Technology has increased the speed and rate of which information is exchanged and distributed. This has changed the dynamics of the way our clients conduct their business today.
There are many Millennials who want to be successful, who have the loyalty to grow within a company and who have the capability and capacity to manage their time on technology and social media with their working time. The more companies can embrace technology in a strategic and methodical way, and provide the tools that these up and comers in our workforce need, the more they will be empowered and able to achieve success.
In order to embrace technology, we must embrace the benefits of technology. Many of those benefits include an increased opportunity for work-related engagement, rapid feedback and progress-based rewards that are provided frequently rather than in one lump raise or end-of-year promotion.
Below are a few methods to help you evaluate the benefits of technology.
Increase Work-related Engagement:
Incorporate applications like Slack and Trello for on-the-clock engagement to streamline processes, build team camaraderie and increase staff to company engagement. In 2015, a Gallup study poll found that only 30% of employees say that they’re engaged in their job and almost 20% stated that they were “actively disengaged.” [1] For more tips on how to increase retention through employee engagement, read here.
Phase Out Time-consuming Processes
Be quick to phase out traditional processes that are more time-consuming than they are beneficial. The competitive edge in technology has given us a faster pace of improved user experiences in our daily lives, which increases change for the better.
Include Your Staff in The Process
Incorporate new technology methodically and for company-specific specialized functions. Announce these pivots ahead of time with information regarding why these specific technological tools will be implemented and how it will benefit everyone on an individual level and the organization as a whole.
Allow “Work-From-Home” Days
Empower your staff and decrease stress with work-from-home days. Remote workers feel happier and more valued at work, and 91% of them believe they “get more work done when working remotely.” [2]
Peer-to-Peer Recognition
Annual performance reviews are outdated. We need frequent and consistent feedback to feel engaged at work. This also creates a supportive network between staff, increasing positivity and making the workplace a safe place to learn, grow and achieve. Of the millennials whose managers do provide accurate and consistent feedback, 73% find their job fulfilling. [3]
Frito-Lay North America, Inc., a division of PepsiCo, Inc., took this approach one step further and created a “Reverse Mentoring” program. In an effort to mend the generational gap and pivot the company culture toward embracing technology, this program, unlike traditional mentoring where a senior colleague transfers expert knowledge to a junior colleague, the industry-wise veterans and tech-savvy newbies exchange their thoughts and experiences to sharpen each other. Satvika Ananthanarayan, Frito-Lay North America Marketing Analyst, and Marissa Solis, Frito-Lay Marketing Vice President, share their personal experiences and dynamics of reverse mentoring. Often, millennials have access to information that could revolutionize an executive’s business practices. “I got valuable insight into how millennials think about the workplace, their attitudes towards work-life balance, and career planning,” said Marissa.” Satvika taught me different ways to navigate in an increasingly technological world,” added Marissa. When the voice of our younger generation is heard and valued a bond begins to form. [4]
Change is a process, and these steps will help tremendously. Once we identify the benefits of technology outside of the workplace, such as increased engagement, we can shift that to become an asset in the workplace.
How to Use this Information
A great team starts with great hires. For 17 years, Executives Unlimited has been committed to helping our clients develop their strategic executive workforce planning, and we’d be happy to help you with your changing needs. For information about our services, call us at (866) 957-4466 or contact us online today.
References:
[1] How to Better Engage Your Workforce in 2016
[2] 2016 “What Leaders Need To Know About Remote Workers” – TINYpulse
[3] Engage Millennial Employees with Feedback and Evaluation