A digital workplace is a combination of the technologies people use to get their work done at their workplace. It is a business strategy that works to improve employee engagement and agility. The digital workplace is meant to help individuals and teams become more productive without compromising their operations. It encompasses all social media tools, HR applications, and virtual meeting tools. A digital workplace, just like its virtual equivalent physical workplace, should be properly managed and planned for. Digital workplaces play an essential role in ensuring productivity, engagement, and a healthy working relationship. Improving your digital workplace is not just about transforming your technology but also includes changing the way you work.
1. Assess Your Current Processes
A company must analyze the importance of its non-digital processes before digitizing its processes. A study should be done to identify the areas that need addressing and outline the departments and teams involved in the transformation. You should also keep critical members of staff on the loop on the planned changes and show them why the changes are essential to the company. Identifying the areas can help tailor the changes and avoid misusing resources and time on things that are no longer needed in today’s technological climate. Catering to specific requirements helps improve productivity and satisfaction.
2. Collaboration Framework
In efforts to achieve the set company objectives, it is advisable not to leave collaboration to chance. It is vital to have a properly designed collaboration network that has mechanisms for contacting, sharing information, and documenting ideas. The company should choose the tools that suit their needs and reinforce their use. This can be done through consistent use by the management and team leaders. Popular options for use include Slack Google keep, Trello, among others.
3. Vision
The goal of digital transformation is to increase employee engagement and productivity. To achieve this, the company management should ensure that the business aligns with its workplace plan to improve the work environment. This can be done by closely working with stakeholders such as HR and facility managers to execute the plans while bearing in mind the potential impacts of the changes. It is crucial not to hastily implement changes until you have assessed their effects and have clarity on how they will achieve their purpose and objectives.
4. Artificial Intelligence
Most companies have now embraced artificial intelligence shifting it from just a topic in academic research to a mainstream means of business communication. Artificial intelligence used in chatbots can provide around the clock communication option. They can be used to further the work of sales representatives, answer initial questions from prospective clients, and help introduce new products. While human touch is an essential aspect of the sales process, artificial intelligence can help add value to the growth and evolution of a company.
5. Training
New technologies are emerging every day, and sometimes it becomes hard to keep track of all. New technologies introduced into the business can be stressful to employees leading to reduced productivity. Too many new technology changes with insufficient training can greatly discourage the staff. The company helps ease these on their employees by planning to re-skill their staff and possibly hiring personnel to train them on new technologies. Training staff on how to use the technology and making the training interactive can boost staff confidence levels. Effective training can help ease the transition. Training of employees about new emerging trends and technologies motivates them and gives them a chance to prove themselves in the tech space. It also improves employee retention.
6. Improve Employee Experience
Any business aims to improve the customer experience so that it can translate to more sales. To achieve this, you have to bolster employee experience so that they maximize their productivity. This can be done by creating smart workplaces that allow for collaborative work between staff and provides space for individual concentration. The company can come up with an online portal where managers can track employee contributions and incorporate them into a common IT metric where they can be monitored and rewarded. The portal can have a chatbox to help staff learn about benefits and also ask questions. This keeps staff on the loop and increases their engagement. An engaged workforce always performs and is motivated to take on challenging roles as they see the challenge as an opportunity for growth