Chase Garbarino is the co-founder and CEO of HqO.
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We are more than halfway through 2022 and we are navigating the ups and downs of the greatest evolution of commercial real estate, especially when it comes to the workplace.
Currently, 83% of company employees prefer a flexible, hybrid work model to working full-time from one location. For those involved in the corporate world since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, this is pretty clear. What started as a short-term strategy to tackle health and safety issues quickly developed into a full-fledged, employee-driven marketplace — with disruptive moves like the “Great Resignation” cementing workers’ voices as stakeholders that have a major impact. can have on real estate decisions.
Although we may not know precisely where workplace changes are headed, we know a few things: 1) These changes will continue to happen as companies adapt to support hybrid work; 2) employees expect more from their workplace (and use this as leverage in the war for talent); and 3) technology is likely to play a critical role in making workplace strategies successful.
However, it is one thing to know Work experience technology is important. It’s a whole different ball game to the Turn right toolkit for your business, as well as any other opportunities that will result in smarter investments and happier employees. As CEO of a workplace experience platform, I’ve seen many companies struggle with this.
So let’s look at the bigger picture first: Exactly what? is work experience right? And why should you be concerned?
New definitions for the workplace
In the simplest terms, workplace experience (or, as my company calls it, WX) connects employees with each other, their businesses, and the physical workplace through experiences that enable them to be more productive, effective, and engaged throughout their workday.
When enhanced by technology, workplace experience has the power to significantly impact hybrid workers and their employers across three main categories: experiences, people, and spaces. By focusing on these areas, companies everywhere can attract and retain talent, make smarter business decisions and differentiate their workplaces. Below are just a few elements of the workplace that can be enabled in this way.
Experiences
• Events
• Advantages
• Learning and personal development
• Food ordering and retail
• Easier commuting
• Convenience Services
People
• Communication
• Health and wellbeing
• Identification of the problem
• Surveys and feedback
spaces
• Access control and security
• Visitor management
• Service Requests
• Signage
• Usage
• Book room and desk
• Parking
At first glance, this list may seem like a whole lot of technology. And for many, too much technology is a bad thing. In my company’s recent report, we found that: 78% of employers cited having too many disconnected tools a very significant or significant challenge in achieving an effective hybrid work model.
Employers don’t need a complicated toolset to keep employees happy. Instead, it can be helpful to provide access to key resources and information through what we call a ‘single pane of glass’, such as a mobile app that can be downloaded directly onto employees’ phones.
To achieve these results, some companies want to partner with companies like mine and others in the industry. However, for companies that already have tools and need a quick way to simplify the workplace experience, you should start by evaluating your own technology stack to find areas for improvement. Perhaps a different app per workplace function is not necessary, or the investments you have made are not exactly what your employees are looking for and they are underutilized.
The ‘ideal’ WX toolset
In general, I’ve found that workplace experience tools are most effective and comprehensive when they consist of several components that work together. Also look for ways to integrate this technology with the systems you already have.
I suggest starting with using an app as a one-stop shop for experiences that can be tailored to the specific needs of employees. Consider highlighting features, using surveys for feedback to make future decisions, and simply communicating with employees more regularly. Empower people to manage their workplace experience and discover other resources they can take advantage of.
Employees should be able to use and control workplace modules (or integrations with other technologies) through a single app, which includes a series of categories focused on help, services, community, feedback, spaces and workplace safety. This helps meet every need in the workplace in a single, powerful tool.
It can also be useful to make your app and modules part of a larger workplace experience platform. This can enable you to create targeted programs, provide you with meaningful data and analytics (such as employee sentiment and satisfaction statistics), provide a variety of pre-built integrations and new best-fit options, and provide security for your business through compliance with security and privacy regulations and best practices.
However, keep in mind that while getting employees to use new tools can indeed be a challenge, there are no off-the-shelf solutions. In a broad view, to provide a better workplace experience, you ultimately need to:
• Ensure a thorough vetting process. More than learning how to use the new technology, learning about what you really need is the hardest part.
• Understand your budget.
• Go to employees and collect their feedback on what their pain points are and what they really need from a technology perspective.
Without these things, you’ll be left in the dark and making uninformed investments that may not really help your team.
The workplace of the future is about empowering people to do their best work. While technology is already abundant in the market, it can be difficult to tailor these tools to the specific needs of your business. The only thing to keep in mind is this: if the offer you offer doesn’t help employees be more productive and innovative, or make them feel supported and involved in your workplace, don’t be surprised if there are no talent is shown standing at the door.
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