Modern Work Technology Is Critically Important to Driving a Positive Employee Experience

Hybrid work has proven its staying power. And as employees become less physically co-located, the benefits of the physical office environment have shifted. The staying power of hybrid work and work-life balance means that the technology employers provide has become an increasingly important factor in driving the employee experience, regardless of economic conditions.

While much has been written in 2022 about the importance of pay equity and offering benefits that improve recruiting and retention, studies have shown that pay and benefits alone won’t do it—in the era of hybrid working.

According to a Forbes survey conducted this year, 90% said work-life balance is an important aspect of their job, ranking only “financial stability” and “consistent pay” in the same range. Most of us know employees or have ourselves have turned down a job because it didn’t offer flexible or remote work options.

Work-life balance is dependent on technology

Work-life balance leads the list of essential factors for the employee experience, which is highly dependent on digital technology. While improving compensation, benefits, and culture will help, intelligent and helpful technology has become the expectation of employees. Qualtrics research found that only 30 percent of employees say their experience with their company’s technology exceeds their expectations, and only one in four (23 percent) feel their experience working at their office exceeds their expectations.  

Benjamin Granger, Ph.D., and Qualtrics head of employee experience advisory services says, “There’s clearly a disconnect between the experiences employees expect and what employers are offering in hybrid work environments. The value of offices has evolved from simply being places for people to work to create opportunities for collaboration and socialization. Understanding what people need to be effective and efficient in their roles is essential for curating workspaces that will encourage employees to bring their best selves to work.”  

Technology drives the employee experience

How employees communicate, collaborate, and connect are fundamental qualities of the employee experience, and doubly so in hybrid working environments. It is essential that employees get it right when it comes to facilitating these interactions with the use of technology.

According to Qualtrics, employees are 230 percent more engaged and 85 percent more likely to stay beyond three years in their jobs if they feel they have the technology that supports them at work. Furthermore, a range of downstream benefits come from implementing the right technology in the workplace, including fostering a culture of inclusion, enabling organizations to adapt, and retaining top talent.

What should employers do?

Start with understanding the experience gap on how employees feel on a range of topics, such as:

• Are employees getting the information they need in a timely way when they need it (as work hours become more flexible)?
• Is the work experience productive?
• Is too much time spent in unproductive meetings, whether in person or virtual?
• How are decisions made? Do they feel included?
• Do employees have the right tools and technology to do their jobs?
• Can they draw the line between work and personal lives that has them feeling good?

Of course, after listening to employees, it is critical to act upon their most pressing issues and to tell them of the progress of improvements.

In addition, the role of the manager is changing significantly during this period and increasing in importance. Harvard Business Review estimates that 65% of managers’ current tasks could be automated by 2025. This means there will be a shift in responsibilities, transforming from task management to more strategic and value-added managerial work. It will be critically important to ensure managers have access to modern work tech that facilitates a positive manager experience and enables them to make this transition effectively.

The pandemic has taught us that change is constant and that the future is truly uncertain. Employers can discern the future by listening to their employees and investing in helpful technology in a world of hybrid working. Technology drives the employee experience.

With MeBeBot, the technology handles the easy, repetitive tasks and the humans handle the hard work.

About MeBeBot

MeBeBot’s AI Intelligent Assistant, recently selected as a “Brilliant Bot” in the Slack App Directory, seamlessly installs in Teams, Slack, or web portals to provide employees with instant automated answers to global HR, IT, and Ops FAQS. It also provides real-time usage Dashboards, Push Messaging, and custom Pulse Surveys, generating instant employee feedback on of-the-moment questions. MeBeBot’s “one-stop bot” is trusted by leading organizations to elevate the employee experience so work can be more meaningful and valuable.    

MeBeBot’s “one-stop bot” is trusted by leading organizations such as e2open, Epicor, Abrigo, Ziff Davis, Care.com, IGT, CrowdStreet, Terminal, and HireVue to elevate the employee experience so work can be more meaningful and valuable.

Visit our website at https://mebebot.com