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How to Drive Employee Engagement in the Digital Age by Using Technology

July 12, 2024

Discover how the latest tools and technology can help you enhance employee engagement.

The pandemic has shaken up the workforce, leaving employees to cope with high inflation, a rapidly changing work environment, and more. As a result, employee engagement in the U.S. hit an 11-year low in February 2024, with burnout and stress levels rising among workers. This decline poses a serious problem for HR teams and organizational leaders, as unhappy and disengaged employees can hinder business performance.

Fortunately, numerous tools and technologies are available to address this decline and alleviate these challenges. In this blog, we explore different types of employee engagement tools and how they can drive employee engagement.

An Overview of Technological Tools to Drive Employee Engagement

Research shows a direct correlation between high engagement and positive business results. When employees are happy and engaged, they are generally more committed to their organization and role, which drives them to excel and support the company goals. This is why employee engagement is a top concern for companies and HR teams.

With remote work and flexible schedules becoming more common, companies must leverage technology to maintain connections and improve productivity among their teams. From communication tools to well-being apps, new technology offers a range of tools to enhance employee engagement. 

Here, we take a look at various HR tools that can help increase employee engagement.

Communication Tools

With the rise of remote and hybrid work, having robust communication tools is more important than ever. Dispersed teams need access to tools to help them stay connected and productive from any location. Fortunately, communication tools can help.

  1. Collaboration platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams facilitate seamless interaction among team members, allowing for real-time messaging, file sharing, and integration with other essential tools. These platforms help break down silos to maximize collaboration and streamline projects.
  2. Video conferencing software such as Zoom and Google Meet have also become indispensable since the pandemic. This software offers virtual face-to-face interactions to enable regular check-ins, virtual meetings, and even casual hangouts, which can help maintain a human connection in a digital workspace.
  3. Internal social networks like Workplace by Facebook provide a space for employees to collaborate more effectively, share updates, access resources, and celebrate milestones. These networks create a sense of belonging and help cultivate a positive organizational culture.

Performance Management Tools

Performance management tools are essential for setting goals and providing frequent feedback – two components that can have a major impact on engagement and productivity. 

Here are three tools to consider:

  • Goal setting and tracking software like OKR platforms and 15Five help align individual objectives with company goals, ensuring everyone is working towards the same vision. These tools provide transparency and keep employees motivated by showing their progress and contributions.
  • Employee feedback tools, such as The Happiness Index, enable organizations to gather insights into employee experiences and areas for improvement. With robust reporting capabilities, HR and other business leaders can use the feedback they collect to shape their strategies and get a pulse of employee sentiments.
  • Recognition and rewards platforms like Inspirus Connects play a vital role in facilitating peer recognition and acknowledging employee contributions. These digital platforms allow companies and employees to send timely and meaningful recognition, boosting morale and motivation.

Learning and Development Platforms

Research shows that offering professional growth opportunities is key to employee engagement. Learning and development platforms can help with this. These tools allow companies to upskill their workforce and prepare them for growth opportunities within the organization. When employees see that their company is invested in their development and future, they are more likely to feel committed to their role and the work that they do, driving employee engagement and productivity.

Here are a few common types of learning and development platforms.

  • E-learning platforms like Coursera and LinkedIn Learning offer a wide range of job-related courses that employees can access at their convenience, encouraging skill development and career growth.
  • Knowledge management systems such as Confluence and Notion ensure that valuable information and resources are easily accessible by gathering, organizing, and sharing it across an organization. These systems help employees stay informed and engaged by providing the tools they need to succeed within a central hub.
  • Virtual training and onboarding tools facilitate smooth onboarding processes for new hires as well as provide ongoing training for existing employees without being in person.

Employee Well-being and Engagement Apps

Recent years have highlighted the importance of employee well-being in maintaining engagement. With the recent decline in engagement and increase in burnout, there is a clear need for employee well-being and engagement tools to help alleviate burnout and stress. This can include:

  • Mental health apps like Headspace and Calm provide resources for managing stress and improving mental health. These tools support employees' overall well-being with features such as meditation and professional help resources, leading to higher engagement and productivity.
  • Fitness and wellness apps such as Fitbit and MyFitnessPal encourage healthy habits and physical activity, contributing to overall health and wellness. 
  • Work life balance tools like RescueTime and Clockify help employees track and manage their time effectively, reducing burnout and increasing satisfaction.
  • Employee engagement software like Inspirus Connects is another valuable tool that fosters engagement by encouraging employees to connect, celebrate one another, and stay up to date on achievements and milestones.

Enhancing Communication and Collaboration Through Technology

Effective communication and collaboration are key to an organization's success. Employees perform best when they can communicate, collaborate, and connect with ease.

That’s why real-time communication tools, like instant messaging platforms, are important. With the rise of remote and hybrid work, employees need easy access to digital platforms that enable real-time conversations, ensuring dispersed teams stay connected and informed. 

Another helpful tool is a video conferencing tool. Video calls are also essential for maintaining face-to-face interaction, no matter where employees, clients, or partners are located. Utilizing video conferencing tools helps keep teams connected and allows for more personal connections, even in a remote setting.

Technology to Facilitate Performance Management

A key aspect of keeping employees engaged is having clear goals outlined and providing frequent opportunities for feedback. That’s why performance management tools are now needed in every organization.

Performance management tools provide a platform for managers and HR to track, evaluate, and monitor employee performance. This technology can be helpful in ensuring employees are aligned with the company’s goals and identifying areas for growth.

Goal-setting software helps align employees' efforts with the company's strategic objectives. These tools often include features for tracking progress, providing updates, and adjusting goals as needed, ensuring that everyone remains focused and motivated.

Regular feedback is also another key component of performance management. Having continuous conversations about employees' performance can help them understand their strengths and areas for improvement, fostering a culture of growth and development. 

Promoting Employee Well-being Through Technology

Gallup’s 2024 State of the Global Workplace Report reveals that 49% of U.S. employees experience a lot of stress day-to-day. Similarly, Aflac reports that over half (57%) of U.S. employees experience at least moderate levels of burnout. With this rise in stress and burnout in recent years, employee engagement technology can be a helpful tool to alleviate some of these challenges.

To support your employees’ mental health, provide them with access to mental health and wellness apps. These apps typically offer features such as guided meditations, stress management techniques and professional help resources. They empower employees to better manage stress, take care of their mental health, and maintain a healthy work life balance – all factors that will help improve their engagement and happiness.

Managing work life balance is also important in preventing burnout and maintaining engagement. Remote and hybrid work have blurred the lines between personal and professional life. Tools that help track and manage work hours, such as time-tracking software, allow employees to monitor their productivity and avoid overworking. These tools encourage a healthier balance, leading to enhanced employee satisfaction and engagement.  

How to Use Technology to Measure Employee Engagement

Many leaders find it challenging to gauge and monitor employee engagement due to its complexity. Thankfully, modern technology has streamlined this process with tools like surveys and analytics, allowing leaders and HR to facilitate more effective data collection and analysis.

Measuring employee engagement involves gathering insights into how employees feel about their roles, the company culture, and overall job satisfaction. Employee engagement surveys are a powerful tool for collecting this information, offering a direct line to employee sentiments. These surveys can cover various aspects of the workplace, including management effectiveness, communication, work-life balance, and opportunities for growth. Regularly collecting feedback from employees allows organizations to address issues proactively.

Technology plays a vital role in this process, offering advanced tools for conducting and analyzing surveys. Online survey platforms like The Happiness Index can automate the distribution and collection of surveys, making it easier to reach many employees quickly. By leveraging this data, companies can pinpoint what drives engagement and implement targeted strategies for improvement. Robust analytics from these platforms can help identify patterns and correlations in the survey data, revealing insights that might not be immediately apparent.

Best Practices for Implementing Technology

Implementing your employee engagement tools effectively is just as important as selecting the right tools. How you introduce these tools to your workforce can influence their acceptance and usage. Here are a few best practices to keep in mind for a successful implementation.

Choose the Right Tools

Choosing the right tools requires a thorough assessment of company needs and employee preferences. To maximize adoption rates, it's important to select tools that align with organizational goals and are intuitive for users.

Integrate Technology Seamlessly

It’s important to find tools that can seamlessly integrate into your organization’s existing framework to limit disruption and maximize efficiency. As you integrate your new platform, make sure to provide adequate training to the users and offer continuous support during the onboarding phase.

Incentivize Tool Adoption

To ensure successful implementation, consider incentivizing tool adoption among your employees. You can offer rewards like bonuses, recognition, or additional time off for active use and promotion of new tools. Even throw a fun spin on it – create friendly competitions or set achievement milestones to motivate usage. 

By rewarding users, you can drive higher usage rates and fully realize the benefits of new technology.

Assess Company Needs and Employee Preferences

As you integrate new technologies into your workflow, continuously assess your employees and company’s needs. Take the time to identify specific challenges your employees face and how technology can alleviate them. This insight will help identify gaps in technology usage and areas where new tools or improvements are needed.

Create a Culture That Embraces Technology

Building a culture that embraces technology and innovation requires more than just implementing tools. At a minimum, leaders must lead by example, actively promoting the benefits of technology adoption and highlighting how these tools enhance efficiency, collaboration, and innovation. Additionally, make sure to engage employees in discussions about their technology needs and experiences with current tools to identify challenges and opportunities. Regularly seeking their feedback can help you understand where you are falling short. 

By championing technology to improve work processes and employee experiences, organizations can cultivate a forward-thinking environment that embraces innovation while driving sustainable growth.

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