Assuring Your Employees are Engaged and Motivated
The traditional career make-up of commuting to an office building, sitting at a desk, punching a timecard, and working a 9-5 schedule is a thing of the past. The modern world has placed increased demands on employees and businesses creating a desire for a job with freedom and mobility. Companies have outgrown workspaces, overhead has become expensive, and in response, workplace cultures are shifting to attract the most talented employees. Fortunately, technology has created the ability for companies to create a digital workspace, solving all of the aforementioned dilemmas.
The digital workspace is a completely remote workspace made up of technology apps and processes that allow employees to work from their homes, wherever they desire, or wherever their job requires. Employers are able to monitor employees’ diligence, assign projects, and communicate effectively in order to maintain a successful business. Through a digital workspace, employees are not tied to one device such as a laptop or desktop computer, because through apps and programs work-processes are available on a myriad of electronic devices.
Appealing and convenient as the digital workspace may sound, there are still risks that accompany its implementation. One of the biggest risks of a digital workspace is the disengagement of employees. Unlike a traditional workspace, employees do not physically interact with coworkers or superiors on a daily basis. This lack of direct contact can create a disconnect between the company and the employee, leading to disengagement. Employers can maximize the experience that employees have in a digital workspace by making sure they are engaged and motivated, starting with implementing these suggestions.
Create a Strong Company Culture
A digital workspace presents challenges in creating a company culture because all employees are not physically in the same place. In traditional office buildings, a company culture can be sensed the minute employees and visitors alike walk in. In a digital workspace, you want to create this same feeling for employees every time they log-in to work.
Company culture can be created by the expectations set forth by the employer, the benefits it offers, and the type of relationship that it creates with its employees. Encouraging positive communication and relationships between teams, and throughout different levels of employees is an effective and engaging way to create a company culture in a digital workspace. If an employee experiences a positive company culture and has the benefits and convenience of a well-organized digital workspace, they will be more engaged and loyal to the company.
Encourage Experiences for Team Building
Communication within a digital workspace is simple because of the applications and technological advances that make it possible to send a message or alert someone with the touch of a button. While this type of digital communication is simple and highly effective in relaying work-related messages, it does present challenges related to developing personal relationships.
Although it may seem ideal for the only conversation to be going on to be related to the job, one of the biggest of employee engagement is personal relationships. Personal relationships stem from one-on-one or small group conversation and shared experiences. In a traditional workplace, these types of conversations happen in shared workspaces, a break area, during team meetings or in passing. Because a digital workspace does not allow for two people to sit near each other physically, or force them to have interactions, employers must create opportunities where team members are encouraged to interact on a personal level.
Team Building among virtual employees forces an employer to get creative. One unique idea is scheduling “group” coffee dates. These predetermined times of relaxation encourage employees to stop and take a break, but to stay connected to each other through conversation. Lunch and learns also offer the same opportunity to have a whole team tune in to talk about a specific subject, or just to catch up on each other’s lives. Encouraging employees through team member recognition also allows employees to become more familiar with each other. For an idea that is more fun and extra-curricular, employers can encourage team members to participate in an online game together. Whatever ideas are implemented, make sure everyone takes part and that everyone is engaged to make the most of these opportunities.
Take Employee Feedback Seriously
Although people have been working from home for quite some time, the completely virtual workspace is a relatively new concept. For this reason, the virtual workspace is constantly evolving along with the technology that makes it possible. At times, the constant evolution can present obstacles for employees and employers alike, because they have to adjust their processes and preferences every time there is a new application. This constant evolution can be frustrating for a virtual worker. If it goes unnoticed, this frustration can lead to disengagement in employment and cause an employee to leave a position prematurely.
Allowing and encouraging employees to give their feedback on processes and applications creates an engaging relationship between the employee and the business. When employees feel like they are being heard and they see their ideas implemented, they are more likely to remain loyal to a company. Additionally, employees know better than anyone else how effective applications and processes actually are in the field. If their feedback is sought and taken into serious consideration it can end up saving the company time and money.
Overall, the digital workspace is a new, but common, modern convenience. Digital workspaces are becoming a reality for most companies which means that each company will need to provide the best digital workspace to attract the best employees. A large factor in creating the best digital workspace is creating an environment where employees can be engaged and still maintain the connections created by a traditional workspace. Creating a company culture, encouraging team building, and listening to employees will go a long way in being the best digital workspace around.