Did your company make the switch to a digital workplace? Congratulations! Making the change can be exciting, but it also comes with many new challenges, including implementing an effective workplace strategy. You’re now responsible for not only keeping your employees connected and productive but also for ensuring that your company’s data is safe and secure.
In this blog post, we’ll share some tips on making your digital workplace more effective.
Define your goals and objectives
Your first step in creating an effective digital workplace strategy is to define your goals and objectives.
- What do you want to achieve with your digital workplace?
- Do you want to improve communication and collaboration?
- Increase productivity?
- Are you seeking ways to reduce costs?
No matter your goals, it’s crucial to clearly understand what you want to achieve before you start implementing a digital workplace strategy. This helps you measure your success and make necessary adjustments along the way.
Establish clear guidelines and procedures
Once you’ve defined your goals, it’s time to establish clear guidelines and procedures. Ask yourself these following questions:
- What are the rules for using the new digital workplace?
- How will employees be expected to communicate and collaborate
- What are the consequences of not following the guidelines?
It’s essential to have these conversations early on and get everyone on the same page. This way, you can prevent confusion and help ensure that everyone is using the digital workplace effectively.
Identify your audience
You should determine your audience before you start using the digital workplace. Who will use the digital workplace, and for what purpose? Do you need to create different experiences for different groups of users?
For example, if you have remote employees, you might need to focus on creating a digital workplace that’s easy to use and accessible from anywhere. On the other hand, if you have office-based employees, you might need to focus on creating a digital workplace that’s more collaborative.
By identifying your audience, you can create a digital workplace that meets their needs and helps them achieve their goals. You can ask an experienced workplace consulting group to help you with this.
Invest in the right tools
There are a lot of different tools available that can help improve communication and collaboration in the workplace. But not all of them work with your business. You should take time to research the different options and find the ones that work best for your team.
For example, if you’re looking for a team chat app, you might want to compare Slack and Microsoft Teams. Both apps offer similar features, but Slack is generally more affordable and easier to use. However, Microsoft Teams has better integration with other Microsoft products.
Provide training and support
If you want your digital workplace to be successful, you need to provide training and support for employees. This helps them understand how to use the tools and ensure that they are comfortable with your established procedures.
You might offer training during new employee orientation or provide online tutorials that employees can access at their convenience. You should also make sure that someone is available to answer questions and provide help when needed.
Encourage feedback
Your digital workplace won’t be effective if you don’t get feedback from your employees. Encourage them to provide feedback on the different tools and processes. This will help you identify areas that need improvement.
But before you ask for feedback, ensure that your employees’ experience with your digital workplace is positive.
For instance, your software and tools should align with all aspects of your business, such as your workplace culture, policies, recruitment process, onboarding new employees, etc.
Keep it up to date
The digital workplace is constantly evolving, so you need to keep up with the latest trends and technologies. It can be challenging, but there are a few different ways you can stay up to date. You can read industry news, attend conferences, or even follow thought leaders on social media.
Benchmark your progress
Once you’ve made changes to your digital workplace, benchmark your progress. This helps you see if the changes have the desired effect. It can also help you identify any areas that still need improvement.
Consider these tips:
- Compare your current score to your baseline score (the score you achieved before making any changes).
- Compare your results against industry benchmarks.
- Consider using a tool such as Google Analytics to track how users interact with your digital workplace tools.
If this seems overwhelming for you, you can hire expert consultants, such as Digital Workplace Group, to help you assess, benchmark, and improve your digital workplace.
Adjust when necessary
As your business changes, you may need to adjust your digital workplace. This is normal and should be expected. However, avoid making multiple changes at once. You want to give employees time to adapt to the new changes.
Celebrate successes
When your digital workplace is effective, celebrate the successes. It helps motivate employees and encourages them to continue using the tools and processes. You can do this by sharing success stories or holding a team celebration.