With the rise of flexible working and the gig economy, more and more Australian organisations are investing in innovative technology to increase collaboration and improve productivity across the business. But how can senior leaders ensure that their investment is fruitful?
Ensuring you select the right solution to bridge the gap between employees is an obvious answer, but what is often less considered is the rate of adoption of said new technology.
We know from our personal lives that technology must blend seamlessly into our lives, and even go further to simplify our lives. If it doesn’t, we quickly move on. In the business world, this kind of tech promiscuity can be crippling, as long and costly IT projects are quite literally cast aside by employees.
Collaboration technologies can, when deployed wisely, enable a smooth workflow regardless of location, whilst also decreasing distractions from external factors to maintain focus and productivity. When it comes to investing in communications technology, here are three things to keep in mind to ensure they are successfully adopted, and you get most out of your investment:
(1) It’s all about the user experience
Before investing in digital tools – software, hardware or any device – remember to put your people first. Ensure the device is simple to use, and there is a clear workflow in place to guide a seamless transition. Over the years, studies have shown that companies quick to adopt new tools often fail to consider the employee experience: 90% of leaders say they’re choosing tech with their people in mind, but only 53% of staff agree.
The truth is, as we do in our personal lives, employees will always look for options that make their job easier and help them do their best work. Distractions like fiddling with devices or being interrupted by external noise will only lead to frustration and counter-productivity.
According to a University of California Irvine study, take an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to task once distracted. Understanding how experiences and attitudes shape workers’ willingness to adopt tech at work can go a long way in helping businesses produce the desired results. When solutions are intuitive and user-friendly, adoption will come naturally.
(2) Be flexible with platforms
When it comes to communications technology, selecting a single, unified platform is important. How do we enable staff to join meetings on different systems and devices and still have a high-quality experience? Also, there is a need to consider what happens when external participants, who operate on a different platform again, join meetings.
An important factor in choosing a new technological tool lies in its flexibility. It needs to integrate well with existing platforms and be compatible with mobile, seeing as remote working is on the rise with almost half of Australians working from home at least half of the week.
Last year, LifeFlight, one of Australia’s largest aeromedical charities providing medical care to thousands of people each year, deployed approximately 400 Plantronics headsets throughout the organisation to complement their existing infrastructure.
Used by employees in the control room, contact centre and additional volunteers offshore, the team were connected in a unified communications (UC) framework whether via USB, softphone, computer or mobile. For an organisation that depends highly on rapid-response times, the flexibility and ability to communicate on any device – without taking the time to think twice about which one – can make the world of difference.
(3) There’s no such thing as “one size fits all”
In the diverse world that we live in today, there is no longer a “one size fits all” approach. Tech solutions in the workplace should offer options to suit different personas, working styles and the nature of work being undertaken.
A simple example is in the use of headsets. We have seen real examples within the insurance vertical among both office staff and contact centre agents where the personalisation of headsets for employees has had a direct impact not only on adoption, but also on attrition.
When employees got the select their own headset – they used them more and stayed in the role longer. Ultimately the most effective solutions account for the personal preferences and uniqueness of each employee.
As the workforce continues to become more spread, it’s important to create new ways for employees to hear, see, work and collaborate more easily with each other. The best tools – if they’re to be successfully adopted within any business – must be simple to use, flexible on multi-platforms and personalised for individual employees.
