Repurposing Employee Engagement with Digital Technology

Employee engagement is a serious game-changer for all organisations of any size or scale. Employee engagement strategies are paramount to maintain a healthy relationship with staff and get the most out of them.

But what is ‘employee engagement’ exactly? Going by the general definition: “Employee engagement is the emotional connection which an employee feels towards his or her organisation, that tends to influence their behaviours and level of effort in work-related activities.”

Traditional employee engagement methods such as giving out accolades to the best-performing employees on a monthly or yearly basis may have worked in the past. However, with the new generation of talents joining the workforce, their need for instant gratification requires organisations to think outside the box when it comes to creating a stimulating work environment.

This is where technology comes into play. HR tech has truly revolutionised the way organisations communicate, motivate and engage with internal talent. Among its many verticals, employee engagement technological solutions play a vital role by assisting organisations nurture an engaged workforce through proper planning and automation.

In this blog, we’ll explore how you can engage your employees digitally.

1. Real-time appreciation

Previously, semi-annual or even annual employee performance reviews worked a treat. However, these days, employees want real-time recognition and feedback instead of waiting six months to a year. They want to know if their work is valued and that they are making a positive impact in the company more frequently than not. They are also open to constant feedback as it helps to boost their performance and enables them to see their contribution to the company’s objectives.

So, to constantly engage your workforce and retain the best talents, businesses need to start enabling real-time acknowledgment through a platform that’s both scalable and easy to use. Without needing to invest in technology tools, you can utilise workplace group chat or social media to express appreciation to your employees for their contributions.

2. Form a virtual community with all employees

With work from home being the new norm, employees are hardly exposed to the workplace culture. While the present setting might look like it’s a boom for the employees’ work-life balance, there are various associated issues that can’t be overlooked.

At the office, employees had the opportunity to interact with each other which created a lively environment and positively affected their level of engagement. However, in the remote work setting, this factor takes a hit and often instil the feeling of isolation amongst the employees.

Here, the best way to avoid such a situation is to build a virtual community that includes all of your employees where everyone can stay connected anytime, anywhere. Encourage your employees to start or participate in a virtual community discussion. You can also keep it informal, which would allow your employees to speak their minds earnestly and maintain the team camaraderie.

3. Facilitate employees with necessary tools and resources

Another important aspect of engaging your employees digitally is by supporting them with all the necessary tools and resources required for their work. The present tech-savvy generation of employees’ desire to work with the best tools available and this has a direct impact on their productivity.

Moreover, with the evolution of cloud-tech, such as cloud-based mobile solutions, accessing work is now much easier than ever before. An employee could be anywhere in the world and still, they can actively participate at work with their colleagues. Hence, as an organization, if you are looking forward to enhancing your employee engagement, you should make it a point to provide access to the best platforms and resources to your workforce.

4. Encourage peer-to-peer recognition

The core of employee engagement lies in recognising efforts at work whether it’s coming from a manager or a co-worker. Here, the latter are the ones who witness the hard work of their colleagues up close and personal, and earning their appreciation is one of the best things an employee can think of.

This mode of appreciation not only uplifts the employees’ morale but also strengthens the professional relationship amongst all parties involved which is essential for a collaborative work environment.

Peer-to-peer recognition can be easily implemented via cloud-based employee appraisal and recognition platforms. Here, you can take the advantage of available communication channels where everyone is present and encourage your employees to give shout-outs to their teammates whenever they go above and beyond to help out or if they unlock a new achievement.

How to boost employee engagement in your organisation?

It is important for business leaders to consider tools that will help keep their workforce motivated and productive. Demand for easy-to-use technology has never been higher as digital transformation projects that previously would have taken years to complete have been accelerated in response to the pandemic. Implementing the right tools must be a priority because businesses with happy, motivated employees will be those that thrive in the current climate.

If you are interested in how to keep your employees engaged through this time, you’re not alone. Join IFCA’s many clients embark on a journey of digital transformation journey with HRX. To know more about HRX, visit our HRX solution page and contact us today.