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Hybrid work is here to stay, which means business, organizational and department leaders are researching employee workforce management software solutions so they can ensure employees strengthen their social and professional connectivity — both at work and at home.
That’s good, but it’s not great. You need to go above and beyond to know what type of employee connections should be enabled, where they should be activated, and “why,” based on your goals.
Remote collaboration tools will get better, according to many expert sources. Among the human resources technology trends many workforce managers are looking forward to in 2023 are tools that allow for heightened levels of remote collaboration and virtual learning. Today, nothing can replace the energy of in-person brainstorming and problem-solving in colorful meeting rooms with whiteboards and free food and beverages. However, due to people’s busy calendars, these meetings feel hollow — like they’re not unlocking the creativity and joy of the workplace of the past.
To create innovative and engaging remote work environments where creativity can happen anytime and anywhere, leaders need to take a careful inventory of their tech stack, including their employee workforce management software (or lack thereof). Everyone benefits from connectivity, especially employees. In an unpredictable and hybrid environment, it takes long-term planning and thought.
Situational Connectivity and Employee Workforce Management Software
Consider all the aspects of situational connectivity at work when you utilize the right employee workforce management software: connecting emotionally, deepening that emotional link, and bonding intellectually. When people feel emotionally connected to someone, something, or something they encounter, they form an emotional bond.
This happens when a worker meets a kindred spirit, gets to know the organization’s purpose, and bonds over shared interests. A deeper emotional connection is when people form meaningful relationships with one another and the organization — simultaneously. You can share something personally meaningful, give tough feedback in a caring way, and align individual, team and organizational goals.
Furthermore, going the next step by fostering an intellectual connection happens when you meet new people, gain new ideas, learn new concepts from each other, launch new projects, and share ideas. You can ask:
- Which methods are best?
- Are we supposed to form new connections or deepen existing ones?
- Is it an intellectual or emotional connection?
- Is there any type of connection we need to enable, given the situation and our goals?
A deeper intellectual connection happens when people get to know each other, their work, and the organization — all fostered by a healthy tech stack and a quality and nimble employee workforce management software. There are lots of things you can learn, such as how to work well in a team, how to navigate the organizational politics and culture, how to master information for your job, and how to align individual employee goals with the organization’s goals.
Championing Engagement Through Employee Workforce Management Software
It’s no secret that relationships and networking are key to productivity these days, and that a company’s employee workforce management software either helps or hinders this operational situation. It’s the key to staying agile, keeping employees engaged and cared for, and satisfying customers in the ever-changing world that leaders at corporations, small businesses, and public agencies live in.
Some surveys have found that companies with more networking and connectivity are five times more likely to be agile, three times more likely to have satisfied customers, and two times more likely to have engaged employees. Employees and organizations benefit from deep connectivity, these surveys show. The importance of relationships and networking may be obvious to some, but not everyone is prone to develop this area. The progress starts here.
Consider developing and championing more connectivity, and don’t be surprised when you face challenges.
Largest Hurdles to Connecting and Engaging
Companies and organizations have never needed to build connections like they have lately due to this modern time in history. There are specific challenges organizations face in today’s current environment.
- Economic conditions. Due to inflation and an uncertain economic future, leaders may feel the need to prioritize short-term security and cost-cutting over fostering connectivity and relationships through their employee workforce management software platform and technologies.
- Exhaustion. It’s hard to connect with people when you’re burned out, and managing hybrid workplaces can be especially tough in this situation.
- Confusing definitions. It’s hard for many leaders to understand what connection means in a hybrid context, which fuels debates about returning to the office (and other ways to connect).
- Divisions in society. People’s social and political divisions are permeating into organizations, which can make it hard for them to connect.
- Today’s workplace environment. Employee connections cannot be restored to the way they were just a few years ago by bringing everyone face-to-face again. We’re in uncharted territory.
In spite of the fact that global companies have experienced remote collaboration and distributed teams before “hybrid” became a term, they’re operating in unfamiliar territory. A lot of people work remotely or in a hybrid environment. There are a lot of people who work from home, not even commuting. There may not be much human interaction for those working in person, and leadership can struggle with how to foster connection in this context.
Building Intentional Connections Through Intentional Relationships
The assumption that physical proximity equals department or organizational connectivity has been frequently encountered in work-relationship research studies. It’s common to see people working heads-down in cubicles, physically close to each other, yet they are mentally distant. Being together under one roof doesn’t mean people will connect with each other, although the right employee workforce management software can help human resource leaders move in the right direction.
Believe it or not, just because people are remote doesn’t mean they’re not connecting. Zoom helps leaders see their families, pets, and homes, so they feel closer to coworkers. There are even some conversations that benefit from a little distance. You don’t have to bring people together physically to build connections.
Besides, bringing people together isn’t the only way to build connections. Instead, they could:
- Make sure the right connections are happening.
- Connect everyone equally, no matter their geography, location, or who happens to be in the same room.
- Think about what it means to build relationships in the workplace.
Whether you want a remote meeting, an in-person meeting, or a hybrid meeting, there are many options. It’s hard work being intentional (such as making plans and strategic thinking), but it’s 100-percent possible. You can:
- Find out what “connection” means to the organization through surveys and conversational dialogues within your employee workforce management software
- Consider what types of connections to enable and when.
- Find out how to enable those networking and relationship-building opportunities.
The best way to implement hybrid work efficiently at your small business or organization is to have a well-thought-out approach that allows you to respond to uncertainty and gets your employees on board. To stay competitive, you need a workforce management service that monitors and delivers on-demand to meet the unique needs of your remote workforce.
VCS Software programmers can create a custom report that can quantify and analyze any data you need. Obtain customized reports on time-off activity, overtime, productivity, time and attendance, and employee scheduling data. Plus, VCS also provides a Payroll Export Writer that allows your organization to create both CSV or XML-based payroll reports that can be utilized as part of your payroll process with other systems.
VCS Software
VCS Software is your all-in-one solutions platform for employee workforce management software whether your business, company, or public agency or department is large, medium, or small. VCS solutions fit your needs. Organizations can start with core products and pile on add-on modules for additional capabilities as needed. VCS understands that no two workforces are alike. Contact us to start building a tailored solution that best suits your company, small business, or public organization.