Employers are always trying to increase productivity. It’s not always about increasing the bottom line, but it’s also essential to alleviate stress and increase workplace happiness and talent development and retention.
Companies are now increasingly moving toward HR technology and other automation technologies to augment their workforce. With industry 4.0 taking shape and the level of competition increasing each day, C-suite and other leaders must understand which technologies and tools will help them reshape their workplaces and increase productivity.
It is often a daunting task for companies, both start-ups and established companies, to bring new technologies to aid workers while meeting business goals. Looking holistically, today’s organizations should consider the following three areas of innovation to improve workplace productivity.
Automation will lead the way
Productivity is a rising concern for organizations. According to a report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research reveals that 86 percent of Britain’s largest businesses are worried about raising their productivity. 39% of organizations describe their level of productivity as ‘very concerning’. This is a clear indication of the part new technologies can play in the workplace. Innovative technologies serve both purposes: save time and money. While many employers recognize the need to increase productivity and see technology as a potential solution to tackle this problem, fewer organizations are clear on how technology will do so.
Nearly every company, department, and a worker has a unique work process that is favorable to them. So it’s not possible to build a one-size-fits-all solution that will increase productivity for all individuals, departments, and function. Automation and workplace technologies can offer freedom to workers to perform their work daily tasks in ways that are favorable for working. This maximizes employee potential, increasing business productivity, and efficiency.
Office space and control
New offices can be confusing, both for new and older employees. It’s often a challenge for old-timers to locate a spot for a meeting or 1:1 conversation. According to a study, an average employee spends 27 hours annually to find office space to meet.
This is because of poor communication, non-functional room booking systems, and unutilized signage. This is a collective issue that leads to a decrease in productivity. HR technology such as workspace solutions allow room bookings straight from employee’s mobile and enable HR professionals to update digital signage to help visitors find specific room at the touch of a button. This technology will allow employees and visitors to navigate a workplace with ease.
This is a perfect example of how HR technology and similar technologies can ensure guaranteed space meetings and that no visitor ever feels lost due to a lack of directions.
Agility and collaboration
Giving employees the freedom to collaborate with different teams using collaboration tools enables teams to align their goals and helps organizations to maintain a single business vision. In the modern workforce, technology plays a critical role in promoting collaboration. The flexibility to share content remotely in a meeting from anywhere in the world among diverse team members working across the world highlights the extent of collaboration technology can offer. The ability to share skills, collaborate in real-time, and be able to collaborate at any time of the day isn’t just good for business. Each employee is empowered to share their knowledge which is vitally important to maintain work satisfaction and happiness in the workplace.
Conclusion
In brief, innovative technologies whether they are designed to make meeting room management more streamlined or make remote collaboration easier should have a single aim: making employee’s work more streamlined. So employees can focus on other challenges. At the end of the day, organizations looking to ride the wave of innovation must understand that whether it’s AI, automation, blockchain, or any other emerging technology, it’s not the technology that will transform the business, but the employees who are using the technology.
