Employee connectivity and engagement are essential to success in the modern business world. Both create a highly engaged workforce, capable of driving productivity, a positive work culture, and high retention. Conversely, connected employees can more effectively collaborate to innovate, and feel a part of a larger community within their organization.
Thankfully, technology has played a significant role in enhancing both employee connectivity and employee engagement, offering tools specifically designed to drive both. In this post we’ll explore: the role of employee connectivity and engagement in business success, the role of tech in boosting both, and several top tools to help allow organizations to obtain both.
Importance of Employee Connectivity and Engagement
There are a variety of ways employee engagement and employee connectivity work to contribute to an organization’s success. Most notably, engaged employees are typically more motivated, more committed, and are willing to put forth significantly more effort. This in turn means that they are more satisfied with their jobs—leading to higher levels of productivity, and conversely lower turnover rates.
At the same time, if employees are connected to both their peers as well as the organization as a whole, they’re likely to feel a stronger sense of teamwork, respect, and shared purpose. All of which holds significant meaning when determining when it comes to fostering an environment ripe for collaboration, and as a result innovation and general problem solving. At their core, both employee connectivity and engagement breed a positive work environment—one in which employees thrive and business success is secondary to a larger and more important cultural goal.
Different Employee Engagement Platforms
Employee engagement platforms are a full-service solution that drive individual and organizational engagement. They come complete with a suite of features and tools for everything from performance management to communication, recognition and team-building initiatives. They create a sense of belonging, allow all employees, in-office and remote, to work across departmental silos and allow management to track and analyze critical employee engagement data.
A powerful suite of collaboration tools connects and empowers in-office and remote teams. These tools provide real-time communication, file-sharing and project management and video conferencing and they are breaking down communication barriers and fostering new levels of teamwork and knowledge sharing among widely distributed employees. They ensure wherever they are located in the world, all employees can quickly and easily get the information they need to do their best work, while delivering seamless connectivity and the highest levels of employee engagement.
The internal communications system is the connective tissue between a company and employees that keeps them engaged – or not engaged. Internal communications is where employees exchange information and ideas, get answers, where they provide feedback and where companies ensure people in every nook and cranny of the organization are informed, aligned and close to one another.
Recognizing and appreciating employees generates the highest levels of employee engagement and connectivity. Employees who are recognized feel more valued, tend to be more motivated, grow in confidence and in their morale. Employee recognition platforms make sure that managers provide regular praise and meaningful rewards and in so doing, they create a culture of appreciation that can quickly spread and it’s a culture that will enhance their profitability and performance.
Continuous learning and development are incumbent upon generating high levels of employee engagement and growth. Learning and development platforms that provide a comprehensive suite of online courses and resources, mean employees can learn at their own pace, acquire new skills and chart new paths of career growth that parallel their own aspirations with that of the organization. By providing a full complement of opportunities to learn, a company helps meet crucial employee needs and by doing so it will ensure employees who are engaged and committed for the long haul.
Wellness and Health Apps
Employee wellness impacts profitability and productivity. Wellness and health apps support employee self-management of stress, work-life balance, and a variety of other health/wellness initiatives. They often provide a combination of meditation techniques, exercise plans and many other resources to guide employees on their quest for wellness. When organizations invest in employee wellness, they are often able to communicate to employees in a very real and meaningful way that they truly care about them as individuals and are creating an atmosphere where both successful careers and lives are possible.
Feedback Apps & Pulse Survey Tools
Having strong feedback mechanisms or pulse survey tools is a critical insight into employee sentiment and whether or not they are engaged. Feedback apps usually allow for the corporate collection of anonymous employee feedback, along with guidance on suggested next steps. It’s all to support localized decision-making. Organizations can use this real-time feedback to continue doing what works and course correct if employees are no longer motivated or what to be a part of the organization’s engineering culture. Feedback apps and tools clear the hurdles of transparency, so avoiding the elephant in the room is much easier.
Employee App
An employee app by iTacit can serve as a one-stop shop for employees to access the crucial information, resources and tools they need. Features in these apps often include messaging, training resources, recognition programs and wellness initiatives. The employee app delivers personalized experiences and fosters employee connection. It streamlines communication, fosters the sharing of knowledge and encourages employees to actively engage with their work and their colleagues.
Conclusion
Organizations in today’s tech-driven world are in need of dedicated technology tools to foster employee connection and engagement. They understand that putting immediate connection and engagement at the forefront yields a whole host of benefits, including increased productivity, higher job satisfaction and reduced turnover rates. As such, employee engagement platforms, SaaS-based collaboration tools, a variety of internal communication systems, employee recognition platforms, learning and development platforms, wellness and health apps, feedback and pulse survey tools and employee apps are all playing a critical role in fostering connection and engagement among employees.
Amidst our evolving technological landscape, it is no longer a question of whether or not organizations should be technology-enabled, but rather a question of what it will take to remain competitive. In short, organizations must dedicate themselves to utilizing a key set of technology tools in every aspect of their operations in order to harness the full potential of their human capital. What types of technology platforms are we talking about? Tools that provide younger team members the communication, data and support they’ve grown to expect. Cloud-based digital tools for recruitment and employee evaluation — allowing hiring and periodic evaluation to be accelerated through immediate peer and supervisor input. Lastly, consider loan enhancement technology that allows every team member to better their own job performance every week of the year.
