Workplace Culture & Engagement HR teams are facing challenges in both recruiting and retaining skilled employees and in the impact that the quality of the digital workplace has upon each stage of the employee lifecycle, from onboarding to learning and development. Dave Page, founder and chief strategy officer at human experience management specialist Actual Experience, delves deeper.
A workforce that feels valued is not only happier but also more productive
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he talent crisis continues to place enormous pressure on HR teams. The goal is not only to recruit and retain skilled employees but also to ensure each individual maximises their potential to deliver value to the business for as long as possible. In a hybrid working environment, the quality of the digital experience now has a significant impact on those key employee lifecycle moments, from an employee’s first day through ongoing learning and development and extending their time in the business. HR has a compelling need to ensure the quality of each employee’s unique digital experience throughout their lifecycle. Recruitment processes have become ever more rigorous in recent years as companies leverage a raft of new, intelligence-led and often digital processes to improve selection and entice talented individuals to the business. But how are companies adapting to the digital dependence of knowledge workers to transform the key moments throughout an employee’s lifecycle? There is growing recognition of the power of digital technologies to improve onboarding, using a mix of video and virtual meetings alongside faceto-face interactions and fast-track access to both colleagues and key business information. The initial productivity growth curve has been condensed through the use of webinars and online training while ongoing career development can be tailored to meet the employee-specific learning and development needs. This optimised employee experience is hugely valuable. It provides the chance to maximise productivity and to minimise the risk of the employee disengagement that presages a drop in performance and a letter of resignation. This experience is also, however, increasingly dependent upon the quality of each individual’s unique digital workplace. So what happens to employees struggling with any form of digital friction?
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Dave Page
Transforming the employee lifecycle in a digital workplace Employee expectations have changed. With knowledge workers now spending between 60 per cent and 90pc of their time using digital technologies, providing a contract and start date are no longer enough. Pre-employment engagement is essential. Individuals want to know how the onboarding process will work both digitally and face to face… and they do not want to wait until day one to start setting up their digital workplace. Switched-on firms that proactively engage with new recruits in the run-up to the start date, that provide laptops, screens, VPN access, even home office furniture, can enhance a new recruit’s perception of the business and set the scene for a longterm relationship. But companies also need to ensure individuals have a good digital experience. Ensuring any areas of digital friction are highlighted and addressed ahead of day one will minimise the risk of problems - from glitchy video calls to an inability to stream videos - that could
Business MK | December 2023
fundamentally undermine the onboarding process and compromise the new working relationship. The onboarding process sets the scene for any new recruit and the right approach will play a key role in increasing their confidence and business commitment. As individuals then build their business knowledge and increase their productivity, the quality of the digital experience is again paramount. Every business wants to maximise the length of employment for each employee, especially given the investment in learning and development and the rising recruitment costs. Productivity and business value can be further enhanced throughout the lifecycle through the use of training, learning and development. However, with the constant evolution of the IT infrastructure, it is vital to continually assess each employee’s unique digital experience to avoid problems that could lead to disengagement. Has a software upgrade suddenly created a
problem that is making one individual’s working experience untenable? Is a new recruit’s inadequate digital set-up now compromising an entire team’s productivity? Understanding and intervening to create an optimal digital workplace experience for everyone is now key to boosting both productivity and retention. For knowledge workers, the quality of the unique digital workplace experience is playing an ever more critical role at every stage of the employment lifecycle. If the quality of digital experience is not good, every step - from onboarding to getting up to speed and becoming truly productive - will take much longer and disengagement will arrive sooner. In contrast, those businesses that commit to delivering a great digital experience from the moment a contract is signed will set the scene for a positive, fruitful and productive working relationship. www.actual-experience.com
igher productivity and motivation among staff, greater employee engagement and a healthier workforce… all the potential outcomes of a robust mental health and wellbeing strategy in any business. Looking after the mental health of employees has graduated from a nice to have’ to a ‘must have’ for employers. And an HR specialist in Northamptonshire has said the issue has become a key part of an organisation’s plans for the future. “The ongoing pressures of everyday life have made it clear that supporting the mental health of employees is not just ‘nice to have’ but is a crucial element of business survival and growth,” said Rachel Collar, who owns Haus of HR, based in Towcester, and is a non-executive director of Milton Keynes Chamber of Commerce. “The health and wellbeing of your employees directly impact your business’s performance. A workforce that feels valued and supported is not only happier but also more productive.” Mental health strategies are now a linchpin to success, she adds and
emphasises some key points for employers to consider. n The cost of ignoring mental health, such as presenteeism, sickness absence and staff turnover, collectively cost SMEs billions each year. Investing in mental health initiatives can yield a strong return on investment. n Creating a mental health plan promotes employee wellbeing, boosts morale and reduces stress. It should address how to support employees experiencing mental health issues, promote the wellbeing of all staff and tackle the work-related causes of these problems. n Employee involvement means staff are more likely to commit to supporting their own mental health and that of their colleagues. Business leaders hold the responsibility of ensuring the strategy is carried out fully and effectively. But, said Ms Collar, HR departments are there to provide expert advice and support. “Line managers play a vital role in assessing their teams’ mental health and all employees should strive for a healthy work/ life balance.”
Rachel Collar
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