Connecting Employees Through Technology | Deloitte US has been saved
Authored by Declan Watson and Natasha Rizk
Over the last twenty years, organizations worldwide have been laying the foundation for the digital workplace of the future. As the amount of workplace technology has increased, features and functions have become more sophisticated. We have been continuously adding technology to the workplace, but we have not stopped to look at the work, workforce, or the workplace holistically.
Experiences are how we learn, how we live, and what connect us. Great experiences build connections, strong connections build loyalty, and loyalty drives business results. Now more than ever, it is critical for businesses to understand how to create meaningful experiences that connect the work to the impact it has on employees, colleagues, and customers.
As consumers, we are used to interacting in digital environments that keep us engaged. Apps offer seamless user experiences. Customer-facing business processes minimize friction at every step. If you have an issue with your bank, for example, one phone number will direct you to a single point of support.
Yet in the context of work, that dynamic is often flipped. Employees encounter challenges, then deal with the added burden of figuring out how to solve them. For a problem with their laptop, they will call IT support and may be rerouted to different teams. If there is an issue with their paycheck, they seek to find someone in HR, payroll, or finance. There is often no single, integrated way for employees to engage across an organization, let alone one that provides a highly usable experience.
Unlocking the potential of the digital workplace
Underinvestment and a lack of prioritization in the digital experience has created a workforce struggling with brain drain, low motivation, and a lack of engagement at work. Organizations across every sector are at a crucial point in deciding how they will retain talent and avoid high—and costly—attrition rates.
Many companies have begun advancing toward digital maturity by taking actions to help improve digital employee experiences—like adopting technology using design thinking and studying worker needs to map out more intuitive user journeys. But few have fully harnessed the potential of a connected digital workplace. Across the board, there is a lack of cohesion. To use an analogy, it is as if we have invented electricity, built a power grid, and put in place the infrastructure to use that electricity, but still have not figured out just what to do with that electricity.
This is a key space where Deloitte and ServiceNow can help. By combining ServiceNow tools and Deloitte expertise, we are providing solutions that help organizations discover ways to move the needle and unlock the truly transformative possibilities of thoughtful technology.
ServiceNow can lay a groundwork of solid supportive workforce features and functions that are necessary in today’s digital environment. And now, we are connecting the dots between what those features and functions can do and how we can apply them to make businesses better, as well as simplifying the experience for employees. The process is based on driving value and achieving meaningful outcomes, not adding technology for technology’s sake.
Maximizing impact through technology
Creating great digital experiences is about more than using technology to accomplish specific tasks; it is about creating a digital environment that empowers employees to thrive. All aspects of your organization should be reflected in the digital spaces you create, from your company culture and the people who make up your organization to your company’s mission, purpose, and practices. While this may seem like a lofty (and time-consuming) goal, achieving it may be easier than you think. The below examples from real organizations we have worked with show how creating connectivity can help you overcome critical business challenges.
Shared knowledge management
One of our Nordic clients was seeking ways to get the most out of their Human Capital Management software system. Because they could not effectively deliver HR services to their internal customers, and they had no means to do effective HR case management and track critical HR operations information across countries. Using the ServiceNow HR Service Delivery platform, Deloitte and ServiceNow created a solution that offered an integrated portal with knowledge management, HR case management for the organization. Ultimately, the solution integrated 44 services on the platform providing seamless and simplified channels to deliver HR services - in just 14 weeks.
Streamlined employee onboarding
Getting new employees up to speed quickly and ensuring they have the tools they need requires a strategic approach to onboarding. At Deloitte UK, we built an onboarding application on the ServiceNow platform that created a multichannel experience for employees. The application shaved off an average of three hours of onboarding for each of our 1,400 new hires—a staggering amount of time saved across the organization—and digitizing documents saved more than 100,000 pieces of printed paper.
Additional support for new hires
A thoughtful onboarding process is not the only way organizations can better support employees for a positive new-hire experience. Take, for example, the easy-to-access mobile app created by Deloitte and ServiceNow. Employees can sign contracts digitally and seamlessly select workplace equipment. The app then notifies the IT department, which ensures everything the employee needs is ready for them on their first day.
Improving employee experiences is good for business
Improving the digital workplace experience has significant impacts on employee satisfaction and well-being. This, in turn, has a positive impact on organizations. When employees have access to the resources, information, and support they need, they feel empowered to do their jobs well. On top of that, offering seamless, easy-to-use tools helps eliminate frustration and disappointment.
Think of the impact of a negative employee interaction. Let’s say an employee does not have the information they need to complete a task. There is no central source of information, so they are left searching for direction. This process may lead them down a winding path of information seeking or even leave them stuck at dead ends. If employees are prevented from accomplishing their work effectively, it can be frustrating and demoralizing.
We must not overlook the intrinsic link between employee experience and customer experience. A single bad experience can not only negatively impact an employee’s entire day; it can also create a domino effect of negative impact for your organization. A frustrated employee is unlikely to provide good customer service, for example. Repeat this over time, and you are facing serious repercussions.
Focusing on the experience, not the technology
While any conversation about digital workplace experiences must, by necessity, include technology, it is important to remember that the technology is not the outcome; rather, the application of technology enables the outcomes you are seeking.
When someone orders takeaway food through an app and you ask them what the experience was like, the chances are that if they start talking about the technology, you have a problem. Generally speaking, users only bring up the technology itself when it is hard to use: The app was confusing, my order did not go through, or I could not see order updates. Instead, the first things that come to mind should be the outcomes: The food arrived quickly, was still warm, and tasted good. You want people talking about the experience, not the technology.
Get more out of your technology
By connecting your technology, you can create a seamless, engaging digital workplace that supports employees, drives bottom-line performance, and future-proofs your organization.
You know your goals. Deloitte and ServiceNow know how to help you achieve them. Learn more about how we can help you unleash the power of your workplace or contact us at servicenowglobal@deloitte.com to get started.
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