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5 Online Courses to Get You Up-To-Speed with AI in 2023
Spoiler alert: Artificial Intelligence is the future of work. Or at least part of it. This is not to say that everyone will become an AI engineer. But in just a few years from now, a large part of job positions will require or reward AI skills that help employees be more efficient and dedicate themselves to higher-level tasks. Especially in areas like IT, where human error can have dire consequences. So what online AI courses are best to get you up-to-speed with this booming discipline?

AI has experienced a major explosion in popularity in recent years, becoming one of the fastest-growing roles in job markets across the world. Indeed, just at the beginning of the 2020, a LinkedIn report identified AI-related skills as the fourth most in-demand skills group among employers. And that was before the pandemic set in.

Since then, Artificial Intelligence has emerged as a compelling choice for students and professionals who want to keep up with innovation and trends. Analytics Insight points out very good reasons to study AI in 2023.

Bottom line: believe the hype. It’s about time you put on your AI boots if you still haven’t done so. Here are five courses to get you started that touch upon some of today’s core AI skills.

Find your next assignment on our freelance and permanent IT recruitment platform, or join Mindquest so you don’t miss out on any job opportunity!

1. Online AI courses : the basics

Firstly, how comfortable would you feel explaining to someone the difference between AI, machine learning and deep learning? What comes to mind when you hear the words ‘neural network’?

If you are not quite sure, start with the fundamentals. This Coursera course by IBM provides a good introductory overview of artificial intelligence and its many aspects:
- Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (Coursera)
2. One of the most popular online AI courses : Python

Python is to AI what English is to Shakespeare’s plays. Thus, this nimble yet powerful language is one of the most popular among programmers and engineers, and, if you haven’t gotten around it already, well – you should.

This course on Udemy kicks
off with a Python crash course and then gets into its data science and machine
learning applications, covering the most widely used Python libraries and tools
for AI (NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib…):
- Python for Data Science and Machine Learning Bootcamp (Udemy)
Need tips on how to find a job in IT? Check out our IT job hunting guide.

3. Machine learning

In essence, machine
learning is the use of algorithms to process data, learn from it and then act
according to these learnings. Machine learning allows computers to autonomously
learn and improve processes and assessments through experience, without being
explicitly programmed beforehand. It’s pretty much ubiquitous these days –from
your phone’s predictive keyboard to web searches.

This course by
Stanford is a good starting point:
- Machine Learning (Coursera)
4. TensorFlow, neural networks and deep learning

Moreover, developed by Google Brain Team, TensorFlow is an open-source library for numerical computation with powerful AI capabilities. TensorFlow is Python-friendly and is currently one of the most in-demand AI skills.

This video offers a
great hands-on introduction to building neural networks with TensorFlow:

The course requires
previous Python literacy, so you should not jump into it before learning the
language.
- TensorFlow 2.0 Complete Course – Python Neural Networks for Beginners Tutorial (YouTube)
5. Natural Language Processing (NPL)

Last but not least, NPL is a branch of artificial intelligence that focuses on analyzing, understanding and producing human language. It is an integral technology to many everyday features of the digital economy, from autocorrects to chatbots.

This Codecademy course
provides a practical and project-based introduction to NPL:
- Learn Natural Language Processing (Codecademy)
Are you looking for IT mission opportunities in the Tech and IT sectors on a freelance or permanent basis? Mindquest can help you find your next IT mission opportunity. Find your next mission by browsing our freelance and permanent vacancies available on our digital recruitment platform.
17th September 2020
How to Optimise Your LinkedIn Profile as an IT Consultant
Knowing how to improve your online visibility is key to your career success. In terms of visibility on the web, LinkedIn is a must. Here’s how to optimise your LinkedIn profile as a tech or IT consultant and get that dream job.

IT consultants: how to highlight & optimise your LinkedIn profile

With more than 600 million users worldwide, 40% of whom are active every day, LinkedIn is a major tool for freelancers of all backgrounds. IT freelancers who manage to build a complete and optimized profile are way more likely to appear first in search results and attract the most interesting recruiters. Here are a few steps to make your LinkedIn profile shine and set yourself apart from other IT consultants.

Take care of your LinkedIn profile

The first element to take care of is your profile’s presentation. Your profile should be cared for and frequently updated, allowing you to appear in the best light possible for your future clients. This implies taking care of several elements:

A professional and impactful title

LinkedIn allows you to describe your activities in 120 characters. You need to choose an impactful title, being creative to attract the attention of recruiters while remaining professional. Note that the title is the element that appears directly in the search engine results. It is therefore important to pay particular attention to it. In addition to appearing after your name, the title will largely impact the recruiter’s first impression.

It is advisable to include in the title the mention of your consultant status as well as your area of expertise. The title should include the main search keywords related to your profile.

A professional photo that represents you

A profile with a photo is always more likely to stand out. The photo must be taken from the front, always clear and of good quality. Preferably, you should be smiling –, without exaggeration of course.

A concise summary of your profile and
the opportunities you seek

In this rather summary, list your skills and detail your professional experience. So, if you are hyper-specialized in a particular sector, do not hesitate to include that in your summary: this may interest recruiters looking for very technical skills. It is also an opportunity to add your diplomas, your most significant professional successes and everything that makes a company more likely to choose you than another consultant. Try to demonstrate as much as possible that you know how to anticipate the needs of a business.

Also do not forget that your LinkedIn profile allows you to give information on what you are looking for: types of job, location, aspirations in terms of projects and professional development … With this simple step, you will avoid being contacted by recruiters who would approach you with ill-suited assignments or positions.

A more detailed summary of your past experiences to optimise your LinkedIn profile

Your LinkedIn profile is the ideal support for detailing your experience and the various positions you have held — just as you would do on your CV. You can provide background information, technical stacks, and tasks associated with these projects. Focus on your accomplishments by highlighting concrete results.

Share relevant content about IT consulting on LinkedIn

To improve your visibility on LinkedIn as an IT freelancer, it is strongly advised to share content frequently. You can share all kinds of content, including:
- Links to articles related to your area of expertise and your favourite subjects
- Infographics or videos to spread a message visually and thus make it more impactful
- Posts in text form, to share news about your professional life for example.
- Articles that you have written on the platform, to highlight your knowledge of specific subject. This requires a certain investment in terms of time but can really help you enhance your profile.
It is better to share content regularly, without necessarily looking for the quantity. Unlike other platforms where the organic reach of posts requires sharing content on a daily basis, LinkedIn works differently. Also, remember that LinkedIn now accepts user tags and hashtags, which improves thematic search.

Last tip: don’t hesitate to share and comment on the posts of other people in your network. Taking part in conversations about your areas of expertise will allow you to position yourself as an expert and to be identified by recruiters for the best missions.

Discover our top 10 of experts to follow online:
15th September 2020
Weekly News: IT Professionals Feeling Confident Lately
A renewed sense of confidence for IT professionals

A new report from SolarWinds suggests that IT professionals are feeling more confident during the pandemic. Thus, according to the survey, tech experts admit to having been more proactive in bringing new ideas to the table and taking on a bigger role.

Also, experts believe this newfound confidence is the result of IT pros being used to sudden shifts and unexpected situations – a quality that has helped them ride the Covid-19 wave as opposed to being swept by it.

IT has been
pivotal to business resilience during this unprecedented crisis, elevating tech
experts within their organisations and putting them closer to the
decision-making process.

Luckily, it looks like things will stay this way.

ITProPortal

IT professionals: Bye to VS Codespaces and Flash Player

Microsoft has decided to end Visual Studio Codespaces (formerly known as Visual Studio Online). The cloud-based development environment will then be merged with GitHub’s version of the same product.

Microsoft’s move comes after some developers expressed confusion between the two nearly-identical products. Unfortunately for developers, there is currently no way to migrate existing projects from one platform to the other.

The company has also warned businesses to get ready for the end of Adobe Flash Player support. Microsoft and Adobe first announced the phase-out of the popular internet media player in 2017. From January 21, Flash will be disabled in both IE 11 and Microsft Edge browsers.

ZDNet / TechRepublic

IT professionals: IT jobs are booming in the UK

IT professionals are feeling more confident so that the government-funded think tank Tech Nation reports a 36% increase in tech vacancies between June and August.

The sector is
experiencing a fast recovery compared to other industries, with 90,000 new jobs
being advertised every week across the UK.

The most sought-after skills identified in the report include:
- Engineering
- .net
- Javascript
- Java
- C++
- Data
- SQL
- Python
- Amazon Web Service
- Client
CBR

C++ just got an A+

Tiobe Software’s latest Programming Community
index points at a revival of C++.

The
35-year-old language is the fastest growing language in terms of popularity,
while C tops the list of most used languages.

Experts at the company believe the new C++20 standard is responsible for the recent uptick, moreover, the standard includes a new modules feature which replaces the infamous include mechanism function.

Other languages gaining popularity are R and C#, whereas Java has experienced a drop compared to last year.

ADT Mag
11th September 2020
Microsoft Certifications Guide
This quick Microsoft certifications guide will provide you with a bird’s-eye view of all the company’s official trainings and thus help you advance your career.

Microsoft’s Learn portal offers a multitude of courses and Microsoft certifications for anyone to explore. Obtaining one of these certifications is therefore the first step when starting a career in the ecosystem or advancing or shifting your existing one.

Beyond providing you with theoretical and practical knowledge these certifications will validate your expertise within the industry and among recruiters. This is because, certifications demonstrate that you are up-to-date with current best practices and new tools, with some of them requiring to be renewed every year.

Courses to obtain certifications are free through the Learn platform and can be taken at your own pace from the comfort of your home. There are also several MS-vetted third-parties offering guided lessons and complementary coursework.

Students need to pay only for the practical exams, which can be taken online or at designated testing centres. Microsoft has expanded its online testing capabilities since the start of the Covid-19 crisis.

To start, there are several ways in which you can approach Microsoft training programs. You can focus on a particular platform within the Microsoft Technology Stack, or opt for a specific role and then choose a platform to focus on. You can also choose a specific career path or focus on a very concrete skill that you would like to acquire. Then, Microsoft outlines all available career paths, defining the series of certifications you will need to obtain to reach your career goal.

Certifications are divided according to the level of expertise and seniority: Fundamentals, Associate and Expert. Our Microsoft Certifications Guide will give you an overview, but you will have to dig deeper to find what really makes you tick.

Microsoft Certifications guide: Fundamentals certifications

First, as their name suggests, these certifications are the recommended starting point for anyone starting their career or looking to move into another platform within the MS tech stack. They cover:
- Azure
  Fundamentals
- Azure Data
  Fundamentals
- Azure AI
  Fundamentals
- Dynamics
  365 Fundamentals
- Microsoft
  365 Fundamentals
- Power
  Platform Fundamentals
Learn more about MS Fundamentals certifications.

Credentials

To continue, some MS certifications encompass more than one platform and require you to multiple individual certifications. Also, each of these certifications is tailored to a specific area of IT (security, networking, cloud, etc.)

Also, there are three tiers of certifications depending on the level of expertise:
- Microsoft
  Technology Associate (MTA)
- Microsoft
  Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA)
- Microsoft
  Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) /Microsoft Solutions Developer (MCSD)
Learn more about MS certification credentials.

Role-based and specialty Microsoft certifications

Certifications targeting specific roles are a great way of specializing or moving from one role to the other within the Microsoft ecosystems. Moreover, roles can comprise multiple MS platforms or focus on a particular one, and include:

Administrator

Administrators oversee the implementation of Microsoft platforms, thus maintaining solutions for storage, networking, computing and security.

AI Engineer

Then, AI engineers design and implement artificial intelligence solutions by leveraging different MS tools.

Data Engineer

Being in charge of mapping out and executing the management, monitoring, security, and privacy of data, Data Engineers are therefore proficient in a platform’s different data services and tools.

Data Scientist

Not to be confused with a Data Engineer, this role requires a deep knowledge of data science and machine learning. Moreover, expertise in data modelling is a must.

Developer

At the frontlines of deployment and operations, Developers partner with architects and administrators to design, create, test, also they maintain cloud applications and services.

DevOps Engineer

Advocates of agile methodologies for software development, DevOps professionals unify teams, processes and technologies in order to streamline the product pipeline.

Functional Consultant

Moreover, functional consultant implements core application setup processes that help businesses in areas like marketing, sales or supply chain management.

IoT Developer

On the other hand, IoT Developer designs, develops and maintains Internet of Things solutions and devices within MS environments. From coding to the set-up of physical devices.

Security Engineer

As the title suggests, security professionals protect the integrity of data, applications and networks by implementing threat detection and security controls.

Solutions Architect

To conclude, the Solutions Architect is the first person to be involved in a platform deployment process. Moreover, Architects must have a deep understanding of the entire ecosystem to design solutions that run on it.

Has our Microsoft Certification Guide sparked your interest? Explore all role-based MS certifications and specialty certifications.

Learn more about pursuing a career in Microsoft Technologies with our comprehensive Microsoft Technologies careers guide.
10th September 2020
Calling on Freelancers: A Winning Strategy for IT Departments in Times of Crisis

While flexibility, responsiveness and speed are more necessary than ever, the use of independent consultants takes on a new dimension.

Manage emergencies

IT departments – and especially support services – were put to the test during the lockdown. Between the massive deployment of remote work, the explosion of security threats and the problems of VPN congestion or application availability, support teams have had to deal with a major increase in requests. And this, overnight and under a lot of pressure. The business continuity of the company – and therefore its survival – is at stake.

Imagine that your organization is facing a massive ransomware attack. If you are not able to mobilize the right skills in-house very quickly, you expose yourself to serious consequences in terms of data loss and potential suspension of your activity.

Using freelancers such as cyber security consultants makes it possible to respond very quickly to the overload of work and to absorb the peaks in demand. Whether these are basic requests or tasks requiring specialized skills, calling on additional reinforcements on an ad hoc basis allows the company to have all the responsiveness necessary to respond to these exceptional and urgent situations.

Dealing with uncertainty

While the lockdown has plunged companies into paralysis or at least a slowdown in their activity, the looming economic crisis will be a long-lasting problem. Uncertainty and doubt set in, challenging businesses to continue to grow when they are virtually forced to navigate on sight.

In this context, agility and the ability to adapt are crucial. IT departments have long been used to working in project mode, but this ability to mobilize the best skills very quickly for success will become absolutely essential moving forward.

Ambient instability greatly increases the risk, especially in terms of recruitment. Caught between the need to restart as quickly as possible and the threat of economic crisis, companies must nevertheless act. In the IT field, using freelancers makes it possible to reinforce existing teams in an efficient and less risky manner.

Did you plan to recruit a Data Scientist or a Product Manager on a permanent contract before the economic and health crisis broke out? Opt for a freelance profile while things stabilize internally and externally. Companies can find the talented and experienced consultants they need, while still maintaining the budgetary and organizational flexibility needed if the situation worsens or if the prioritization of certain projects needs to be changed.

Without forgetting that freelancers have, in essence, a great capacity for autonomy and adaptation and are also more used to teleworking. They are therefore a particularly suitable response to the crisis.

Accelerate development

Despite the difficulties and complexity of the current context, there is no reason for companies to get stuck. On the contrary, they must find the tools to continue to develop and grow. This crisis is a test: companies must not only prepare for a quick recovery, but also think beyond the crisis and build solid and innovative models for tomorrow.

For these reasons, structuring technological projects and IT architectures that enable business transformation is at the heart of the game. It is essential, even vital, to continue to implement them, and even to accelerate them. However, the success of these strategic projects largely depends on the teams in charge. So how do you make sure you have the most competent people possible?

Using one or more experienced freelancers on specific IT subjects, such as cloud or machine learning, can save a lot of time and significantly speed up these major projects. In addition, the contractual relationship between freelancers and the company often requires them to make a higher commitment in terms of performance and quality of service.

In conclusion, the use of freelancers is not a one-size-fits-all solution and must be part of a more comprehensive strategy. But it represents a flexible, responsive and efficient solution for IT departments, which must more than ever learn to juggle between internal and external employees to emerge winners from this period of instability. One thing is clear: the success of companies in these times of crisis depends in large part on the skills and talent it can mobilize.

10th September 2020
Microsoft Career Paths
Here is an overview of the different Microsoft career paths and what every different role implies in terms of roles and responsibilities.

The Microsoft Career Paths

Administrator

Administrators oversee the implementation of Microsoft platforms and maintain solutions for storage, networking, computing and security.

Responsibilities and skills include:
- Managing subscriptions and resources
- Implementing and managing storage
- Deploying and managing virtual machines
- Configuring and managing virtual networks
- Managing identities
AI Engineer

AI engineers design and implement artificial intelligence solutions by leveraging different MS tools.

Cognitive Services, Machine Learning, and Knowledge Mining are part of their toolset. For Azure, for example, areas of focus include:
- Natural language processing
- Speech
- Bots and agents
- Computer vision
Data Engineer

In charge of mapping out and executing the management, monitoring, security, and privacy of data. Data Engineers are proficient in a platform’s different data services and tools, using them to:
- Implement data storage solutions
- Manage and develop data processing
- Monitor and optimize data solutions
- Design data storage solutions
- Design data processing solutions
- Design for data security and compliance
Data Scientist

Not to be confused with a Data Engineer, this role requires deep knowledge of data science and machine learning. Expertise in data modelling is a must.

A good MS Data Scientist knows well how to:
- Set up data lake relationships
- Learning workspace
- Run experiments and train models
- Optimize and manage models
- Deploy and consume models
Developer

At the frontlines of deployment and operations, developers partner with architects and administrators to design, create, test and maintain cloud applications and services.

Among the core competences of developers:
- Development of infrastructure and storage
- Development of platforms and solutions
- Implementation of security
- Monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimising solutions
- Connecting to third-party services
DevOps Engineer

Advocates of agile methodologies for software development, DevOps professionals unify teams, processes and technologies to streamline the product pipeline.

Expertise is required in:
- DevOps development processes
- Continuous integration & continuous delivery (CI/CD)
- Dependency management
- Application infrastructure
- Continuous feedback
IoT Developer

Designs, develops and maintains Internet of Things solutions and devices within MS environments. From coding to the set-up of physical devices, the IoT Developer is responsible for:
- Implementing the Azure IoT solution infrastructure
- Provision and management of devices
- Implementing Edge Processing and managing data
- Monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimising IoT solutions
- Implementing security
Security Engineer

The title here says it all. Security professionals protect the integrity of data, applications and networks by implementing threat detection and security controls.

Functions include:
- Managing identity and access
- Implementing platform protection
- Managing security operations
- Securing data and applications
Solutions Architect

The Solutions Architect is actually the first person to be involved in a platform’s deployment process. Architects must have a deep understanding of the entire ecosystem to design solutions that run on it.

They must have expertise in:
- Deployment and configuration of infrastructure
- Implementing workloads and security
- Creating and deploy apps
- Implementing authentication and securing data
- Developing for cloud and for other storage
- Determining workload requirements
- Designing for identity and security
- Designing a data platform solution and a business continuity strategy
- Designing for deployment, migration, and integration
- Designing an infrastructure strategy
Want to learn more about the various Microsoft career paths and how to pursue them? Explore our comprehensive Microsoft Technologies careers guide.
7th September 2020
Weekly News: Game Streaming and Emissions

Game Streaming and Emissions, or Game vs. the environment

The next generation of
video game consoles is hitting the shelves this holiday season. An epic
marketing battle precedes its launch, with the PS5 and Xbox Series X fighting
to get a head start on each other by selling more consoles than the other.

Yet, ironically, this new generation of consoles might be the
last.

Like it happened in other industries, video games are moving
away from local hardware in favour of a distributed computing model. Why spent
money in a pricey box when you could stream higher-quality video games directly
to your TV or phone in real time?

With companies like Google and Microsoft having already released
their proprietary cloud gaming platforms, it’s just a matter of time before
most gaming is done this way. But, as convenient as it sounds, this could have
severe environmental implications.

A new report suggests emissions could rise as much as 30% in a future where game streaming was the norm.

BBC

Low-code is coming to Teams

Earlier this year,
Microsoft announced it was building a low-code Dataflex solution for Teams that
would allow users to easily develop custom applications without leaving Teams.
We got more details this week.

Code-named Project Oakdale, the platform will let teams create
quick applications based on shared databases. No need for third-party tools to
build an HTML or JavaScript feature that runs on Teams. Just install Project
Oakdale and use an Access-like table and form creator to get the job done.

Each team will get its dedicated data environment so that team
members can exchange actionable insights and access more relevant information.
The applications will also be able to connect with the rest of Microsoft’s
ecosystem.

Although it has its limitations, Project Oakdale will be included in the Teams subscription — a big step towards democratising low-code development within the enterprise.

TechRepublic

Also discover our article: The IT Jobs Market of Today

4th September 2020
Pentester

The pentester is a role related to the field of cybersecurity security. Its name comes from “penetration test.” The main role of a pentester is to ensure the security of information networks and applications (back end of a site, applications, etc.) and protect systems against cyber attacks.

What is the role of the Pentester?

Check website reliability

As the name suggests, the pentester performs tests with controlled intrusions into the company’s computer systems to find possible vulnerabilities.

Fix issues

After the testing stage, the pentester has to find and implement solutions to resolve the flaws identified. They will then have to reinforce and optimize the security of the applications.

Provide advice and guidance

The pentester also plays an advisory role. They must anticipate threats, put in place best practices and recommend more effective protection tools.

Required skills

Programming mastery

The pentester should be proficient and familiar with programming and web programming languages, cryptography, coding systems, and network security auditing (Python, C / C ++, Java, PHP, etc.)

An educational vocation

The pentester must be able to effectively convey encountered flaws to site and application developers. They must therefore be educators with the ability to communicate well with the developers and technical teams, to know how to clearly communicate problems to help manage them as well and quickly as possible.

Rapid action

When an intrusion occurs or a security problem is identified in a computer system, it must be resolved quickly. A poorly protected system can be devastating for the business. The pentester must therefore demonstrate reactivity and proactivity.

Within the industry

A pentester can progress to a managerial position or any other senior position in the field of cybersecurity. Their job is critical in an IT world where cyber attacks are growing more and more recurrent.

Salary

The average daily rate of a pentester fluctuates between €300 and €600.

Training

To be a pentester, you usually need to have an undergraduate or graduate degree in an IT-related discipline and demonstrate at least a base level of cyber security knowledge and experience.

3rd September 2020
Weekly News: The Best Language for Economic Research

The Best Language for Economic Research

Python, Matlab, Julia — R. Who would win the battle of the best language for Economic research? That’s probably one of the most common online queries in the programming world. There is just something about humans and our obsession with chasing the very best of the best.

Discover Python Projects to Try – From Beginner to Advanced

In reality, of course, each language has its nuances and areas
in which it shines. Anyone claiming to have a definitive answer on the matter
should come up with some solid arguments to back their verdict.

And that’s exactly what two London School of Economics researchers did. They looked at different languages based on the power of available libraries, the speed and possibilities when handling large datasets, and the speed and ease-of-use for a computationally intensive task.

Hint: the winner has a woman’s name.

Thanks, but no thanks

That’s the polite
version of what UK students were shouting in front of the Department of
Education over a week ago. The cause of their anger was an algorithm.

University admission exams had been cancelled because of the
pandemic. Teachers proposed predicting their student’s scores as a way to
compromise. The education department dismissed the idea on the grounds that
previous research had proved such estimates to be biased. Instead, they decided
to use an algorithm.

Well, that one turned out to be even more biased. Close to 40% of students received lower grades than what their teachers had predicted, potentially harming their chances to get into their university of choice. Those in working-class and disadvantaged communities were disproportionately affected.

The issue has now been fixed, but it’s a textbook examples of the dangers of AI bias.

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How To Learn Python With Rune

28th August 2020
Why CIOs Should Focus on Employee Experience in the Coming Months

The return from the holidays is a busy one this year for IT leaders. In addition to the traditional hurdles associated with reactivating latent projects and the sudden spike in activity, CIOs are having to deal with the disruption caused by Covid-19.

The business climate remains uncertain months into the pandemic. Organisations are still figuring out how to adapt to new customer demands and operational needs. IT departments face many challenges including budgetary cuts, improving infrastructure and strengthening their IT support team. Yet perhaps their biggest challenge is adjusting to new workplace dynamics.

So far, technology
teams have had to adjust company workflows and processes to a remote workforce—a
logistics and infrastructure problem in the first instance. But, with this first
stage checked off their to-do list, CIOs should now direct their attention to a
more nuanced yet vital aspect of workforce management: improving employee
experience.

Why employee experience

Far from being a new concept, employee experience had been quickly gaining traction over the past years as an area of focus for businesses. To the point that 84% of respondents to a 2019 survey by Deloitte saw it as an important issue. Over a quarter of organisations identified employee experience as one of the three most urgent issues they were facing for the year.

The reasoning behind this
much concern is quite simple: happy employees are more productive employees.

MIT research shows that companies leading the charge in employee experience reap incredible business benefits as a result of it. Organisations with the best employee experiences innovate twice as much, achieve double the customer satisfaction, and have 25% higher profits than their less employee-friendly counterparts.

Yet despite being a
key factor for business success, only 9% of Deloitte’s survey respondents considered
that their company was fully ready to tackle the issue. It is, therefore, a major
priority for today’s organisations – one that CIOs should make their own.

It’s about
technology

Whereas, in the past,
improvements to employee experience had mainly come from HR departments—in the form
of perks or company activities—technology’s role in the process keeps on growing
in importance. Years ago, it was digitalisation that improved employees’ lives,
speeding up paperwork and other tasks. Then came cloud-based collaboration
tools.

But while cloud infrastructure
remains key to enhancing employee experience, the circumstances brought about
by the current crisis calls for a more expansive and diverse use of technology.
It is not only team collaboration and process optimisation that IT leaders need
to worry about this time around. The lack of direct human contact is alienating
employees and rarefying company cultures. Strengthening social bonds and
ensuring mental and physical health is now more important than ever.

There are already many
technological tools aimed at addressing these issues. Microsoft 365, for
example, has an analytics function that provides users with insights about the way
they work—hours of activity, etc.–and advises them on how to maintain a
healthy work-life balance: something that is particularly difficult for those working
from home.

Other companies are coming up with solutions as they go. SAP, for instance, has created a series of solutions to foster socializing between remote workers who miss office interactions. These include a tinder-like app that pairs up remote co-workers for a virtual lunch.

CIOs should also
consider implementing solutions that are more directly related to health. Mental
health counselling is now available through many online portals, and some
companies are starting to offer memberships to their employees. Others are implementing
wellness programs that reward employees for exercising and staying active – all
through fitness trackers and dedicated corporate apps.

Taking concrete steps
and committing to it

IT leaders are perfectly positioned to spearhead the new age of employee experience. The CIO’s role has grown considerably as a result of the pandemic. Becoming that of one of the top decision-makers in the executive team. Now, the potential that technology has for delivering a better employee experience puts the IT department at the wheel once again.

But no significant improvements
are going to be achieved if concrete steps are not taken and commitments are
not made.

These kinds of
initiatives can often be downgraded to secondary priorities during hectic and busy
times, with the best IT talent being directed to other projects. For employee
experience to really improve, CIOs need to make it an absolute priority and
devote some of their best resources to the task. They should also work very
closely with HR in the process, conducting a thorough audit of employee
satisfaction and needs via a survey or even a (virtual) focus group.

21st August 2020