Katie Collins, Human Resources Director, Redcentric takes us through improving life for employees
It’s long been said that employees are the greatest asset of every business, and without them, organisations wouldn’t be able to function successfully. With the upheaval of the last few years still fresh, the employee experience has become just as important as the customer experience, but it only works if it benefits every team member.
The employee experience is a key pillar of the future of work and it’s important to consider how recent developments in communication technology can help organisations to evolve.
The employee experience has undergone radical changes due to changing working preferences and advances in technology. For many employees, their working experiences have been in a state of flux, from being remote during COVID lockdowns, hybrid working and for some a return to full-time in the office.
Remote and hybrid working now means more to employees than just the ability to work from different locations, instead instilling trust in them to remain productive. By creating this environment, businesses are now seeing the importance of company culture and the need to understand the journey of each employee.
The employee experience varies for each person, with no such thing as a universal employee experience and a one-size-fits-all approach.
Why it Benefits Businesses
The UK economy suffers from a productivity problem, with output per hour not much different to the levels before the financial crisis and there is no quick solution for bolstering productivity.
Decision-makers need to view the employee experience as not just something that benefits the workplace but as a crucial ingredient for business success. The employee experience can boost productivity, which means higher profitability, however, just 21% of UK employees say they are engaged at work.
Statistics like this highlight that there’s still more to be done to improve the employee experience, with the flexibility to support wellbeing and career development just some of the areas staff find important.
The Future of Communications
The new work landscape is already taking collaboration to the next level, with employees now working across greater distances and sharing more knowledge than ever before. We are also seeing AI come to the fore, something that’s already yielding significant benefits.
This includes listening to interactions that can help to continually improve the customer experience by relating to their experiences and using call transcripts to increase efficiency. Risks to organisations are also minimised by ensuring better dispute resolution outcomes and reducing the burden of compliance by automating the process of recording.
Unified communications (UC) is another important area. Productivity allows UC adopters to see savings in travel expenses as well as increases in productivity. Hybrid and remote working models simply wouldn’t be possible without UC, but it’s still not being used to its maximum capability in many organisations.
Furthermore, legacy systems aren’t always compatible with UC technologies and some employees still need to be convinced about its benefits. UC is the backbone for modern enterprise communications, so organisations need to be a step ahead with verification systems and preventative measures.
With recent years proving that disruptions are inevitable, employee communications will become even more important in the future. With the metaverse giving a glimpse of the future, the need for streamlined communications that prioritise the employee experience is essential, meaning communications technologies need to be the first port of call in any digital transformation strategy.
