Crafting a winning employee experience today, for the workforce of tomorrow

When it comes to the deskless workforce there can often be little focus on what their digital experience of work is like with office or remote peers often light years ahead when it comes to digital maturity. Yet, this shouldn’t be the case.

In fact, investing in the right HR technology can improve the employee experience of deskless workers which in turn can improve engagement, reduce absenteeism and turnover, and kickstart productivity, too.

To find out more on this important topic, Kate Graham, head of content labs and insights at UNLEASH is joined by Sarah O’Meara, lead implementation consultant at LumApps, and Ryan Candy, head of change, employee experience, and people performance at Sodexo Group as they unpack all the links between technology, your people, and great organizational performance.

Watch on-demand to:

• Hear about how a bad deskless workforce experience can impact HR performance.
• Understand more about what a modern workforce management system looks like and how it can benefit your organization.
• Hear about making the right technology choices for your organization.

It’s really important for employers to focus on experience to make sure their employees have good experiences throughout their work life.” – Sarah O’Meara, Lead Implementation Consultant at LumApps

Getting past EX as a buzzword

Most in HR know that employee experience (EX) can be overused. However, when curated correctly, explained Sodexo’s Candy, it is the actioning of the employee value proposition and the delivery on those promises. It’s what causes people to want to stay and engage with the organization as an employee and these days it has to tally with employees’ experiences as consumers. It means the pressure is on.

With O’Meara adding that EX is the sum of all interactions at work she noted that the best employers understand that creating a great experience isn’t just curating a good employee experience to try and directly improve productivity but about thinking about it in terms of how it impacts everything and everyone at work: from the soon-to-be mother about to have a baby to someone looking to access important work documents to the delivery driver trying to access learning. As such, personalization is key here.

Critically, when it comes to EX, HR shouldn’t be assuming things about their workforce in a top-down manner, though. Candy added that here data is crucial, in understanding what needs, wants, and aspirations run through the workforce. It is then on HR to action this as they tweak and evolve the work context. Additionally, added O’Meara, anecdotal data is also crucial, in helping really make sure work delivers for all individuals.

Delivering and communication

When it comes to delivering a great EX, the webinar discussion moved to how organizations should speak to their staff. Here there was agreement on the importance of good communication, meeting employees where they communicate and speaking to them in a tone of voice that they want to be spoken in. To do this well, getting data on this was agreed upon to be the best way forward before any action.

Importantly, it was the action and delivery step that was considered to be the most important part of the experience: the doing of the promises. Here, it was agreed that HR should be taking constant steps to improve EX and ensure they’re not just looking at external branding and promises but also delivering for incumbent staff. Here, Candy added that it was important that HR doesn’t just think about what makes sense to itself as a function, which is often splitting up parts of the employee experience but makes sure it ends up in a cohesive product for employees.

And, with such a focus on delivering a great experience, Candy reminded listeners that EX isn’t just an HR tool but a business tool that can be used effectively to deliver against key metrics.

Creating virtual HQ and leadership

So, what does great EX look like — especially when considering deskless workers? Here, O’Meara explained it can involve creating virtual HQs and hubs so all workers are included, have access to information and tools, and the playing field is leveled between different parts of the workforce.

Candy added that great EX doesn’t necessarily mean huge overhauls but creating little tweaks to the workflow, being open to flexibility, and giving workers the tools they need to engage in work and have a great work-life balance. O’Meara added that leaders are crucial here as they can model positive behaviors, that needn’t be massive changes, as they have an outsized impact on boosting work.

Great EX can also involve getting creative or simplifying work. If workers are time-poor, WhatsApp them instead of inviting them to meetings, was one idea. Another regarded team-building which needn’t be in person but could happen virtually and needn’t be a video meetup either but something more outside-the-box like virtual painting. And, O’Meara added, if companies are scared about getting it wrong they can start with a small group and build outwards.

Where can technology help?

Understandably, the conversation progressed to the role technology can play in improving everything EX. Candy explained that he believes there are some must-dos, here: businesses need talent and performance management processes and systems that support them (but it needn’t be expensive); they need engagement or surveillance software; they need good software that can deliver engaging learning in the way employees want; time and attendance software; and software that delivers all of this in a self-service manner.

The discussion rounded off with an agreement that to get employees engaging in all of this newness change management was going to be critical as was the employer and HR mindset. Here, it was agreed that letting go of old ways of doing things and embracing newness was going to be critical to building a future-fit EX as well as boosting the business going forward.