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Today’s successful businesses take an employee centric approach to the digital workplace. Digital enables change, it revolutionises the way organisations operate, it supports decision making, it enhances communication channels and more.
Some companies may consider digital to be a new way to engage with their customers, others see digital as a new way to run their business and there may be others who have another perspective. A business must have a clear understanding of what digital means to them and how it can drive that business forward in a meaningful and sustainable way while considering the people who will be using the digital tools required to achieve the business’ goals.
A digital culture
It has been recently reported that 33% of key decision makers believe that culture is the biggest barrier to digital effectiveness and 25% state that the barrier is due to a lack of understanding of digital trends within the workforce.
To cultivate a digital culture a workplace must embed digital from the top-down and inform, engage and empower employees to develop a digital mind-set. An organisation can achieve this by communicating the benefits of digital and how it positively impacts the company, the employee and the customer.
In addition, consulting with your employees will boost their buy-in. Collaborations through regular meetings and asking for feedback will provide invaluable insights, identify training and development needs and increase morale.
Many businesses will witness reluctance from some individuals who are uncomfortable with the transition to a more digital workplace. Do not assume the reasons why this might be and engage with them to understand the reasons for the resistance.
Tools for a digital workplace
There is a vast array of choice for the modern business, most digital tools have been designed to improve employee experience and increase productivity. The tools a company chooses will depend on their size, their infrastructure and the product or service they offer. Here are just some examples:
Company intranets to hold all company information
Messaging apps for a smooth communication flow
Collaboration tools and virtual meeting software to keep colleagues connected
AI and automation tools to identify trends and help find solutions
Management software and HR database systems to manage information on employees
Programmes to hold customer details
And of course, emails, diaries and document storage
Knowledge and understanding
Many employees will have a natural grasp for digital processes and the digital tools available, but for others their understanding varies considerably. This summer it has been estimated that between now and 2024 90% of the workforce will need basic skills at the very least, eg using email and the company’s software.
An organisation should:
Actively train everyone so as not to leave anyone behind and make training a part of their digital strategy.
Encourage employees to take responsibility for their own development.
Support the senior management team to become digital leaders.
Identify those who lack confidence and provide further support.
Embrace the ‘one size does not fit all’ principle to better facilitate individual learning.
Recognise individuals with a talent for digital who also have a desire to coach. Peer to peer learning is great for the person receiving the support, but equally important for organisations to identify an individual’s ‘hidden’ talent such as motivating others.
Invest in the right technology. Easy to use tech with good support will boost confidence.
Provide opportunities for further development: content generation skills, communication skills (with colleagues and customers), collaborations to share knowledge and innovative ideas, identifying trends and themes, retrieving essential data quickly.
Be Confident with Risk
Without doubt there will be some employees who fear digital and as such are resistant to change. You only have to listen to the news to hear about a company who has suffered huge losses through a cyber-attack or the consequences of a senior manager leaving a laptop, containing sensitive data, on a train. There has been a rise in the number of employees using their own devices for work purposes too which brings an element of risk to an organisation.
To overcome these fears organisations must educate their workforce.
Create robust policies on safe practice.
Ensure these policies are communicated effectively to all staff. This can be though frequent training, online learning and regular reminders at team meetings.
Encourage and make it easy for individuals to report unusual activity such as a phone call or an unusual looking URL. Communicate what they need to look out for.
Inform all staff of the dangers of WiFi enabled devices such as printers and scanners as these can be targeted by cyber-criminals who can gain access to digital information this way.
Create a support team who can help with concerns and ensure all staff know how to contact them.
Senior management must take particular notice of these policies and procedures as they are most likely to be targeted.
How we can help you
If you’d like to discuss any of the issues detailed in this blog, get in touch with us today. We’re here to help.
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