For most businesses, the largest expense is their people. The second largest is real estate…physical offices designed for maximizing square footage per employee, currently sitting vacant now and perhaps for the year to come.
In this post-COVID reality, business needs are shifting and so are valuable budgetary dollars. Expenses previously allocated for leases, office expenses (like utilities, furniture and supplies), and for employee perks (free food/drinks/transportation) will change.
So, what should your company do with its 2021 budget, previously allocated for these types of expenses? Many economics, analysts and thought leaders have suggested that these funds will make a greater impact to the ongoing heath and financial success for companies when shifted to digital technologies to enhance the physically distant employee experience.
The current global pandemic is accelerating digital transformational changes companies already knew they should be making. Businesses that have begun to invest in digital solutions will start to reap the benefits and those that haven’t begun will fall further behind their economic projections and outcomes.
Designing an effective employee experience means implementing communication and collaboration tools "in the flow of work" that mirror the way you operate “in real life.” Information and support needs to be accessible quickly, just as we experience as consumers.
While budgets may be tight, adding an Intelligent Assistant to your team is not only cost-effective, it's an affordable solution and provides instant value and a return on your investment.
For less than a cup of coffee each month, you can provide each employee (whether they are working remotely from home, in the office, or they are shift or mobile first employee), their connection to theirHR, IT and Operational needs.
Budgets are under scrutiny during our current global pandemic. However, when solutions benefit employees' needs for IT, HR and Operational support, budgetary dollars can be shared from across the organization. Consider technologies, such as Salesforce, Slack and even your Microsoft Office365 subscriptions. Instead of IT or Sales assuming the burden of the entire cost, these solutions are allocated across multiple departments.
Employees need to be empowered to help create the future of work today. New skills, mindsets and behaviors will be required to allow for resilience during periods of significant change. And, investments made today will drive the future of the customer and employee experience for a more resilient and empowered workforce.
Now is the time to get creative and become more collaborative by sharing in purchasing decisions that affect the greater good of the organization…and the most important and impactful expense….its people!
Click here to receive a budgetary pricing quote for your organization