As part of Solutions Review’s Premium Content Series—a collection of contributed articles written by industry experts in enterprise software categories—Mark Banfield, the CEO of 1E, outlines how Digital Employee Experiences (DEX) can be the solution for long-term hybrid working.
As we reach the height of summer, leaders will look to engage employees and bring them into the office. We’ve seen leaders try to establish return-to-office mandates over the last few months—hoping that a second (or third) push would stick. Yet, a survey found that 68 percent of workers would quit if forced to return to the office full-time.
Half of U.S. companies are still willing to revert to a pre-pandemic office schedule to boost productivity. Yet many employees pushing back on these policies, leaders should ask themselves: is remote work really the problem? Or is the implementation of a true hybrid workplace the real issue?
IT solutions can solve the challenges of keeping a hybrid workforce engaged, happy, and productive. Digital employee experience (DEX) tools create a seamless work environment—regardless of where employees log in from. By honing in on DEX, leaders can ensure a productive and collaborative environment without sacrificing the option of remote work.
The Connection Between DEX and Remote Work
Since 2020 when organizations settled into the new normal of working, there’s been a 44 percent increase in the use of collaboration tools. DEX tools help everything run smoothly behind the scenes. They are an essential part of the return to office debate. Organizations should evolve their employee experience (EX) initiatives to continue working remotely or hybrid successfully. Otherwise, employees will move on to more flexible workplaces.
Engaged employees are more productive with the training and tech needed to excel in their roles. They’re also less likely to leave and more likely to become strong employees. The ripple effect of good EX practices goes way beyond purely financial benefits. It’s necessary for businesses to constantly reevaluate EX to execute successful remote and hybrid workflows.
When employees switch between networks—-at home or in the office—organizations need to rely on DEX to ensure a cohesive workflow and ensure business priorities don’t slip. This problem will skyrocket as many companies start going into the office two or three times a week this fall. When switching networks that quickly, a “drift” happens on those devices. By leaning into DEX tools, IT can remediate that drift before an employee views it as a productivity inhibitor.
How DEX Will Change Hiring in the Modern Workplace
A strong DEX strategy can make all the difference in attracting and retaining high-performing employees. A recent study found that DEX can improve employee productivity equal to $2.5M in value within three years. Staying on top of EX initiatives will, in turn, provide a positive ROI amid uncertainty in today’s hiring environment.
In the modern workplace, calculating the value of your EX initiatives can shape hiring practices. As a starting point, companies need to look at the employee journey in its entirety. When that happens, leaders get a 360-view of their employees’ feelings toward the company, its workflow, and any other pain points. Once leaders know these problems, resolutions will become easier and more manageable.
Remote work has proven successful for the past three years and will continue to be with the right technology in place. While in-person collaboration is always beneficial to spark innovation and remain competitive for talent, businesses must ask tough questions about their intentions to return to the office. Leaders can then better determine what’s realistic for their organization.
By turning to DEX tools and regularly evaluating EX, leaders will see productivity rates skyrocket. Their retention rates will rise, and remote and hybrid working will flourish.
- The Solution to Long-Term Hybrid Working? Three Letters: DEX. - July 13, 2023
Mark Banfield
Mark is a seasoned software industry executive with 20 years of experience building and running high-performance global teams. Mark’s foundation focuses on providing world-class customer experience and building collaborative teams. Before joining 1E, Mark was Chief Revenue Officer at LogicMonitor, where he was responsible for leading go-to-market strategy and operations globally.
