Employee engagement is the concept to keep in mind when thinking about the state of work in 2017. Connectivity, knowledge, true emotions and the need for a better management among employees will in fact have a much greater influence on performance at work. What will be the consequences of those renewed trends in employee engagement in terms of space and people management? 4 trends that will impact workplaces in 2017:
1. Increasing employee engagement
In 2017, companies must focus on the experience of their employees to stimulate commitment and understand what is top priority for them. They should consider which technologies, training or processes can help workers blossom without exhausting them professionally? To address this, it is essential to build parallels between customer experiences and employee experiences. Companies do their utmost to attract, engage and retain loyal customers providing them with a superior customer experience. Hence HR departments should act with the same energy toward their employees: trying to make their experience easier, more rewarding, more pro and transparent.
Companies will finally act for the commitment of their employees through technology. Focusing on new tools is a hallmark of engagement that companies must exploit. The proliferation of new technologies centered on consumers and used in everyday life, now connect the company and even become portable to follow employees throughout their careers. The increase use of these new technologies is directly related to the growing impact of new generations of workers in the workplace.
Engagement allows employees to feel more connected to their work – and this translates into more successful businesses. In 2017, technology is the key lever to help employees feel more connected to their future and bring them closer to their business.
2. Increasing transparency for employees / managers
2017, year of the manager. To succeed in increasing employees’ commitment, companies must bet on their existing workforce and develop the talents they already have. To meet this challenge, managers are essential elements to ensure transparent communication between leaders and employees. They are also key to identify main goals and translate them into actions. Managers are also responsible to align the company’s objectives to employees’ roles, assuring they also benefit from the gains.
Real time, a major asset. In a hyper-connected world, old-fashioned workplaces used to prevent direct / real-time communication. In there, managers would use for instance, annual reviews with employees as the sole means of communication to give feedback and understand the needs of their employees. Today, thanks to new networks in the workplace, employees can manage and communicate on personal and professional lives continuously. For 2017 we should improve real-time skills of managers to drive progress in careers in organizations. These updates will allow employers to always have data on internal talent, understand where their employees excel and which trainings they need. With these continuous reporting, the evolutions and opportunities that find employees, and not the other way around!
3. HR will have a more strategic role
Use personal data to solve HR issues.
In 2017, technology will allow companies to take a closer look at employee’s data to make better decisions about engagement, retention, talent management, satisfaction, productivity … To get to know them better, HR should also consider issues such as time, attendance or well-being. It is therefore imperative to think about how to analyze all this data to build the right strategy on what you are looking for.
The HR evolved from a mere employees’ transaction to a strategic position thanks to the increasing use of personal data.
4. Creating a commitment that translates into workspaces
Increasing the productivity while optimizing work environments.
In 2017, the work environment is driven by performance and collaboration. Companies must stand out and the workplace becomes an important tool of employer-brand and organizational culture. This change will certainly lead to better productivity, and above all, a visible reduction in real estate cost. Implementing optimization strategies or reducing the size of the workplace can be priority as. The challenge for the companies is size … it is to optimize space to reduce operating costs while improving the productivity of the company. Not forgetting that in a redesigned and innovative work space, the working methods of managers can evolve, thus facilitating telecommuting and employee mobility and promoting collaborative work.
