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5 tips to empower your workforce with technology

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Upgrading employee technology can help employees be more productive, and employers can feel invested in their success by giving them the tools they need.

(Photo: Shutterstock)

In a remote-first world, smart, scalable technology is key to success. Core business operations are part of it, but how the technology helps the employee experience should be a priority. Because when employees work more intuitively and have less cognitive load, they feel more comfortable doing their jobs and can pass that experience on to those the business serves.

The decision to upgrade, switch, or build out the technology tools a company uses can be made clearer by approaching the change from several different perspectives, while putting the end users (employees) first. .

Consider the role of IT

Businesses need an IT infrastructure that supports remote work. In other words, technical tools and capabilities for IT to troubleshoot and solve problems that an employee encounters virtually. From a system maintenance perspective, companies need a centralized, virtual approach to managing software versions. And having that hardware in another location means that even the most novice technical user should be able to easily learn the system, as employees are working remotely.

In a remote-first world, making sure the IT experience and all of its touch points work well for business needs as well as employees is essential to staying productive and engaged.

Evaluate processes, not just tools

The first step in auditing existing technology is to evaluate the overall process, not just the tools. It’s easy to get distracted by the time spent on a task, the number of clicks, or other detailed productivity metrics, but what if you don’t need that tool at all? What if the tool needs to be used at the right time or by the wrong person? Regular audits of your organization’s goals and how they are being met can help. For companies without dedicated user experience staff, her basic UX activities can be learned and adapted by anyone with the right mindset.

Internet speed and quality from employees’ homes can be another big but common pain point. Bandwidth and connectivity vary widely, so whenever possible, the technology deployed to the workforce should not require ultra-high performance equipment.

Prioritize employee UX

Technology is embedded in literally every business function. This is especially true for remote-first businesses. Confusing, slow, or buggy technology is extremely frustrating for employees, causing inefficiencies and taking valuable time away from their core work and personal time.

This is why a well-thought-out user experience is important to increase efficiency and productivity, reduce employee stress and increase satisfaction, especially for repetitive tasks.

When companies consider new tools, it’s important to listen to their employees first.It’s certainly important to understand how the work is going, but what’s more important is how the work is done felt for them? Inappropriate tools sap employee energy and create chaos. This is even more true in a remote world where employees are at different stages, work on a technical scale and cannot easily troubleshoot.

Technology enables employees to do their jobs. Appropriate technology should facilitate these tasks.

Upgrading employee technology can help employees be more productive, and employers can feel invested in their success by giving them the tools they need. Ultimately, simplifying employee lives through technology benefits engagement and retention. This is always good for business.

Choose the right software

With the employee experience at the forefront, companies should first look for tools with the features they need. Using familiar, well-designed technology reduces overall costs, including training costs, and eases onboarding. Especially if the standard software has the functionality the company wants, it’s usually better to license it than build it.

However, it is important not to fall into the trap of adopting new tools that do not fit your requirements at all and then try to use them in ways you did not intend. When doing so, the tools don’t really help in the way they should, and both the company and the employees experience more disruption and frustration from trying to force something than to save time. Commercial software should be used for that purpose.

Proprietary software can provide a competitive advantage, but it is a significant investment and can be evaluated considering several points mentioned above.

work step by step

Part of good software development habits is to work incrementally. Firms can set a broad vision, but building a research and testing cycle should be done in small pieces to correct course throughout the process and allow the organization to take advantage of change at a reasonable pace. .

Most complex projects cannot be completed in one delivery. It’s easy to overlook details, do something wrong, or over-design part of the solution. This is true whether it’s a technical build or a process change. Instead, small, incremental updates that allow you to pivot based on what you learn along the way can help support your success.

This incremental approach to work provides the necessary stage gates to ensure updates happen as intended, work as intended, and technology to better serve employees in every iteration. make it possible.

RELATED: 5 Things You Don’t Get From Benefit Technology Providers

Throughout the process of upgrading technology, companies should keep in mind that it is a tool. Especially in a remote-first work environment, the first question is how the tool will help employees. The right people can help evaluate and implement these tools over time. Getting the right idea of ​​what’s important helps the employee’s overall experience. When a company can use the right tools for the right people, it becomes an investment in their success, and thus in the success of the company.

Stephanie Copeland Weber is Ruby’s President and Chief Operating Officer.

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