The pandemic threw employers and employees into chaos and uncertainty with no clear end in sight. For much of 2020 and the first half of 2021, HR managers operated in crisis mode to navigate the complex people-centric challenges that the crisis was presenting them with. As the dust continues, many organisations are still in catch up mode.
To help you connect the (digital) dots, Orange’s Chief People Officer, Jelle Jacquet, and mobco’s Product Director, Wouter Troost, zoom in on the three HR trends that are shaping today’s decentralized workplace and how to capitalize on them.
1. One size no longer fits all
The workforce is not a monolithic identity. Employees are unique and they know it. As a result, businesses must reconsider their generic HR practices when looking to attract and retain top talent in today’s competitive market.
A trend that was accelerated by the COVID-19 crisis, so it turns out, as post-pandemic employees expect a much more personalized approach. The freedom to choose which device they work with, for example, is obvious, as is the flexibility and the tools that come with it.
When wanting to become an employer of choice, it is key to implement a solution that enables the so asked for flexibility without increasing the administrative burden and workload. Besides, the cost predictability linked to this flexibility, is of the upmost importance.
By assigning a specific budget to the different user groups within your organisation, your enable your employees to pick the tool(s) they want to work with while staying on top of your budget. You can take it a step further by assigning a smartphone budget within a flexible income plan, so that they can easily top up when wanting to work on a more expensive model.
However, not only for HR, for your employees too, this process needs to be easy and straightforward. If not, the employee experience will suffer and the workload for the IT department will increase. Putting employees in the driver’s seat by giving them the possibility of managing their own workplace tools throughout the entire device lifecycle, may be the way forward.
2. Technology is ready but still resource consuming
Where a decade ago technology was still a hurdle in the workforce of one, today we witness that it has been the catalyst for change. For most organizations, this transformation journey is still ongoing, and HR plays a key role in successfully navigating it.
With recent developments, tools to centrally manage the anywhere workplace have entered the market. When looking to implement the so asked for flexibility, a customizable, single-platform solution may be the way forward as it provides a holistic overview of the workplace and allows your organization to tackle the needs of the different stakeholders within the business.
Besides, implementing such a solution can facilitate and reduce the administrative burden, allows you to stay on top of your budget and streamlines securing and managing all workplace assets. That’s workplace efficiency at its finest!
3. User experience is key
As technology has become a clear material indicator of the respect and consideration employers have for their employees, getting it right from day one is crucial.
Implementing a centrally managed solution that allows your employees to manage their workplace tools throughout the entire device lifecycle and thus from their very first day, marks the perfect start of their onboarding journey.
Getting your employees productive from day one starts with letting them order the devices they want to work with. Key is to have the chosen devices be delivered preconfigured for work to the location of choice.
But even when their workplace tools are up and running, your employees may still encounter issues. As traditional office hours in a fixed location are no longer the absolute standard, a helpdesk that is only staffed during office hours no longer meets the changing employee needs. For companies that want to offer their employees all the benefits of hybrid working, offering support outside of traditional office hours is the way forward.
In short, offering an outstanding employee experience throughout the entire employee life cycle is crucial. When done successfully, your efforts may decrease employee turnover by close to 70%. Even more reason to start investing in employee experience!