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. <\/p>\n
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<\/a>. Yet perhaps their biggest challenge is adjusting to new workplace dynamics.<\/p>\n So far, technology 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. <\/p>\n The reasoning behind this MIT research<\/a> 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. \u00a0<\/p>\n Yet despite being a Whereas, in the past, But while cloud infrastructure There are already many Other companies are coming up with solutions as they go. SAP, for instance, has created a series of solutions<\/a> 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. \u00a0<\/p>\n CIOs should also
\nteams have had to adjust company workflows and processes to a remote workforce\u2014a
\nlogistics and infrastructure problem in the first instance. But, with this first
\nstage checked off their to-do list, CIOs should now direct their attention to a
\nmore nuanced yet vital aspect of workforce management: improving employee
\nexperience.<\/p>\nWhy employee experience<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nmuch concern is quite simple: happy employees are more productive employees. <\/p>\n
\nkey factor for business success, only 9% of Deloitte\u2019s survey respondents considered
\nthat their company was fully ready to tackle the issue. It is, therefore, a major
\npriority for today\u2019s organisations \u2013 one that CIOs should make their own. <\/p>\nIt\u2019s about
\ntechnology <\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nimprovements to employee experience had mainly come from HR departments\u2014in the form
\nof perks or company activities\u2014technology\u2019s role in the process keeps on growing
\nin importance. Years ago, it was digitalisation that improved employees\u2019 lives,
\nspeeding up paperwork and other tasks. Then came cloud-based collaboration
\ntools. <\/p>\n
\nremains key to enhancing employee experience, the circumstances brought about
\nby the current crisis calls for a more expansive and diverse use of technology.
\nIt is not only team collaboration and process optimisation that IT leaders need
\nto worry about this time around. The lack of direct human contact is alienating
\nemployees and rarefying company cultures. Strengthening social bonds and
\nensuring mental and physical health is now more important than ever. <\/p>\n
\ntechnological tools aimed at addressing these issues. Microsoft 365, for
\nexample, has an analytics function that provides users with insights about the way
\nthey work\u2014hours of activity, etc.–and advises them on how to maintain a
\nhealthy work-life balance: something that is particularly difficult for those working
\nfrom home. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nconsider implementing solutions that are more directly related to health. Mental
\nhealth counselling is now available through many online portals, and some
\ncompanies are starting to offer memberships to their employees. Others are implementing
\nwellness programs that reward employees for exercising and staying active \u2013 all
\nthrough fitness trackers and dedicated corporate apps. <\/p>\n