5 Digital Workplace Mistakes That Hold Companies Back
The digital workplace is a hot topic for most organizations these days. It promotes productivity from anywhere and is often a necessity if you want to keep talented staff. A recent survey of 9,000 employees by Slack found that 72% of them prefer a hybrid remote office model.
Many companies in Sturgeon Bay and the rest of the country have worked to get on the hybrid office bandwagon and create a more flexible working environment through the use of business technology.
However, the desired productivity has not been attained. They run into problems that make the dream of a productive remote/on-site working environment seem impossible.
For example, the emergence of cloud communication and collaboration tools has been essential in increasing effective connections among employees and providing team members with new ways to share ideas and knowledge.
These communication and collaboration tools have also caused several productivity issues. The 2020 State of Digital Workplace Report shows that 80% of remote workers mentioned that they experienced more challenges than in-office workers. 44% of remote workers also complained of not knowing important information because it was communicated in person. This results from inefficient means of communication.
Several companies encounter challenges when trying to create a digital workplace. Mistakes in infrastructure, customers, people, and processes are some aspects of the business where business managers bid to establish a digital workplace.
Let’s discuss 5 of these digital workplace mistakes, so you can avoid them or work to correct them.
5 Mistakes That Companies Make When Creating A Digital Workplace
1. Establishing Unrealistic Goals
Many organizations are not realistic with their goals. For this purpose, they make mistakes in establishing goals that do not align with their strategy. One of the organizations’ most significant challenges is not having a feasible plan.
Unfortunately, when business leaders create these goals and do not achieve them at a stipulated time, they become discouraged. Understanding that creating a digital workplace will not be immediately achieved is essential.
Therefore, companies must be realistic in whatever approach they adopt to avoid having an unpleasant turnout of events.
2. Poor Communication/ Miscommunication
Productivity among the workforce is only attainable through effective communication. Many companies do not see the need to include employees in their activities. Such as, when there is a new company policy.
Similarly, some elements of a message can be misplaced in the communication pattern of a digital workplace. Sometimes, the tone of the message may be misinterpreted by an employee who was not physically present when it was delivered.
Business leaders must ensure that inclusive, cloud-based communication channels and tools are used when conveying messages to employees, so all of them can receive first-hand information, whether they are working remotely or in the office.
3. Inequality in Treatment of Remote vs On-Site
Many remote workers are not treated equally with their in-office counterparts. This feeling of inequality among employees can bring about resentment in the workplace and affect the goal of creating a digital workplace.
About 43% of remote workers complain that they are excluded from some business activities. This can lead to conflict in the workplace and disrupt operational activities. When all employees in the organization do not have access to equal opportunities, this can hinder the creation of a digital workplace.
4. Not Choosing the Right Tools
It is understandable that in the bid to create a digital workplace, many companies desire to use several tools. However, jumping at the first new cloud tool that comes your way or that an employee suggests, may not be the best way to go about building a hybrid infrastructure.
The applications that your team uses should all work together and integrate into a single, cohesive digital strategy. This is both to ensure a productive team and to improve your overall network and data security.
Using too many different tools, especially those that aren’t integrated well, can increase work errors, duplicate work processes, and cause frictions in the digital workplace.
5. Micromanaging Remote Employees
Many employers resort to the use of micromanagement because they’re worried about losing oversight of employees working from home. This behavior will affect employees’ trust and morale.
There are ways to track employee tasks and ensure that productivity doesn’t suffer, while at the same time promoting engagement and a positive working experience for your team. There are several productivity tools, such as Microsoft Viva, that can help you do this.
An Ideal Way to Create a Digital Workplace
If you think a digital workplace is your best bet at integrating the company’s policies and ensuring productivity from employees, you are correct. A reliable way of doing this is to ensure that you work with a reliable IT partner to help you build it.
Need help with establishing a digital workplace? Contact us at (920) 256 -1214 or reach us online.
