The influx of technology solutions has made nearly all aspects of corporate operations more efficient on a grand scale. In the realm of human resources, the same is true as more companies opt to jump on the digital bandwagon to modernize strategies for managing personnel over time.
From an organizational perspective, adding the right mix of technology tools can have significant impacts on the bottom line, most notably in the area of employee engagement. Here’s how HR tech can have an influence on improving engagement of a workforce over the short and long-term.
Continuous Performance Management
Gone are the days of traditional employee review procedures thanks to the enhancements offered by performance management software. Through this HR technology tool, organizations have an opportunity to streamline the appraisal and evaluation process based on valuable, real-time metrics of employee performance. This ultimately moves the needle forward when it comes to employee engagement.
Additionally, workers are more engaged on the job when they are able to clearly see how their work is contributing toward the goals of the larger organization. Performance management technology offers an opportunity to achieve these connected goals.
With a more efficient way of recognizing employees for the work they do well, and offering suggestions when performance needs to be improved, companies with performance management software have a higher likelihood of boosting engagement among employees continuously.
Employee Education
Technology solutions in HR also have the ability to assist in the ever-important area of employee engagement. According to a recent study by Gallup, 87% of the millennial workforce views development and educational opportunities on the job as necessities for personal and professional growth.
When employees feel as though their organization provides educational opportunities, they are more likely to be engaged in the work they deliver each day. There are several HR technology solutions that make it easier for companies to offer personal and professional development courses through online and mobile platforms. This makes it easy for employees to learn in a way that suits them best.
Career Pathing
Another area where HR technology can improve employee engagement is through career pathing software. With this digital platform, organizations can quickly and easily define job competencies based on company-wide needs, and provide employees with a simple way to path their careers in-line with these objectives over time. Career pathing software empowers workers to take more control over their job wants and needs which increases engagement within an organization.
Employee Feedback and Recognition
One of the most widely discussed issues dragging employee engagement down throughout companies large and small is the lack of feedback and recognition employees receive. Performance management software helps in this arena, as well as other HR technology tools designed to make real-time feedback and employee recognition simple and effective.
Certain technology-based platforms allow management teams and employees to offer encouraging responses to workers who are performing at their best, as well as methods to archive this information to be used for future evaluations.
Big Data Analytics
A significant benefit of utilizing HR technology in practice is the collection of data from a variety of sources. This data can be used to develop insight into the overall engagement level of a workforce while also helping identify areas in need of improvement.
The collection and analysis of HR technology data can be invaluable to businesses wanting to boost employee engagement over time, whether that be in developing talent from within or recruiting new talent into the organization.
Improved Communication
Employee communication has long been a challenge for larger organizations. If workers feel like their voice is not being heard or they cannot get the information they need in an efficient way from HR, management, or other departments, engagement is likely to be low across the board.
Fortunately, improving employee engagement through enhanced communication is possible through HR technology tools. Offering personalized responses to requests in the methods employees want most, be it email, text, or internal portals, can be achieved easily with the right HR tech solutions.
Benefits Administration
Finally, HR technology solutions can be of great help in the area of benefits administration. Employees have wide-ranging needs when it comes to company benefits, and many organizations are constantly working toward improving the benefits offered to their workforce.
However, communicating the pertinent details about new or updated benefits and delivering on those promises can be a challenge with technology at the helm. Adding HR technology tools that make benefits administration simplified for both HR teams and employees can boost engagement significantly.
Any combination of these HR technology tools can make a world of difference in boosting employee engagement over time. Companies with an engaged workforce take the time to find the best-fit solution for their organizational and employee-level needs, and remain focused on improving efficiencies in productivity and engagement along the way.
About the Author:
Linda Ginac is the Founder and CEO of TalentGuard, a global provider of award-winning career pathing and talent management software. Inventive and driven, she is known throughout the industry for disrupting HR technology and is the inventor of the first commercially available career pathing software solution designed to optimize employee engagement and retention.Prior to TalentGuard, Linda was a key executive at pcOrder, where she helped to transform an early stage start-up into a leading NASDAQ-listed public corporation. She also held executive roles at other start-ups and Fortune 100 companies. When she isn’t immersed in entrepreneurship, Linda enjoys being in the great outdoors, hiking, running marathons, and singing karaoke. She is an advocate of women’s leadership and empowerment and has led various prominent charities, including the Young Women’s Alliance and American Cancer Society. Linda has two amazing sons and is married to her best friend, Frank.