How to evolve and develop the ideal workplace for today and tomorrow
Every generation has different expectations about what constitutes a good employee experience. In a landscape where specific technical skills are in short supply the competition for talent can become fierce. Improving the employee experience you offer can
make the difference. It’s
estimated that Millennials will make up 75 percent of the workforce by 2025, so addressing their needs should be a priority.
We’re going to look at five ways organizations can improve their employee experience and capture the attention of talented Millennials.
Flexibility and telecommuting
The ability to work anywhere on any device is increasingly important to employees. The traditional eight-hour work day in the office is no longer the norm as more and more employees want to be able to telecommute at least part of the time. This offers significant
benefits for employers as well as employees because many overheads can be reduced. It’s also worth considering that 77 percent of Millennials say flexible hours would make them more productive at work, according to
Bentley.
Deploy the best technology
It stands to reason that a generation that has grown up steeped in technology and developed all kinds of creative, digitally-based skills, will be disappointed with antiquated technology in the workplace. Shadow IT has grown out of employee need, as frustrated
workers seek to adopt tools that boost their productivity. Employers should ask employees what they need to do a better job and embrace the latest technologies.
When companies deploy effective systems that deliver speed and convenience with all the latest and greatest functionality, there’s no need for employees to find workarounds and subvert security systems. But this requires continuous assessment of employee
needs and a proactive attitude to identifying and securing the best tools on the horizon.
Facilitate collaboration
To stimulate innovation, you need to foster collaboration. The same is true if you want to leverage the best technology tools. There must be open lines of communication, so that the needs of different employees are considered, but also so that the full benefits
and technical advantages of various tools can be explained and disseminated.
Organize teams around the function they’re fulfilling, break down barriers between them, and design systems that facilitate their collaboration. The core principles of DevOps should be extended beyond development and operations to every corner of your organization.
Enable your employees to easily collaborate with the people that you need them to collaborate with.
Frictionless and secure
Trying to block devices or software tools that employees have chosen because of security concerns is restrictive and can lead to frustrated and disgruntled staff. It’s important to understand that many data breaches are caused by employees trying to circumvent
the technology that their employer has put in place because it doesn't work for them. Security must be designed into an infrastructure that is focused on facilitating employee productivity first and foremost.
Make it as seamless and frictionless as possible from the employee perspective. Solutions like
Citrix Workspace provide password-free access to SaaS, web, mobile and virtual applications, such as Office 365 and Salesforce. Users get instant access to the apps they need while IT retains control over user accounts and password policies strengthening
corporate security. But whatever the specifics of your security system, don’t lose sight of the fact that convenience is vital for your employees.
Good work/life balance
Survey after survey, like this
one from Deloitte, shows that Millennials top concern when evaluating job opportunities is a good work/life balance. Employees need free time, they need to be able to put family life above work sometimes, and employers that understand this and make allowances
will reap the benefits.
Some of the assumptions that have been made about the impact of these ideas are simply not borne out by the evidence. Improving the employee experience isn’t just about wooing talent or meeting shifting expectations, it offers tangible benefits for the companies
that embrace it.
Jacob Morgan found that organizations that invested most heavily in employee experience had more than four times the average profit and more than twice
the average revenue of those that didn’t.
Talking to your employees, analyzing their experiences and finding ways to improve them is beneficial for everyone.
How to evolve and develop the ideal workplace for today and tomorrow