The future of work is now – remote and hybrid working models are here to stay. Zendesk’s CX Trends Report 2021 revealed that 90% of Indian companies plan to provide employees an option to work remotely. New ways of work are shaping the way businesses operate, and digital transformation is at the helm of this change.
While many consider it a welcome change, businesses need to pay attention to its impact on employees and their workplaces. A distributed workforce relies on the right technology and only 14% of employees in India say they lack the right tools to work from home. Despite having the tools to work remotely, 92% of employees in India say they are stressed.
Digital transformation is not only about adopting the right technology, but also ensuring that employees feel connected, supported and included. In 2021, a digital workplace is a must-have business strategy and for startups in particular, the focus is on creating environments that flexibly respond and adapt to changes. With growth in mind, the larger question is: How do startups optimize their digital workplaces?
The employee experience matters
Customer-focused digital transformation begins with employees. A recent McKinsey study showed that employee engagement, well-being and work effectiveness are driven by how good the employee experience was.
It is important to evaluate how people working for the company feel about the transformation at the workplace. If employees feel their voices are heard, it makes them move along with changes quickly. Communicating with employees on what’s changing, why and when the change is taking place and who it impacts can reduce uncertainties. Asking employees about their pain points and what tasks they find cumbersome is crucial to decide what tools and processes to adopt.
Invest in agile collaboration tools
Digital transformation is about how technology makes it possible for customers and employees to get work done easily and at their own convenience. If the tools deployed are not fulfilling these requirements, it’s not the right fit. When considering a digital workplace, one aspect is of utmost significance: Will the technology connect seamlessly and intuitively to empower employees to do their best work?
A good starting point would be adopting internal help desks, which are cornerstones of a great service experience. In a post-pandemic world, even companies that weren’t looking to invest in help desks are doing so. Using tools to boost employee productivity, helping internal departments manage requests, and expanding live support for employees increases efficiency.
Work smarter, not harder
Tech adoption increased considerably in 2020 and 90 percent of tech decision makers say the adoption rate sped up by 4-5 years. Successful businesses are now turning to automated systems enhanced with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to increase efficiency.
These systems allow for an intuitive, personalised and simple experience for employees. Using AI does not mean replacing humans, but it can be a tool for improving speed and efficiency by eliminating repetitive and manual processes, thereby allowing employees to be redeployed to more complex, higher value tasks. Startups often have smaller teams and using automated tools can go a long way in scaling their operations.
Encourage cross-team collaboration
A great way to ensure employees feel connected is to encourage cross-team collaboration, especially with a distributed workforce. Being able to share real-time updates with teams about their progress can have an impact on how smoothly projects run.
Software that enables multiple teams to message and post questions can eliminate communication gaps. It sheds clarity on who is responsible for what goal and progress can be tracked easily. This not only reduces stress but also increases productivity.
Monitor growth continuously
Translating a digital workplace strategy into an effective operational program is a complex task. Even though organisations adopt tools and tech to enable more efficient workflows, it would remain ineffective without an ongoing conversation with stakeholders including employees.
A great way to do this is through employee surveys and interviews to find out how aware they are of what changed, why the change, and how equipped the company is to handle it. Interviews and surveys can fetch the right feedback. Besides, using automated tools deployed like self-help desks store employee data. With these insights, decisions can be made based on data-driven, reliable metrics.
With an agile management approach, the workforce too enjoys sustained competitive advantage. Without this, a disengaged and overwhelmed workforce can become a weak link in an organisation’s digital transformation journey. Startups need to translate their digital workplace strategy into a collaborative and consistent program.
Adopting nimble technologies makes work processes easier for employees. The future of work is about successfully optimizing the relationship between technology and the workforce. Businesses need to focus on creating exceptional employee experiences, which also translates to happy customers.
Image source: Freepik
