience Graduate Program. Along with her wearables research, Rachel is also investigating the field of open data, which is still emerging on the tech scene. She is doing some extremely forward-thinking work in the tech industry, and you will want to follow her to stay ahead of the game.
According to research, investments in digital transformation will reach $2.8 trillion by 2025, and over 50% of people think technology will determine workplace changes in the next few years.
? To help your digital workplace communicate better, you need a proper internal communications technology and strategy in place. Watch our Masterclass to learn about how to implement a successful IC strategy.
Focusing on digital employee experience is critical for driving technology usage and employee efficiency. So companies need to pay closer attention to which solutions are most likely to provide higher ROIs.
Higher employee engagement almost always results in higher employee productivity. Moreover, some workplace technology directly impacts employee efficiency. These tools are designed to eliminate manual processes and allow employees to devote more time to critical thinking and innovation.
Furthermore, workplace software can go a long way in improving accuracy as it reduces the likelihood of human error and provides real-time data and analytics through insightful dashboards and reporting.
Proper workplace technology can also have a positive impact on employee retention. Some research suggests that employees who are happy with the technology they use at work are more likely to stay longer.
Asynchronous communication has become a new normal, but it takes the right technology to make it efficient. Based on the previously mentioned research, employees working for companies that provide the necessary business apps report 16% increase in team collaboration.
One research found that as many as 42% of workers use business-related mobile applications and employee apps daily, and that number is expected to increase. Conversely, 83% of CIOs think mobile security threats are a major problem. It is important that companies implement workplace tech that enables them to verify the devices, applications, users and networks before allowing access.
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