In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies are re-evaluating the way they do things. Whether it’s their finances, marketing efforts, or even their product offerings, they’re left wondering how they can do better in the midst of uncertainty and better prepare for the future. One area every company should invest in for definitive future success is the digital employee experience (DEX).
The digital employee experience is more important than ever before. The DEX encapsulates every aspect of an employee’s digital relationship with their company—how they communicate with clients, perform job functions, interact with coworkers, and more.
The pandemic greatly increased the importance of the DEX as employees spent more time online, and it revealed gaps in many companies’ systems and processes.
One big gap included tech issues, which were previously handled by a 24/7 IT department, were suddenly being handled by employees themselves from their living rooms or home offices or, worse yet, weren’t being handled at all.
Companies that addressed these issues head-on found success. Those who did not, in many cases, have fallen victim to the Great Resignation.
The financial upside of investing in DEX
Employees that express more overall satisfaction in their roles are more likely to stay. Therefore, investing in DEX can nullify some of the issues presented by the Great Resignation and assist companies in retaining employees.
In the age of hybrid and remote work, it is imperative for company leaders to communicate effectively and efficiently with their employees and to reduce stress wherever possible. One major area of stress is the lack of technical assistance for employees working remotely.
Technical issues can present unnecessary hurdles in an employee’s workday. Suddenly, they’re left scrambling to not only do their job but troubleshoot tech without the support of IT at home. These issues hinder the digital employee experience.
One study by Gartner notes that “by 2025, more than 50% of IT organizations will use digital employee experience to prioritize and measure digital initiative success, which is a significant increase from fewer than 5% in 2021.”
There is no denying that the majority of business is now done online. Digital success and how digitization promotes or hinders employee engagement and performance will continue to be key metrics in the years to come.
How DEX systems increase productivity
Employee satisfaction and retention should be enough for business leaders to invest in DEX, but this isn’t the only financial upside.
When organizations deliver a positive DEX, it empowers employees to do their job effectively and efficiently. In today’s digital world, it allows them to better collaborate with coworkers and increase productivity. And an increase in productivity only leads to better business performance.
Comprehensive DEX efforts increase productivity through a proactive IT model versus a reactive one. Reactive IT models only seek to mitigate issues once they present themselves, but a proactive IT model (the kind that should be used in effective DEX) constantly scans for these issues to resolve them before they become significant hurdles for employees and major disruptions for businesses.
The importance of IT optimization
Comprehensive DEX software gives companies the ability to monitor software and hardware remotely and mitigate any issues before they arise, which is key to helping employees get work done without constant interruptions.
IT optimization is the key component of this software. One of the only ways to mitigate issues surrounding DEX is to be aware of everything that goes on with your company’s digital platforms 24/7. This level of visibility across the entirety of your IT estate can allow you to find the root cause of issues in real time.
Emerging technologies can help you monitor your systems at all times to prevent issues before they arise and assist in even more expansive DEX efforts. This is increasingly important for a remote workforce. Companies need 24/7 monitoring and solutions to meet today’s demands.
IT solutions can also come in the form of constant performance monitoring. Aside from looking for issues, companies can use these solutions to see how every aspect of tech is performing on a consistent basis, which helps optimize processes and tech functionalities long-term.
These solutions offer an unprecedented level of visibility into the performance of software, hardware, and overall systems, enabling IT teams to identify problem areas, pinpoint the root causes of issues, and resolve them once and for all.
The hybrid and remote work models are here to stay, which means the issues that come with them aren’t going anywhere. Companies that are not investing in the DEX will fall behind, and those that do invest in DEX will pave the way for a better experience for all, which will benefit businesses long term.
About the Author
Ryan Purvis is Head of Solutions for Lakeside Software, a developer of digital employee experience solutions. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
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