It’s true that employees are the biggest asset to any company. As a result, it’s no surprise that companies work diligently at increasing retention, enhancing performance, and recognizing employees for their great contributions. This builds trust and engagement. And with those two things, comes an increase in productivity.
But with the world changing so rapidly, especially with recent impacts of the pandemic, in what ways are workplace engagement and productivity shifting? And how can technology bridge the gap even further as we adapt to the “new now?”
Now more than ever, teams are dispersed and the traditional engagement of employee-manager face-to-face is practically an archaic notion. This new atmosphere has in some ways given companies an increased opportunity to use technology, like what we offer at Planon, to help foster this continued engagement with practical applications for real workplace issues.
As employees return to work, they want to feel safe and trust that their employers are doing all they can to keep them that way. Are the rooms clean? Did someone else use this desk? Where can I sit and do my work within company guidelines? When will this change, or dare I say it, go back to “normal?” All this uncertainty and anxiety can have a real impact on employee engagement and productivity, making these topics critical to keep at the forefront of any workplace strategy.
In the United States, every state has the ability to have a distinct and state-specific strategy for returning to work. As mentioned earlier, teams are dispersed and what is compliant for one, might not be for another. As we struggle to adapt to conflicting guidelines and measures to be taken, it is important to note how Planon’s flexibility in Space and Workplace Management can help make these decisions clear, concise, and compliant.
Furthermore, Real Estate & Facilities departments in general have been forced to re-think property strategy. For a long time, people couldn’t fathom a world where employees didn’t face long commutes and witty banter amongst their colleagues at various breaks in the day. Suddenly, the world has been faced with a lot more choices to be made about how best to safely, strategically, and soundly get the jobs done. We have found many jobs don’t require the presence in a high rent building – in fact in some cases, employees are more productive at home. Companies are now having to make impactful decisions about their owned and leased properties: “Should we condense, sell off, sub-lease?” Real estate and facility managers need to take back control of what is arguably one of your most expensive assets.
Most companies are, to some degree, using technology to manage some part of their business and business processes. HR management solutions and Financial Management/Payroll solutions, for instance, have helped many companies find ways to streamline necessary processes and, if implemented correctly, offer cost savings as well.
An Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS), such as Planon, offers users a fully integrated system, built on a powerful platform, that can help your company strategize and manage your real estate portfolio and workplace management processes, helping to find efficiencies and cost savings, manage your assets, manage vendors and contracts to control costs, and so much more. When a company can use those kinds of efficiencies and cost savings to re-invest in their workforce, engagement will increase, and by consequently so will productivity.
It isn’t enough to know who you hired and when, or even how much you pay them and by which frequency. There must be a deep trust that exists reciprocally between employer and employee. Having a solid workplace management strategy plays a significant role in achieving this. If you know how to improve your workplace, indirectly investing in your biggest asset, your employees, it means greater employee engagement and productivity! Especially in this tumultuous time.
Do you want to know to what extent you offer your employees an engaging workplace, and do you want to learn how to close the gap between your current and desired workplace management maturity level? Take our Workplace Management Maturity Assessment!
