The world was moving steadily towards digitization, and work arrangements were becoming more flexible and remote even before the COVID-19 pandemic happened. The global crisis only accelerated their progress, forcing employers and employees to transition from office to home-based workplaces and from manual to digital processes in a matter of weeks.

Now that 43% of the country’s labor force works remotely, many employers had to change their approach to managing their employees. For one thing, employee needs as remote workers are very different from when they were still reporting in an office (e.g., compensation for high-speed, fiber-optic Internet service versus free coffee or bagels). Furthermore, we have learned during the pandemic that a digital-first, flexible, and remote working environment requires not just technology but also an employee-first attitude in management and leadership.

For a company to thrive from 2021 onward, it must prioritize employee and customer experience. This emphasis on employees does a lot of good for the company culture, which, in turn, impacts output and customer experience.

Connectivity: The Key to Improving Employee Experience

In this age of hybrid work environments, connected and involved employees are more in-tune and aligned with the company. The findings from Harvard Business Review Analytic Services’ survey on how COVID-19 affected employee experience shows that employee experience initiatives had the following effects:  

• 70% of employees are more engaged
• 64% became more productive
• 62% were more determined to overcome work disruptions
• 61% percent became more agile in adapting to organizational changes

One of the main takeaways of the survey is that employees struggle to stay motivated and productive when they feel isolated from their teams and disconnected from the rest of the company.

How then can employers ensure that employees are connected and engaged with their teams and the entire organization?

Tips for Employers

We recommend the following methods for promoting employee experience and connectivity during this period of remote work.

1. Use Human Capital Management (HCM) tools.

HCM software enables human resources to streamline recruitment and onboarding. It also heightens employee experience because it helps HR stay on top of matters that are important to employees, like payroll, benefits, pay raises, time logs, and performance records.

HCM is also useful for tracking learning and development. Teams can input their skills development strategies and specify the training courses necessary to unlock a skill or rise to a higher competency level. With HCM, team leaders and employees can be more proactive in their upskilling, which can benefit the company in the long run.

2. Get HR professionals on board.

Tools and software can only do so much for an organization. HCM software is merely a platform; it needs people to use the information it records and take action.

So many companies operate without an HR Head. They simply distribute the tasks of an HR manager among operations managers and leave the most important decision-making tasks to business heads. It’s difficult, however, to give ample time on improving employee experience when the management has to work double-time keeping in touch with employees and monitoring their work on top of their usual duties. An organization will be more effective at deploying employee-centric initiatives if it has people working on them full-time.

Explore the Benefits of HCM Tools

eVerge Group is happy to assist companies that are integrating HCM tools into their operations for the first time. We also advise organizations on how to maximize their existing HCM tools or upgrade to systems that are more compatible with their business structure. Use our expertise to help your employees stay connected and engaged. Get in touch with eVerge Group today.