How to Enhance Your Employee Experience (with Modern Tech & More)

Many businesses are grappling with one major challenge: Employee disengagement.

In the wake of COVID-19 and with digital transformation sweeping across the nation, workplace dynamics are changing. Employees are increasingly seeking more – like a fulfilling work environment, opportunities for growth, and tools that make their jobs easier. Employees crave a modern experience, which is one reason why 71% of organizations are prioritizing a digitally focused architecture.

The challenge, however, is how to enhance an employee’s experience, particularly when resources are limited and client expectations are fierce. 

With years of experience in creating productive digital environments for Pittsburgh organizations, our team has a unique vantage point into how the right blend of culture, development opportunities, and technology can revolutionize your employee experience. 

That’s why we created this article! Below are three core approaches to enhance your employee experience. Each one focuses on a different aspect of the workplace.

Let’s start with one of the most challenging factors to influence and measure: Culture.

Approach 1: Promote a Positive Workplace Culture

A positive workplace culture is more than just a perk, it's a vital ingredient in the recipe for employee satisfaction. Employees want to feel valued and respected, knowing their contributions matter and that they are an integral part of their organization's success. 

By fostering an environment that encourages open dialogue and rewards achievements, businesses can tap into their team's full potential. This positive atmosphere not only improves the quality of work but also strengthens the bond between a team.

Leaders play a critical role in cultivating such a culture. They set the tone and are responsible for modeling the behavior they want to see in their teams. So what can you do to make sure your culture stays strong, whether you’re developing remote employees or a hybrid workplace?

Here are practical and successful steps we’ve seen used: 

1. Daily Transparent Communication: Without regular dialogue, either in person or a digital platform like Microsoft Teams, it’s easy for employees to feel disconnected.
2. Weekly Recognition: Recognizing and appreciating employees' efforts boosts morale and motivates them!
3. Promote Teamwork: A sense of camaraderie is the foundation of any positive employee experience.

Want to learn what real Pittsburgh leaders are doing to enhance their employee experience? Download our free webinar playback, “The Struggle is Real: Employee & Client Challenges in 2023…and How to Solve Them.”

Approach 2: Foster Continuous Learning and Development

While you’re working on shifting your remote or in-office culture (this can’t happen overnight!), leaders can focus on this other approach. To enhance employee experience, consider advocating for professional growth opportunities.

Why does this matter? Because employees, particularly the younger generation entering the workforce, are more likely to be engaged when they see a path forward in their career. People value organizations that invest in their growth. 

By offering opportunities for continuous learning, businesses not only enhance their employees' skills but also demonstrate that they value their employees' growth. This results in loyalty and long-term commitment.

Continuous learning and development serve a dual purpose: Ensuring businesses remain competitive while enhancing their employee experience. Use these steps as a guide to help your employees continuously learn:

• Implement a new hire training program tailored to your company's tech platforms and processes.
• Provide opportunities for upskilling and reskilling to adapt to technological changes.
• Establish internal mentorship programs to foster knowledge sharing and career development.
• Encourage attendance at relevant workshops, seminars, and industry events.
• Offer support for employees pursuing further education or certifications in their field.

With an ‘always learning’ culture shift in progress, it’s time to introduce the final key player. This element affects how you enhance an employee’s experience: Technology.

Approach 3: Use Technology to Streamline Work

Using the right technology can make everyone's day-to-day job a whole lot easier. By keeping up with these new tools and tricks, your team can spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time on what really matters. 

That’s why an organization's ability to build a strong IT infrastructure is vital for growth. For example, from a PWC survey, 78% of executives have adopted cloud technology in some part of their business. These ‘cloud powered companies’ are seeing major results:

PwC’s 2023 Cloud Business Survey: The Cloud-Powered Company

Cloud technology and services are changing how employees work, and it’s vital for businesses to keep up. But how can leaders enhance their employee experience with technology if they don’t have the technical expertise to do so? Follow these steps and see where your teams’ current gaps are:

1. Adopt Collaborative Tools: Evaluate your team's needs and choose a tool that best suits their workstyle. This could be a project management tool, or something like Microsoft Viva. Remember, it's crucial to provide proper training so everyone can use their tools effectively. 
   
2. Automate Mundane Tasks: Identify repetitive, time-consuming tasks within your organization, and use automation software to handle them. Some new AI tools, like Microsoft 365 Copilot, can help with this.
   
3. Ensure IT Support is Reliable: Technology is great for productivity, but it’s not perfect. Make sure your team has access to quick and efficient tech support. If you need assistance here, you can always partner with a managed IT partner. 
   

Keep in mind that it’s not just businesses who can benefit from modern tech platforms. Nonprofits are also in need of employee experience transformations!

“At the JCC, there's a wide range of skills and level of comfort with technology. When we started off on this journey of using the licenses that we pay for, the employee experience is always at the top of the list. Because if people are uncomfortable with it at the start, and the experience is bad the first time or the second time, they're just not going to use it. So we have to make the [training and] experience as good as possible upon rollout and also be open to feedback.”

- Ben Katz, Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

How to Enhance the Employee Experience: Answered!

The quest for a fulfilling work environment, meaningful growth opportunities, and efficient tools is not a new one. Many businesses have been grappling with this challenge and seeking to enhance their employee experience.

With these practical steps, you now have a clear starting point of how to evolve your workplace. We discussed how to promote a positive workplace culture, foster continuous development, and leverage technology. While this may feel like a daunting task, remember that small, consistent improvements can make a world of difference.

Remember, enhancing your employee experience is an ongoing journey, not a one-time event. So, keep learning, adapting, and striving to make your workplace a place where everyone feels empowered.

“In the earlier phases, digital transformation centered on exploring and investing in novel technologies. Now, the emphasis lies in the consolidation, refinement, and expansion of these digital initiatives.”

- Todd Musgrove, Associate Principal at The Hackett Group, Via Gartner

Need help implementing new technology or strategizing how to evolve your employee experience? We have helped businesses in Pittsburgh and beyond navigate their digital journeys. in doing so, our IT experts have gained first-hand insights into how employee satisfaction and productivity can be bolstered through digital tools.

Learn more about how Ceeva can transform both your client and employee experience today!