Optimal Digital Employee Experience (DEX) for the Future of Work

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group of employees analyzing digital work around a table

The future of work is a hot topic among businesses now and has been since the shift to hybrid work. While processes and personnel undergo significant transformations, business and IT leaders must focus intensely on the digital employee experience (DEX) when analyzing and deploying any operational change to the status quo of their current processes.

The digital employee experience (DEX) interprets how digital workplace strategies impact employees’ overall day-to-day experience. An enterprise’s workforce is the bedrock of resilient and sustainable operational shifts, part of the future of work. Measurable success cannot be achieved without employees on the same page.

Deploying smart strategies

In regards to IT, an employee may use up to 8 digital applications for a single task or process, which may add up to a single employee using close to 40 applications in one day of work. Knowing this, IT and business managers need to dedicate valuable time to discussing and measuring how certain technologies will impact the everyday worker and not just rely on details related to their bottom line. An intelligent and human-centric approach to digital deployments will serve the most outstanding results for businesses in the long run.

The second half of 2022 and 2023 will be essential for enterprise leaders. With company plans for remote and hybrid work beginning to take shape, the digital workplace could see a more drastic change by 2027 than we did directly after the pandemic.

This article will highlight some difficulties employers face during these times and the initiatives to focus on to combat them. 

Problems Organizations are Facing and Overcoming Them

In the new hybrid world, workforces face more difficulties optimizing their DEX, which is crucial to the future of work.

The first problem is that employees are leaving for numerous reasons – retirement, layoffs, new opportunities, change of career path, etc. A component often overlooked when an employee departs is the amount of information that may leave with them. Perhaps they were the main point of contact for a large customer or a seasoned worker who knew the ins and outs of a process – often relied on for assistance and expertise.

Using a knowledge management system with easy access that accounts for all generated company data can create a seamless onboarding and knowledge transfer process. Rather than being a deer in headlights searching for information and eventual burnout, it is vital to make information work for you and not rely so heavily on a single employee to fill in knowledge gaps.

Using AI-powered knowledge management solutions allow searchable information to be organized with relevancy and personalization specific to the user – making company-wide information work for you.  

The second problem is that companies are dealing with a scattered workforce. During the pandemic, employees were hired from different parts of the globe; some work at home while others are in the office on certain days.

A strong focus should be put on collaboration and connectivity to combat the challenges that come with a scattered workforce.

One initiative for companies experiencing organizational shifts, especially with technical deployments, is building a champions network so employees know who to reach when not in the office or if they need assistance in another part of the world. A champions network can help reduce resistance and lead to employees grasping onto a new solution in a fast and efficient manner.

A third problem is there are major learning curves for new technology deployments

Many solutions today offer low-code or no-code technology with customization and personalization capabilities, meaning most of your workforce does not need to be technology experts to benefit from a new solution quickly. The interfaces are set up and designed for easy use and quick learning, directly reducing and adding less stress to the learning stage of the deployment process.

Proactive rather than reactive meetings for strategic tech initiatives are also a powerful tool for leaders to optimize. Instead of waiting for employees to approach you with problems, checking in and ensuring they are comfortable with a solution can go a long way for learning and morale.

Conclusion: Making Sense of it All

A happy workforce is a key to building a sustainable and long-lasting business. That alone is why companies need to keep employees front and center with all new initiatives surrounding their digital workplace and future of work strategies. How will technology play a role in doing so? Companies need to continue asking questions that focus on the impact their technology has on their employees with clear results they want to achieve and measure. Such questions to ensure employees’ workday stays at the center of the conversation include: How will this solution ease their workday? How will this solution make them more productive? Is this solution scalable to different departments or too narrowly focused?

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