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The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted what distinguishes a good employer from a great one. Many workers took the past few years to reevaluate their priorities and determine whether their company matches their values. It also highlighted the gap between companies prepared to modernize their business model to reflect the times and those stuck in the past.
If businesses aren’t willing to invest in their employees’ well-being and important technology like unified communications, they may quickly fall short-handed and fall behind. However, behind every challenge is an opportunity for growth. What technology and skillset can you invest in today that can help your employees successfully meet the challenges of the future – creating a future-proof workforce? Follow these five steps to engage your employees and ensure your business is ready for whatever comes next.
1. Practice Curiosity
You and other decision-makers at your company have probably spent a lot of time asking yourselves big questions: How do we fulfill our mission statement? Who is our client base? Where are our opportunities for growth? Much of the time these discussions occur behind closed doors, and while they’re important conversations to have, they’re not the only ones that should be happening.
Take time this year to practice curiosity about your business on a granular level. Talk to your employees about their experiences and ask them their thoughts. Often, those on the ground floor have the most interaction with your clients or know the smallest details that keep everything running. What works for them? What concerns do they have? What do they have to contribute and how can you facilitate that?
Begin these discussions with an open mind, asking new questions and understanding that you might not already know the answers. Explore avenues that might not be the most obvious. Try different ideas, and don’t be afraid to fail. Exercising genuine curiosity is an important leadership trait that takes practice but ultimately leads to exponential possibilities for growth.
2. Embrace Empathy
This second tip builds on the first. Curiosity is the start of connecting with your workforce, but empathy puts it into action. A report by Zipdo found that showing compassion for the work environment and well-being was essential in increasing motivation in 96% of employees.
One result of the pandemic is that it has thrown the experiences of each individual into perspective. What works for one person may be completely unproductive for another. When you begin to ask questions, be open to a variety of answers and know they might all be correct on some level. Try to really listen and understand where each person is coming from.
One key aspect to maintaining worker well-being is to meet them where they are. The last few years were a wide-scale experiment in new styles of work. According to the Harvard Business Review, many companies recognized that personalized, non-traditional schedules and workplaces lead to increased productivity and happiness, with 58% of organizations having invested in their employee experience.
Allowing flexible workdays, recognizing progress, encouraging mental health and sometimes simply listening not only makes you a better leader but keeps your employees feeling fulfilled, healthy and engaged.
3. Foster Collaboration
Once you’ve worked to understand your employees’ needs, it’s time to come together and collaborate. It looks like non-traditional offices are here to stay, with a majority of people saying they want to work from home at least part of the time.
With blended workspaces blurring the line between in-person and remote, it’s essential to ensure everyone feels connected no matter where they are. Zippia found that “86% of employees in leadership positions blame lack of collaboration as the top reason for workplace failures” and that job satisfaction increased by 17% through collaboration.
Real-time communication is critical, whether you use chat, video conferences, phone calls, or email to keep up with projects. Using all-in-one tools and integrated collaboration software makes switching between modes of communication facilitates trust between colleagues, which in turn promotes trust between colleagues, which encourages creativity, a sense of belonging, and that elusive authentic culture that employees value.
4. Adopt and Adapt Technology
When the COVID-19 lockdowns first took effect, companies were thrust into the digital-first world, whether prepared to or not. Almost two years later, even the most self-identified “technology laggards” have gotten on board, with many workplaces experiencing upwards of 131% increases in operational efficiencies, according to Kitaboo.
Taking advantage of technology is no longer optional for companies. Making the investment in cloud storage, unified communications systems and employee training is critical for success. Adopting the right technology can make or break the productivity of your workforce.
5. Maintain Flexibility
The final way to future-proof your workforce is something we’ve all been practicing for a while now - maintaining flexibility in the face of whatever comes next. Though it may be challenging, continue to embrace change and allow your company to grow and adapt.
Listening to your employees and recognizing that each of them have unique needs will not only make you a better leader, but it will help guide your business through whatever lies ahead. Meeting workers where they are reminds them that you care and encourages satisfaction. After all, a happy employee is more productive and dedicated to their job.
Technology has helped with this transition already and integrating it into your workflow will keep your employees engaged and your company successful. Using new tools instead of trying to force old ones to work will keep you connected and on top of your game.
2023 was a year of technological evolution for many companies, and 2024 will be the year to reap the rewards of that evolution and flourish. No matter your needs, Mitel can help you prepare for tomorrow.
