Key Takeaways: Engaging Technology to Future-Proof Your Workforce

Thanks and appreciation are also in order to our distinguished and knowledgeable panelists:

• Michael Speranza, CEO, Kantata
• Miles Everson, CEO, MBO Partners
• Stephani Long, Chief Talent Officer, Deloitte

What did we uncover during the discussion? The following is a brief recap of some key takeaways from the discussion.

The role and concept of the "employee experience" and its importance

• Regardless of what you call it – employee experience, talent experience, people experience – it isn't new, but it is how employers and employees think about their work. It has shifted a lot in the last few years due to technology and COVID. In its simplest form, it is how a person feels and how that experience plays out for them in the workplace.
• For the employer, it is the desire to create a productive workplace. There has been a rapid evolution of what that means to a team member. The employee experience has placed increasing demands on the tools that allow individuals to connect to their co-workers, work collaboratively and share information.
• One-third of today's U.S. workforce is made up of independent professionals. And despite automation, there is a human capital scarcity issue, not a surplus of human capital. There is great importance now placed on how a person feels and how their experience plays out for them in the workplace.

Panelist Miles Everson, CEO of MBO Partners, provided some interesting statistics on employee engagement:

• Employees who strongly agree they have a clear plan for their professional development are 3.5 times more likely to strongly agree that their onboarding process was exceptional.
• Work units in the top quartile of engagement see 17% higher productivity, 20% higher sales and 21% higher profitability than those in the bottom quartile.
• Employees who strongly agree they have had conversations with their manager in the last six months about their goals and successes are 2.8 times more likely than other employees to be engaged.
• Engagement helps to decrease turnover — 37% of engaged employees are looking for a new job, compared with 73% of actively disengaged employees — and ensure that if employees do leave, they exit with positive experiences to share as they work elsewhere.

The particular role technology plays in the employee experience

• Reducing human latency, automating repetitive and monotonous tasks, enable focus on skills development and acquisition which will lead to better retention and higher quality customer interactions.
• Ensuring that the technology supports the needs and capabilities of the employees and ensuring that they have the right tools, is vital. But building technology around learning and development helps the workforce learn and grow in their jobs and within the company as well.

Building an effective, collaborative relationship between IT and HR

• Effective and collaborative relationships are born of shared values, priorities and objectives. HR and IT leaders should consider aligning strategic priorities and objectives and collaborate as they evolve and change. Establish processes and forums that enable HR and IT to make coordinated decisions.
• Aligning HR team members to counterparts in IT in order to create a direct path for end-user feedback that allows for meaningful enhancements and updates to technology.

New demands from potential hires

Panelist Michael Speranza, CEO of Kantata, noted this is the toughest job market he has seen in 20 years, in terms of competitiveness. He says "First and foremost, compensation is a hygiene factor – it has to be correct. But above and beyond what creates that kind of X factor, is really connecting the individual to their work and connecting the work to what it means to them personally in terms of developing their career."

• Tough questions from potential hires include specifics about what tools sets are being used and even inquiries about technology stacks. It is clear they want a company that has cutting-edge tools and processes, so they can be successful in their roles.
• Career pathing throughout the organization is crucial. Switching jobs, getting folks into new roles and avoiding "silos" are important elements.
• It is important to build an environment that fosters and even compels learning and leadership, allowing individuals to grow, utilize creative thought and increase engagement.

Important elements in considering technology's role with your workforce and keeping them fulfilled

Stephani Long, Chief Talent Officer, Deloitte, notes, "Thinking about these elements from a human-centered perspective helps shape engagement. And gathering relevant information with frequency across all dimensions will help you understand what your employees value. Once-per-year surveys won't cut it."

Valuable tools in these endeavors include: Easily configured sensing and pulsing tools; Social media sensing to understand the sentiment of employees; Focus groups and interviews to dig deeper on specific topics and with different cohorts of employees; Exit interview data analysis.

• It is important to understand the workforce doesn't necessarily understand the workplace norms as they have evolved today. We exist in a new world, a new way of working. Consideration should be given not only about giving employees tools to thrive and contribute, but their ability to connect with one another and work as a collaborative group.
• Context is critical. The rate of change continues to accelerate, which requires the ability to be a consummate learner and applier of those learnings. And it is vital to be open to innovation in change because that change is much bigger than an individual company. It is foundational in terms of learning and adapting.
• Remain adaptable. Understanding and accepting the fact that what you put in place today might be different in three or six months, and that it is OK.
• Provide tools that are an actual differentiator to the workplace experience and allow your people to work efficiently and invest time in developing skills rather repeat repetitive tasks. Working collaboratively is more important than ever as we adapt to a new normal

For a more in-depth look into this topic, we invite you to register and view the webinar here. (Click the "Access On-Demand Webinar" button.)

We look forward to you joining us for our next webinar.