Technology is continuing to revolutionise employee engagement. From specialist social networks, to bespoke portals, the major benefits of these technological trends include connectivity, instant communication and data collection. Here are our top tips for utilising technology to foster better employee engagement.
Connectivity is keyThe ability to connect with employees anytime and anywhere is one of the major benefits that technology brings. Whether communicating the launch of a new discounts package, or publicly recognising an employee for their hard work, technology can be an effective facilitator. Moreover, for organisations that may have a notable section of their workforce working remotely, this can make it much easier to stay connected with teams.
Think about user experienceThere’s no point launching an employee benefits initiative if people don’t use it and the technology on offer today can make things much more user friendly. We recently built a reward and recognition platform for an organisation with a large mobile workforce, many of whom weren’t particularly computer literate. For them it was crucial to have a mobile platform that was easily to use and with as few click-throughs as possible. The platform had to be mobile and simple, which would not have been possible without technology. Moreover, much like a well-designed app or website, the look and feel of a platform can make a notable difference when it comes to engagement.
Another such development that has had a major impact upon user experience is instant delivery. In terms of voluntary benefits it’s now easier than ever to redeem discounts without having to wait. Paper-based cash back and retail vouchers have largely been replaced by promotional codes or e-vouchers that can be redeemed quickly and easily by shoppers at the till at their local supermarket.
GamificationMany organisations are utilising gamification, which can be used in a number of ways. For example, some are introducing game play into reward and recognition, by awarding points for demonstrating certain behaviours. At the same time, gamification can also mean introducing interactive elements such as a ‘like’ function, so as to encourage peer-to-peer recognition. Tech businesses such as Spotify have actually replaced employee reviews with gamed versions and have reported that 90% of employees are participating in the programmes.
Capturing the data that countsThe wealth of data that employee benefits teams can now obtain at the click of a button is astonishing and can be used in a number of different ways. From monitoring engagement levels of your latest discount offers to providing clear projections about what sort of return on investment you are expecting to achieve, the automatic collection of management information has clear benefits.
SummaryEvidently tech can make a big difference to the lives of employee benefits professionals. That said, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that people are much better at engaging other people than computers! Let’s look at reward and recognition schemes as an example. Employee recognition is reliant on team moments; a public acknowledgement of hard work by a manager can be much more powerful than a notification on a company intranet. Likewise, when it comes to communicating the features of a new voluntary benefits initiative, we have found that having ambassadors and real-life case studies to bring these benefits to life are much more effective than mass mail outs or micro-site launches. After all, people respond to other people!
