Technology in the workplace is one of the scintillating, inviting fillips that attract modern-day workers. They are impressed by touchscreens, AI-powered interfaces that pre-select and pre-suggest content, and are witty too. In a concerted fashion, apps for communication in the workplace can play a big role in initiating, maintaining, and carrying forward employee engagement and loyalty. Communication management tech is only one of the many areas of potential waiting to be tapped.
Apps for communication management and CRM tools keep employees rooted in the day-to-day quest for efficiency. This is a welcome support for HR personnel who cannot be out there engaging with employees all the time. Since CRM systems are governed by AI and real-time interaction, they are high on computational accuracy and cannot be misled. CHROs can use technology in the workplace in general and CRM systems in particular to track metrics while promoting employee engagement too.
Employees are the internal customers of an organization. Human resources are counted among the most valuable of the factors of production in the contemporary service-driven economies that dominate the world of business. CRM online is deployed to keep these internal customers engaged and happy.
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The most stable CRM systems are those which are spearheaded by leaders who do not ignore the humane element working hand-in-hand with the automation at play. They realize that technology in the workplace is not a stand-alone success because of the tech-factor embedded within.
As Rajesh Padmanabhan, director and Group CHRO of Welspun group, remarks in his interview with the India Employer Forum (documented under ‘Quant HR With Hi-tech And Hi-touch Will Be The Winning Formula In HR’), a transformation of the HR function is possible with a blend of the ‘Hi-tech & hi-touch’ factors. Technology cannot substantiate its presence if the humane touch is missing.
The flip side of technology is quick to make its way to users. Frustrated users of technology in the workplace make a beeline for commercially available apps. Word of mouth follows and before long, the tool designed to increase productivity ends up pulling down the image, or worse, the morale of an employee. Work-related apps should be designed with the clear motive of making workers’ lives easier.
Indian software giant Infosys uses ‘Infy Me’ and ‘iConnect’ apps to help its workforce by tracking their employee experience and accessing their remote applications respectively. But the true success for Infosys’ employee engagement is their ‘Compass’ app which allows them to look for lateral movement in the hierarchy, network with like-minded colleagues, and help clarify trending skill sets. It allows employees to build their profile, showcase new skills gained on the job, and share their growth plans. This is a working example of employee engagement aided and abetted by CRM tools applied in a transparent fashion.
If employees see technology in the workplace as something that helps them grow as opposed to a furtive tool that spies on them, the trust factor can boost workforce engagement. They would see it as a welcome addition to their workday.
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References:
- David Roe, Why Technology Alone Cannot Ensure Worker Engagement, CMS Wire, January 13th, 2020
- Prajjal Saha, Infosys ‘Compass’: digital platform for internal movements, HR Katha, July 6th, 2016
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