Yesterday we explored a new study that shows that most organizations want to improve employee experience (EX) and boost the engagement levels of their workforce. To overcome these obstacles and create meaningful two-way communication between staff and management, it is vital that HR embrace innovative new technologies such as mobile engagement platforms that are capable of reaching and connecting the entire workforce.
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Investing in EX via Tech
When we look back at the StaffConnect survey, one area for improvement in EX stands out above the rest. Virtually no organizations in the study—less than 2%—are leveraging mobile technologies in the engagement space. By making this one simple change, upgrading from the relatively outdated engagement tools of e-mail and newsletters to a mobile integrated engagement platform, enterprises will at last be well-positioned to overcome the challenges they currently face with cross-company communication and engagement measurement.
Mobile technologies are currently the only tools that can bring together even far-flung teams by helping them all have the same access to receiving information and collaborating, sharing feedback with the help of an app no matter where they are based or working on a particular day. The best mobile engagement platforms also allow for audience segmentation. Imagine the boost to EX and engagement when management has the ability to deliver not just a blanket communication blast but also customized notifications to individuals depending on their role, function, or region.
A mobile engagement platform can become an organization’s secret weapon, promoting improved EX throughout the company. But it’s not just one-way communication that matters in engagement—the key is for employees to be able to share perspectives and ideas with management and peers, as well as receive company intel and feedback. This isn’t about demoting hierarchies; it’s about giving HR and managers a pipeline to the employee insights that the organization requires in order to make cultural shifts to improve engagement.
You can see how the specific functionality and benefits of mobile apps add up here to move the needle on engagement, providing options that keep people connected across the company and help leadership teams stay in tune with their full workforce:
- Employees gain connections to their work communities and colleagues, as well as to their direct managers and corporate/HR initiatives directed at them, to gather their input and feedback.
- All staff, including NDEs, have easy access to policy documents, corporate guidelines, and company news and events.
- Managers can stay on top of evolving staff opinions, experiences, and attitudes using gamified polling, quizzes, and pulse surveys.
- HR can utilize mobile measurement tools that allow for measuring and managing users and content via a management console. Tracking engagement like this allows for course corrections and strategy adjustments as needed to improve EX and engagement.
So the ball’s in your court now. If you really care about employee engagement, what are you going to do to give your full range of workers a better EX? The clock is ticking on 2018—if you are serious about your commitment to boosting engagement in your company, remember to integrate the key resources needed to ensure its success.
For additional results of the 2018 Employee Engagement Survey, click here.
Bulent Osman is the Founder and CEO at StaffConnect.