Don’t Buck Tech Trends – Use them for Better Retention
Most HR leaders and executives I talk to have retention and engagement on their minds. They are becoming the high-stakes measure by which an organization is capable of remaining competitive in a global, on-demand climate. Engagement and retention will remain top HR priorities throughout the year and beyond. Talented employees are hard to find, and they’re even harder to keep. That’s certainly not going to get any easier any time soon.
This is about more than just offering flexible work arrangements; for better retention, happier employees, and more productivity, you need to re-think where the work gets done and who does it, since 17 percent of the workforce is now part of the on-demand economy.
Technology to Keep Your Best Talent
To keep your best talent, you need to understand how your people want to work and how to bridge the gap to help them get there. And while Marissa Mayer still demands that Yahoo employees remain present in the workplace, the reality is, the workplace is everywhere – it’s in the office, on the train, in the home, and even at vacation spots, if necessary. And as it turns out, the very technology that is largely responsible for our always-on, overwhelmed employees is also the tool we must leverage to improve productivity, reduce workplace stress, and create a work experience and environment in which employees will thrive. And we do this, by implementing collaboration and communication tools, apps, and gamified training, we allow employees to work smarter while also encouraging them to disconnect on a regular basis.
Technology to Revolutionize HR Systems
As HR revolutionizes itself from the inside out, both with fresh, new, tech-savvy leadership and the systems they need to drive innovation, we will see rapid acceleration of performance and people-management systems and a renewed effort to make responsive feedback and ongoing development the standard. Understanding and employing people analytics – the use of multiple data inputs for better decision making – will become the gold standard every HR leader will strive to achieve.
You cannot simply install a piece of software, train managers to run reports, and expect results. It’s a process of identifying what information matters, where you find it, how to much weight it carries, how to analyze it, and what to do with the information once you have it.
Technology to Attract Millennials
Your next hire will likely be a millennial – if you can manage to attract them. You will not stand a chance of attracting the best of this generation merely by offering a robust benefits package and high pay. Considered the most disruptive generation to enter the workforce, millennials seek forward-thinking, innovative companies with reputational rank and authenticity. They don’t care about global brand awareness. They care about who you are as a company, what you believe, and how you give back. And to reach them, a more personal and individualized touch will be required — placing an ad won’t work alone. You need to:
- Communicate your culture across a number of different mediums, including social media. Make this approach even more effective by empowering employees to talk about their experiences.
- Play the part of an innovative company by using video to keep the process personal and visual.
Technology is the Tool
What does this all mean in the course of your day? Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by the possibilities. Focus on a solution that will streamline your information gathering and simplify your decision-making. Take action by implementing one technology at a time – but take action.
As the CEO & Founder of East Tenth Group, Michelle leverages 25 years of business and experience as a strategic advisor and executive coach to help drive actionable people solutions and provide practical insights on business strategy to senior leaders. she and her team and are fiercely committed to the development and growth of people and companies because we believe that when people thrive, business thrives.
