The future of the employee experience

With the rise of hybrid and remote work, company leaders must prioritise a seamless digital experience for employees

In the age of The Great Resignation, companies must fight harder than ever to retain their talent. However, maintaining a culture where team members are productive, engaged and satisfied has become more challenging with the rise of hybrid and remote workers. That’s why it’s critical for companies to focus on positively shaping their employees’ journey.

It’s incumbent on company leadership to prioritise a world-class experience for everyone, regardless of where they sit. A key part of retaining talent is ensuring every employee has all the tools and information they need to do their best work, from their first day on the job. We’re already seeing forward-thinking companies embracing this mindset and positively impacting the experience of their employees.

Why the digital work experience matters

One frequently overlooked touchpoint of the employee experience is digital technology. With the shift to a distributed workforce, companies now rely on hundreds of SaaS applications. In parallel to the growth of apps managed by IT, business units are independently adopting apps based on what they believe their team needs to be productive.

Collaboration is fundamental to a productive workforce, particularly one with remote or hybrid workers. But companies need to focus on tools that collectively boost employee productivity, and get rid of the noise – 71 per cent of workers say the quantity of tools available to them is increasing complexity and hindering productivity. Although apps are being purchased with good intentions, companies need insights and data to see which tools are enabling workers and where apps are obstructing interdepartmental communication.

According to an analysis of Productiv data across hundreds of customers and thousands of apps, only 45 per cent of app licences are being used by employees on a regular basis. We also identified concerning trends around an increasing number of apps with similar functionality for tasks, including project management, messaging and file sharing.

In light of this data, companies should be asking important questions to unlock productivity and enhance the employee experience. Are employees using the right tools, and do they have access to multiple apps that are serving the same function?

How CIOs and IT teams can help

It’s imperative that modern CIOs partner with business leaders and employees to deliver a seamless digital experience. However, the path to providing an engaging digital experience at scale is not a straightforward one. IT organisations must invest in the following areas to positively influence employee engagement:

1. Create a data foundation to deliver personalised employee experiences. It’s important to understand how applications are being used at a deeper level than log-in data. Who uses each app, and who are those users collaborating with? How is IT leveraging app usage data to help understand and drive the digital employee experience?
2. Be strategic about the app portfolio. Armed with the right data, IT organisations can thoughtfully migrate and consolidate duplicate apps while deprecating the tools that aren’t really being used. Machine-learning models can also help IT manage their app portfolio with greater precision: improve visibility and compliance, optimise spend and reduce employee confusion due to fragmentation.
3. Improve the onboarding experience. Having a smooth and positive onboarding experience for employees sets new hires up for success. IT should collaborate with other departments to ensure new hires have access to the right apps – and know what purpose each tool serves – from the start. Automating operations can also help IT streamline this process without exhausting resources.

Widespread adoption of hybrid and remote work is expected to become the norm – not to decline. With that in mind, companies should prioritise ensuring the best digital work experience for every employee. The future of the employee experience is one where the CIO and IT team play a critical role in delivering a highly personalised and engaging experience for every worker.

Visit productiv.com to learn more about how Productiv can help you improve your employee experience

By Jody Shapiro, CEO and Co-Founder, Productiv