The massive irruption of technology and the Internet in offices radically changed the way people worked, not so many years ago, and made it possible to optimize time. And letters, teletypes, faxes and so many other actions that were done on paper, among a long list of other things, were gradually forgotten. From then on, it became – more and more – the means to carry out our work. And therefore, it is now a critical determinant of how well people can work. But having technology is not always synonymous with providing an optimal experience.
Companies have long been failing their employees in terms of work experience. This was already happening before the pandemic, and in many cases it got even worse. And it is logical, if work experience was not good in the office, it was hardly going to be good in a remote job implemented as a matter of urgency. The fact is that in recent years several studies have shown that the work experience has a great impact on people’s commitment to the company in which they work, on their motivation and productivity. But the technology they use and the experience they have are also related to their well-being.
And it is at this intersection that human resources and technology departments come together. Their collaboration is key to know and understand how people are working and what they need; how to empower them and unlock their talent. At the same time, to know how they feel, how they manage to be more productive and what obstacles they find in their routine. And based on these data and many others, identify how to contribute. From the technological point of view, for some time now we have been talking about putting people at the center, so technology can make a difference in these situations that were previously perceived as “only human resources”.
Putting people at the center means looking in detail inside each company and developing a strategy accordingly. From there, technology can help save cumbersome processes, automate repetitive tasks, simplify access to data, make it easier to find the tools and information needed to work. It can also personalize the workspace, simplify the login process while maintaining high security standards, create a consistent work experience regardless of the device used, not to mention the location of the individual. It can also guide people through their priorities, help them measure how they are doing in meeting their goals, and check and validate how they are doing and how they feel.
IT and HR need to be strategic allies because it is in their hands to help staff stay focused in a world where different stimuli and situations compete for our attention and time; in a context where we need more than ever our work experience to be fluid, simple and transparent. They need to collaborate to put in our hands the ability to create, innovate and do our best work. Because when we work well, balance our lives and take pride in what we do and where we do it the magic that every company seeks, happens: we are engaged and motivated to pursue and achieve our goals!
