10 Key Factors to Consider While Choosing An Intranet Platform
Business Software
Cloud
Small Business
Technology
A sustainable digital workplace in the current business landscape would be incomplete without a robust intranet platform. It’s not an understatement to say the time of social intranets has arrived.
Your intranet should offer a pan-organizational experience and steer clear of creating silo-based workflows. It should cohesively bring multiple units together to offer a coherent view of the company to your employees.
All that said, how do you zero in on the best intranet platform?
What are the key features you should be looking at?
What are the no-brainers?
In our infographic, we give you ten critical components that can be your guidelines to consider while making the choice for the best intranet platform.
Let’s dive right in.
Aarathy is a Senior Digital Marketing Analyst at InfinCE. She is majorly into content marketing and focuses on getting the messaging right across a host of marketing collaterals. While not working on content, you can find her juggling SEO, social media, branding, and more. She enjoys exploring new frontiers in digital marketing and the associated challenges keep her going.
Employee engagement is a crucial factor in the success of any business, and InfinCE is a leading employee engagement platform designed to provide a centralized hub for communication, collaboration, and performance management, making it easier for organizations to improve employee engagement and achieve their goals.
IN THIS GUIDE
InfinCE is an employee engagement platform curated to keep you connected to your work and team from anywhere, at any time. With its mobile app, InfinCE makes it easy for you to stay connected and collaborate with your team, even if you’re working remotely or on the go. In this guide, you’ll understand the nitty-gritty of employee engagement software to the benefits of using InfinCE’s tools and resources, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of how InfinCE can help your organization achieve its goals.
But, first things first!
What is an employee engagement platform?
An employee engagement platform is a tailor-made digital solution that enables organizations to improve the level of engagement and satisfaction among their employees. This platform comes equipped with a suite of features and tools designed to enhance the overall employee experience that includes communication resources, recognition, and reward systems, surveys, and pulse poll.
The goal of an employee engagement platform:
Aimed at improving employee retention rates, boosting productivity, and reducing absenteeism.
Foster better relationships between employees and their managers,
Provide employees a voice in the decision-making process.
Help increase employee morale, reduce turnover, and improve overall business performance
Businesses can establish a culture of openness and transparency, leading to higher levels of employee morale and job satisfaction.
Nearly one-third (32%) of US organizations have seen an increase in employee engagement as a result of their engagement initiatives. Employee engagement initiatives have been found to lead to a 2.5x increase in post-engagement performance, a 3.5x improvement in job satisfaction, and an impressive 25% reduction in absenteeism.
Additionally, 91% of employees who are engaged in the workplace report feeling a strong connection to their employer. With an employee engagement platform, organizations can empower their employee base and help them to develop the skills and competencies that will enable them to reach their full potential. Such platforms like InfinCE provide the necessary tools for fostering collaboration, engaging in team building, and improving communication and productivity in the workplace.
By unlocking the benefits of employee engagement, US companies can expect to see improved morale, better job satisfaction, and improved productivity — all of which will contribute to an overall boost in performance.
Types of Employee Engagement Platforms
There are a wide variety of employee engagement platforms available, each designed to meet the specific needs of various organizations. Some of the most popular types of employee engagement platforms include
Virtual Workspaces: Virtual workspaces allow employees to access their work from any location, helping to foster collaboration, reduce turnover, and increase productivity.
Social Media Platforms: Social media platforms are used to build relationships, encourage engagement, and provide employees with a platform to share ideas and collaborate on projects.
Knowledge Management Platforms: Knowledge management platforms are used to store, organize, and share information among teams. This helps to improve communication, reduce redundancies, and create a better overall work environment.
By providing employees with the tools they need to succeed and fostering a positive work environment, an employee engagement platform like InfinCE can help to increase productivity, reduce turnover, and create an environment in which employees are highly motivated and engaged.
Top Benefits of Employee Engagement Platforms for Business Success
Employee engagement platforms are critical for businesses to remain successful in the modern workplace. By utilizing an effective platform, businesses can create a stronger sense of connection between employers and employees, facilitate collaboration, and promote a positive work environment. Furthermore, there are several tangible benefits of using employee engagement platforms, including improved morale, increased productivity, and better customer experience.
Here are the irresistible benefits you need to consider:
1. Communication Tools: Custom dashboards such as chat boards, video conferencing, and file sharing are essential features of any employee engagement platform. These tools allow for efficient communication between the employer and employees, enabling employees to quickly and easily ask questions, get feedback, and share resources.
2. Employee Feedback Mechanisms: Employee feedback mechanisms, such as surveys, polls, and employee reviews, are an important part of any employee engagement platform. These mechanisms provide employers with valuable insights into employee satisfaction, morale, and productivity, allowing them to make necessary adjustments to their business practices.
3. Performance Management: Performance management tools allow employers to track and evaluate employee performance. These tools enable employers to set objectives and goals, measure progress, and provide feedback to employees. According to a study by Gallup, companies with effective performance management systems have 24% higher profit margins than those without.
4. Recognition and Rewards Systems: Recognition and rewards systems are another essential feature of employee engagement platforms. These systems allow employers to recognize and reward employees for their efforts and accomplishments. According to the same study by Gallup, companies with effective recognition and rewards systems have 22% higher productivity than those without.
5. Gamification and Engagement Activities: Gamification and engagement activities can be used to foster team collaboration and encourage employees to participate in activities that benefit the company. Examples of gamification and engagement activities include team building activities, competitions, and virtual events.
6.Personalized Dashboards: Personalized dashboards are a great way to make the employee engagement platform more user-friendly by providing employees with a personalized view of their tasks and progress. Dashboards can be tailored to each individual employee, providing them with a better understanding of their own performance and that of their colleagues.
Experience Seamless Collaboration with InfinCE: The Ultimate Remote Work Platform
In a remote work environment, it is especially important that employees feel engaged and motivated through a robust remote work platform. With the right strategies, an organization can create a culture where remote work is not only accepted but embraced.
According to US data from 2022, employee engagement is essential for organizational success. This is especially true in a remote work environment, where managers must take additional steps to ensure employee engagement. Companies have found that positive engagement strategies such as encouraging wellness, hosting virtual meetings, and fostering personal connections have helped to keep remote employees motivated and engaged. The best way to gauge employee engagement levels is to ask them directly about their work and passion levels.
Importance of Employee Engagement in Remote Work
The level of employee engagement has a direct relationship to an organisation’s performance. Engaged employees are more productive, which leads to greater earnings and higher customer satisfaction. Additionally, engaged employees are less likely to leave the organisation, leading to improved job security and less need for costly recruitment processes. Finally, engaged employees are more likely to be creative and come up with innovative solutions to business problems.
Benefits of a Remote Work Platform for Employee Engagement
A remote work platform can be a great tool for enhancing employee engagement. A platform can facilitate tasks such as setting up video calls, providing access to documents, and allowing collaboration over long distances. Additionally, a platform can also enable coworkers to stay in touch with one another, creating a sense of unity and connectedness.
Strategies for Enhancing Employee Engagement in Remote Work
Organisations should strive to create a culture of engagement, even in remote work environments. Here are a few strategies to help enhance engagement:
Provide frequent feedback: Remote workers often feel disconnected from their teams. Providing regular feedback can help bridge this gap.
Set clear expectations: It’s important to set expectations for tasks and deadlines. This will help employees stay focused and motivated.
Encourage collaboration: Collaboration can help generate ideas and foster a team atmosphere, even when working remotely.
Offer incentives: Incentives can help motivate employees and encourage them to do their best work.
By taking the right steps, organisations can create an engaging remote work environment that helps employees feel motivated, connected, and productive.
Bottom Line
Organizations today are more competitive than ever, so they need to rethink their strategies. In order to progress, organizations need to prioritize their employees’ wellbeing, and create an environment of engagement. If organizations fall short of creating engagement, employees are likely to switch jobs until they find a suitable workplace. To ensure that employees remain engaged, organizations must take proper measures.
Here is a quote by Annette Franz on employee engagement:
“Employee engagement cannot be a strategy because engagement comes from within the employee. It’s the emotional connection or commitment that an employee has to the organization that then causes the employee to want to put forth the additional effort to ensure the organization and the brand succeed.”
This quote is an important reminder that employee engagement is more than just a strategy; it’s something that comes from within the employee and is characterized by an emotional connection to the organization. This connection can then lead to greater levels of effort and dedication, resulting in a more successful organization and brand.
Recognition is a very important aspect of employee engagement. However, manual recognition can be time-consuming and lack transparency. To that end, organizations can take advantage with InfinCE, a rock-solid employee engagement platform that collects and records data in real-time to avoid disputes and inaccuracies.
InfinCE also recognizes employees immediately after they accomplish something to ensure that recognition efforts are effective. With its range of essential features and support for remote work, InfinCE makes it easier for organizations to improve employee engagement and achieve their goals.
I am a Product Consultant, living at the intersection of empathy, design, engineering and helping teams craft Products that bring a smile. I believe that technology best serves its purpose when we use it to address deep problems without losing sight of the human nature of its users. Truly transformative technology is one that seamlessly becomes part of the daily narrative of its customers, aiding them to achieve their goals faster and easier.
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InfinCE: A Reliable Backup Solution for Business Continuity
Business Software
Cloud
Small Business
Business continuity planning has been a crucial aspect of business success considering how unprecedented disruptions can have a significant impact on any organization’s operations, reputation, and bottom line.
Let’s pin down some reasons that make business continuity planning a must for your organization in today’s digital age.
1. Dependence on technology
Today, businesses rely heavily on technology for their day-to-day operations. Any disruption, whether caused by a cyber-attack, natural disaster, or system failure, can result in significant downtime, loss of data, and revenue. Business continuity planning ensures the organization can quickly recover from such incidents and function without severe consequences.
2. Reputation risk
With social media and instant communication, news travels fast. Any prolonged outage, breach, or data loss can create negative publicity and damage the organization’s reputation. A robust continuity plan helps mitigate these risks and ensures the organization can maintain its operations and reputation during crises.
3. Compliance requirements
In many industries, regulatory compliance requires businesses to have a robust business continuity plan. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in financial penalties or legal action.
4. Consumer expectations
Consumers expect businesses to be available 24/7 and provide uninterrupted services. A lack of preparedness can lead to frustration and dissatisfaction and, ultimately, a loss of customers. Business continuity planning ensures the organization can meet its consumers’ expectations, even during a crisis.
As business continuity planning becomes the cornerstone of business success, implementing cost-effective solutions is imperative to help your organization navigate the inherently risky digital landscape and continue to operate smoothly. Read on further to learn how InfinCE is a reliable, cost-effective backup solution for business continuity.
InfinCE- The much-touted backup solution for businesses of all sizes
InfinCE is committed to ensuring the highest levels of data privacy and security. With a robust private IT infrastructure, InfinCE supports multi-factor authentication and a comprehensive, continuous monitoring model to keep data secure and protected from threats. As an independent server, unlike Microsoft Teams or Google Workplace, InfinCE is less prone to public attacks or breaches, acting as a perfect backup solution for your current digital workplace.
Here is a glimpse of InfinCE’s features focusing on data privacy and security, enabling reliable backup for business continuity.
1. Private IT Infrastucture: When your business runs on private cloud infrastructure, you need not worry about servers being down or your data being stolen. No matter what happens around you, you can easily set up and run your business from anywhere, maintaining service continuity and customer satisfaction every time. InfinCE private cloud solution is purpose-built to enable seamless IT operations, business continuity, and future-proof your business.
2. Secure Access Management: Identity and access management tools that provide secure access to data and applications. InfinCE supports multi-factor authentication, permission-based access controls and authorization, and password policies, among others, to ensure secure access to data.
3. Data Encryption: InfinCE’s data encryption ensures that all the data is encrypted in transit and storage, offering an extra layer of protection.
4. Secure Collaboration: InfinCE provides secure collaboration tools that enable teams to collaborate while maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of data.
5. Threat Detection: InfinCE’s security features offer real-time threat detection to identify and prevent attacks before they occur.
6. Access Control: InfinCE provides fine-grained access control that allows companies to set the level of data access their employees have based on their roles and responsibilities.
7. Client Confidentiality: InfinCE prioritizes client confidentiality by implementing privacy laws, security protocols, and dedicated confidentiality clauses in contracts.
8. Centralized IT Management: The biggest challenge organizations face today is to keep up with the rising work culture shifts. InfinCE’s centralized IT management feature makes it convenient to proactively manage IT assets from anywhere, making operations streamlined in remote, hybrid, and work from the office environments.
When business continuity is your priority, InfinCE is a #NO.1 choice! Although there might still be hesitations implementing such a platform as normally similar software either cost you high or have a complex setup process. But with InfinCE, none is the case. It is easy to set up, simple to use, and cost-effective.
Let’s learn how easy and fast it is to set up your digital workplace backup solution with InfinCE!
Step-by-step guide on implementing InfinCE as your digital workplace backup solution
Conduct a thorough business needs analysis: Before implementing any digital workplace platform, it is important to identify your organization’s needs and pick a platform that suits your business case.
Analyze competitors and choose the right platform: Research and compare different digital workplace platforms available in the market and choose the one that best suits your organizational needs. Consider factors such as ease of use, must-have features, pricing, and scalability.
Zero in on the right platform: If you have zeroed in on InfinCE owing to its unique and competitive pricing, sign up for an InfinCE account.
Customize the platform: Now that you can choose the features you need with InfinCE, customize it to suit your organization’s specific needs. This includes configuring settings such as branding, user roles, and permissions.
Migrate your existing data: Migrate your data from your current system to InfinCE. This includes documents, files, contacts, and other crucial business information.
Train your team: InfinCE’s ease of use comes in handy, and given that it is built with great intuitiveness, you can set it up and have your users learn it on the go.
Ensure your team is engaged with the platform by encouraging them to use the key features and providing ongoing support.
InfinCE’s solution is well-positioned to tackle the challenges of today’s dynamic digital business landscape.
But if you are still reluctant to try InfinCe and are concerned about its pricing, then worry not. InfinCE is more affordable than your Netflix subscription!
A cloud-based digital workplace that offers small and medium-sized businesses a comprehensive solution to improve their employee productivity and streamline their business processes, comes with a suite of enterprise-grade tools such as project management, document management, team collaboration, and automation tools that can be accessed from anywhere, anytime, and from any device.
What sets InfinCE apart is its unique pricing model. Unlike other cloud-based industry solutions that require users to pay a flat monthly subscription, InfinCE’s competitive market pricing offers lower subscription rates and license costs that require users to pay only for the features they intend to use. This precludes users from the need to pay for a bulk of unnecessary features that serve no purpose in the wake of changing business needs. Customization options to choose what to pay for makes InfinCE a reliable and scalable partner for your digital workplace journey. Not just that, it also doubles up as an affordable backup option, particularly for businesses that may not have the budget to pay for expensive software licenses.
InfinCE’s unique pricing model and data and privacy features are sure-shot reasons why you consider it an appropriate backup option for your business. InfinCE’s solution cuts because of many benefits from a competitive pricing slab. Test drive InfinCE today, or connect with our experts for more details.
Currently leading and managing a highly talented group of developers to produce an unmatched futuristic complex cost effective cloud product which can compete with technology giants.
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How Does The Intranet Contribute To Digital Employee Experience
Business Software
Cloud
Small Business
Technology
Introduction
Are you struggling to retain top talent in your organization? You’re not alone. Resignations are rising, with many employees citing a lack of career growth and work-life balance as key factors in their decision to leave.
Since the great resignation In 2021, employees have started leaving their jobs at record rates. In September 2021 alone, 4.4 million people quit their jobs – a record high. This has shifted the focus of the organization to employee experience & retention.
In fact, According to a survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, there has been an increase in employee dissatisfaction and resignations in recent years. 22% of employees who have left a job cited company culture as a key reason for leaving.
But what if there was a way to improve employee satisfaction and retention while increasing efficiency and productivity?
Enter the modern intranet and digital workplace!
The shift towards remote work has been a major driving force behind the adoption of modern intranets in recent years. One area that has seen significant growth due to the shift towards remote work is adopting remote workplace tools and employee intranet software.
A modern intranet and digital workplace can help control various workplace situations by providing centralized communication, collaboration, and access to information. This can help:
Streamline communication: Everyone is kept informed and up-to-date by having a centralized platform for all internal communication.
Increase collaboration: Teams can collaborate more effectively by sharing real-time documents, tasks, and ideas.
Improve efficiency: Automated processes and access to information from anywhere help employees make decisions faster and reduce downtime.
Foster a sense of community: A digital workplace provides a space for employees to connect, share ideas, and collaborate, promoting a sense of belonging and engagement.
A digital workplace and a modern intranet can help organizations improve productivity, reduce confusion and errors, and promote a positive work culture.
Disengaged Employees Impair the Advancement of Digital Workspaces
Dissatisfaction among employees can hold back from uncovering the full potential of work. A recent study by Gartner showed that nearly 60% of organizations believe that improving the employee experience is a top priority. When it’s highly impacted, it can lead to high turnover rates and a constant need to hire and train new employees. This can be costly and time-consuming, and it can also disrupt team cohesion and productivity. Various factors that lead to employee dissatisfaction at work:
Work culture shift frustrations: Rapid changes in work culture and technology can confuse and overwhelm employees.
Collaboration difficulties: With remote work becoming the norm, it can be challenging for teams to collaborate effectively and stay on the same page.
Low transparency and limited access to data: Employees can feel disconnected and in the dark about key decisions and developments within the company without proper access to information.
Not feeling valued: A lack of recognition and appreciation can lead to a demotivated and disengaged workforce.
Lack of learning and development opportunities: Without access to training and development programs, employees may feel stuck in their careers and unable to grow and advance.
How does a modern intranet help tackle these issues?
A modern intranet can help tackle the issues contributing to employee dissatisfaction in several ways:
1. Improving Communication and Collaboration
A modern intranet provides a centralized platform for teams to communicate and collaborate effectively, regardless of location. Employees can stay connected and work together in real time with features like instant messaging, team chat rooms, and document collaboration tools. This helps to overcome the difficulties of remote work and improves overall collaboration.
2. Increasing Transparency and Access to Data
A modern intranet provides a single source of truth for all internal information and data. This can include company news, policy updates, project progress, and more. A employee intranet software can increase transparency and reduce confusion by giving employees access to this information. This can also help improve decision-making by giving employees access to the data they need to do their jobs effectively.
3. Providing Opportunities for Recognition and Appreciation
A employee intranet software can provide a platform for recognizing and rewarding employees for their contributions. With features like employee profiles, achievement recognition, and peer-to-peer recognition programs, employees can feel valued and appreciated for their work. This can help foster a more positive work culture and improve employee morale.
4. Access to Learning and Development Resources
A employee intranet software can provide employees access to training and development programs, promoting career growth and development. This can include online courses, webinars, and other resources that employees can access at their own pace. By providing these opportunities, a modern intranet can help employees feel like they are continuously learning and growing in their careers, reducing frustration and dissatisfaction.
A employee intranet software can help tackle the issues contributing to employee dissatisfaction by improving communication, collaboration, transparency, recognition, and access to learning and development resources. This can help organizations create a more positive and engaged workforce, improving productivity and success.
Choosing the Right Modern Intranet: Understanding the Differences and Key Features
A modern intranet is a digital workplace platform that provides centralized communication, collaboration, and access to information for an organization. It is designed to help employees stay connected, informed, and productive, regardless of location or device.
A traditional intranet, on the other hand, is often limited to simple file sharing and basic communication tools. It may not be designed for mobile use or include features like social collaboration, gamification, and personalized experiences.
When choosing a employee intranet software for your company, some key features to look for include:
Mobile-responsive design: The ability to access the intranet from any device, anywhere, at any time.
Collaboration tools: Features like instant messaging, team chat rooms, and document collaboration to help teams work together effectively.
Personalization: Employees can customize their intranet experience based on their roles, interests, and preferences.
Social features: The ability to share information, connect with colleagues and recognize and reward employee contributions.
Integrations: The ability to integrate with other tools and systems, such as HR systems, project management tools, and more.
Analytics and reporting: The ability to track usage and engagement, measure the impact of intranet initiatives, and make data-driven decisions.
User-friendly interface: A modern intranet should be easy to use and navigate, with a simple and intuitive design.
By considering these key features, you can ensure that you choose a modern intranet that meets your organization’s needs and supports a positive and productive work culture.
Conclusion
A modern intranet is a powerful tool for organizations to engage their workforce, drive collaboration, and improve operational efficiency. With the rise of remote work and the need for innovative solutions, upgrading your traditional intranet to a modern, collaborative platform that supports your employees and aligns with your organizational goals is essential.
InfinCE provides a comprehensive, modern intranet solution to support employee engagement, regardless of where they work. With features such as shareable dashboards, blogs, wikis, communication apps, and productivity tools, InfinCE is designed to transform employee communications across your organization. Whether your employees work together in-person or remotely, InfinCE ensures seamless communication, connection, and engagement, leading to better collaboration, productivity, and success for your organization.
Currently leading and managing a highly talented group of developers to produce an unmatched futuristic complex cost effective cloud product which can compete with technology giants.
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Turning Employee Resignations to Employee Retention in Modern Workplace!
Business Software
Cloud
Small Business
Technology
Is a Digital Workplace platform what your company needs to turn employee resignations into employee retention in today’s modern workplace?
In today’s changing business environment, organizations must rank employee experience to improve retention rates and attract top talent. This involves creating a workplace culture that supports and values employees, providing opportunities for learning and development, and implementing processes and technologies that make it easier for employees to do their job. By strategizing employee experience in the modern workplace, organizations can improve employee retention, foster a more positive work culture, and drive business success.
A study by Gallup shows that 48% of US employees are on a job hunt. One-third of new employees quit after about six months, according to statistics. It has been recognized that 44% of employees are stressed at work. It is vital for companies, both big and small, to focus on employee retention to maintain a stable and productive workforce. This can involve offering competitive salaries and benefits, providing opportunities for professional development and career advancement, and creating a positive and supportive work environment.
By focusing on employee retention, companies can reduce the costs and disruptions associated with high levels of turnover and create a more positive and productive work culture.
How employee experience contributes to employee retention
Research shows that in August 2022, attrition stood at 29% for the companies that put an end to working from home. In comparison, the companies that allowed remote work or hybrid work models saw only 19% attrition. According to Statista,72% of people looking for a job believe that work-life balance is an essential factor to consider.
Employees who do not have a work-life balance tend to burn out more quickly. Employees struggle to have a great work-life balance or even overall EX (employee experience), leading to rising employee resignations. On the other hand, for companies shifting to remote or hybrid models, tracking employee tasks and performances, providing regular training, maintaining transparency, developing trust & build a positive work environment are challenging.
Here’s more to understanding how ineffective work environments can lead to dissatisfied employees, which can deeply impact the entire organization’s growth and performance.
1. Lack of effective communication
The relationship between employer & employee is very fragile & can be only maintained via constant two-way communication. This makes employees feel more engaged, motivated & productive. To deliver a promising employee experience, organizations should focus on effective communication channels like video meetings, internal chats, conferences, etc.
2. Connected workplaces are turning imperative
When employees are involved and connected, they feel valued and tend to be more productive. Maintaining transparency on project progress, sales performances, and other key metrics can help improve employee experience and strengthen their relationship with the company. Businesses can rely on custom dashboards to centralize & customize information to ensure everyone is working towards the same goals and objectives.
3. Ensuring employee well-being in hybrid work culture
When work culture is constantly changing, employees may feel uncertain about their roles and responsibilities, leading to confusion, frustration & decrease in productivity. Statistics show 46% of employees seek mental health benefits in a new job. Shifting to a digital workplace can help improve employee experience and work efficiency in hybrid and remote work cultures through seamless communication and build a culture of trust & focus with transparency.
4. Motivation & career alignment
Employees who feel supported and motivated are likelier to be engaged and motivated to do their best work. Creating a positive work culture and supporting employees’ professional growth can increase job satisfaction and retention. Offering regular training programs, mentorship, coaching, and career growth opportunities and creating supportive growth & learning environment can help employees feel valued and invested in work.
How a digital workplace contributes to improved employee experience
Digital workplaces improve connectivity, be it human-to-human, human-to-machines, or human-to-data. In today’s digital era, where work is impossible without tools, apps, and other technologies, digital workplaces ensure one can leverage them from anywhere, within any work culture. Moreover, maintaining transparency, tracking in real-time, and accessing information securely, get simpler with digital workplaces. For companies trying to stick to hybrid and remote work cultures, digital workplaces can make work collaboration and communication much smarter. Here’s more on how digital workplaces can help tackle workplace challenges and keep employees productive, motivated, and happy!
1. Improved work collaboration
In today’s digital era, you need more ways to stay connected and collaborate at work. A digital workplace, with multiple communication channels, chat facilities, and video conference options, enables employees to reach out faster to the right person, leaving no communication gaps that might hinder work or work relationships. Digital workplaces also come with a pool of productivity tools that allow employees to work together from different locations and track tasks in real-time so everyone stays on the same page at work. Improving work collaboration alone can help employees feel involved and valued at work and strengthen the employer-employee relationship.
2. Improved transparency
The most effective way to make employees feel valued is by maintaining transparency. Keeping everyone on the same page on several matters of your project or company could get tricky, especially if employees work remotely. But digital workplaces that facilitate intuitive dashboards enable seamlessly keeping your selected employees informed on the respective projects, performance metrics, or company policies. This way, no employees would feel left out on important announcements or updated company targets and goals.
3. Keeping employees engaged
Keeping your staff engaged and motivated all the time is challenging. Along with company goals, most employees look forward to achieving personal career growth as well, the lack of which leads to resignation. With digital work platforms or workplaces, companies can seamlessly integrate training platforms to monitor employee performances and provide regular training to help staff feel encouraged and have clearly defined career paths. Such platforms and apps can also be leveraged to offer regular exercise or mind training programs for employees to keep them active, healthy, and stress-free, regardless of the work culture.
4. Bring your team together
With work cultures shifting rapidly, depending on tools and technologies at work has turned imperative. But when different employees work on separate tools and disparate systems, keeping everyone on your team together gets tricky! Digital workplaces not just bring people together but also tools and technology, enabling seamless integration and centralized management of productivity tools. What’s more effective than having one platform to store and centrally manage all the tools, tasks, and data of your entire team or company?
Is InfinCE the right Digital Workplace Platform for your company?
If your company is focused on achieving operational efficiency and growth through a dedicated and future-ready workforce, then InfinCE is your digital workplace platform! InfinCE makes it seamless to keep employees productive, motivated, skilled, and ready to tackle the changing workplace scenarios and challenges. Besides effective management, instant communication, enhanced work collaborations, and a pool of productivity tools, InfinCE is top-notch when it comes to data security and business transparency. Here’s a quick rundown of what makes InfinCE the ultimate digital workplace platform!
A cloud-based, all-in-one digital workplace platform that allows you to manage multiple workflows effortlessly.
Offers seamless IT management from one place while ensuring the safety of data rendered.
Custom dashboards to quickly keep track of important metrics.
Application marketplace enabling seamless integration of third-party tools.
Free Guest User options.
Business Phone System, keeping business contacts and communications smarter.
Employee Directory, enabling everyone in your company to stay connected regardless of departments.
Secured and centrally managed IT Infrastructure.
24/7 customer support.
Besides the above-mentioned top features, InfinCE can make your brand instantly recognizable with white-label service. Establish boosted credibility and brand consistency with a custom domain, custom business email, custom branded software, personalized workplace solution, and more such white label services from InfinCE that will help provide your clients, customers, and employees an enhanced experience. So wait no more! Connect with our experts today, or request a Free Demo to learn more about InfinCE!
I am a Product Consultant, living at the intersection of empathy, design, engineering and helping teams craft Products that bring a smile. I believe that technology best serves its purpose when we use it to address deep problems without losing sight of the human nature of its users. Truly transformative technology is one that seamlessly becomes part of the daily narrative of its customers, aiding them to achieve their goals faster and easier.
A digital workplace is a modern, virtual version of a traditional workplace that serves as a centralized hub for employees to collaborate, securely access or share data and execute business functions from anywhere, on any device, at any time, while driving competitive advantage, innovation, and sustainable business growth.
Any discussion on the future of work is incomplete without mentioning digital workplace technologies. The modern workplace is no longer a physical space we need to go to. The rapid transition to remote work driven by COVID-19 and the increasing popularity of hybrid work models have spurred the evolution of digital workplaces.
Digital workplace software features the entire portfolio of applications, IT infrastructure, workplace technologies, and enabling services that power new ways of working and contribute to employee experience and engagement.
Digital workplace software equips employees to take full advantage of existing and emerging technologies for driving business outcomes, including digital transformation.
Simply put, a digital workplace is a virtual work environment in which your employees, scattered across diverse geographies, teams, and departments, can stay connected, access data, and do their work at any time of the day, using any device of their choice. You can enjoy the benefits of a digital workplace if you have a stable internet connection and a computing device (such as a laptop, desktop, tablet, or smartphone).
What are the Key Factors to Consider in a Digital Workplace?
Digital workplace success primarily relies on three important factors. They are:
1. People
A digital workplace is designed to meet the changing needs of the modern workforce. Millennials and Gen Z, who make up the world’s largest working population, desire more flexibility in their work preferences (eg: remote or hybrid work models). The productivity and satisfaction of people should always take a front seat when planning digital workplace initiatives.
2. Technology
Robust technology is the backbone of digital workplace software. The growth of the internet, along with the technologies that stem from it, has decentralized work. Physical space is no longer required for employees to communicate or store, access, and share information in real time. A digital workplace should incorporate technologies that help bridge the gap between people and productivity, such as cloud and mobility.
3. Management
Strong and helpful management facilitates meaningful coordination between people and technology by driving a positive company culture. Management should make workplace technology more accessible for everyone and motivate employees to take full advantage of virtual collaboration solutions. This can go a long way in improving workplace transparency, accountability, and employee engagement.
What are the Essential Components of a Digital Workplace?
A typical digital workplace is an assembly of six basic components:
Broadly speaking, a digital workplace should offer all the essential features to navigate a specific workday.
1. Communication
Communication requirements in a workplace can be both synchronous and asynchronous. Collaborating with your team members in real-time or near real-time from a single location or multiple locations is critical for the success of your digital workplace. Synchronous or real-time collaboration is enabled through one-on-one voice and video calls, meetings with multiple participants, and live chat. Asynchronous communication that doesn’t require instant action, allowing people to respond or update according to their availability, is also an important component of the digital workplace. The best example of this type of communication is email.
2. Mobility
The most striking feature of a digital workplace is anywhere, anytime accessibility which makes mobility an inevitable component of remote and hybrid work cultures. Your digital workplace should be accessible via authorized mobile devices (in the form of a mobile app or mobile website), especially when you are coordinating employees from multiple locations. Use stringent access controls to ensure that only the right users are logging into your digital workplace through authorized devices and login credentials.
3. Productivity
Popular productivity tools that help employees work efficiently, such as word processors, spreadsheets, presentation software, task management tools, calendar, etc., are a must-have digital workplace component. Productivity tools enable your team to easily manage their day-to-day activities and raise their efficiency.
4. Security
Digital workplace adoption implies shifting to a cloud-first, mobile-first workplace, where employees use many devices to accomplish tasks. This can expose organizations to potential cyber threats and security vulnerabilities. Digital workplaces offering virtual private servers (VPS) and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) help retain absolute rights over your data by employing advanced access controls, user permissions, and firewalls.
5. Storage
Sufficient storage is a must to handle both expected and unexpected workloads, whether your data is stored onsite in physical servers or uploaded to virtual cloud servers. There should also be a provision to scale storage on demand with ease as your organization grows.
6. Integrations
Work becomes more convenient and smart when all your productivity tools and collaboration apps can be accessed and managed from a centralized platform through a single sign-on. Handling multiple subscription renewals, maintaining separate login credentials for each software, and spending money on unused tools can be easily eliminated with centralized IT management. Through seamless third-party software integration, a digital workplace brings all the tools you need in one place to perform your tasks without any interventions and challenges.
Debunking 3 Common Myths About the Digital Workplace
Though digital workplaces are designed to make life easier and more productive for employees, only a few are aware of the benefits. Outdated views about workplace technologies prevent IT leaders and key stakeholders from providing their buy-in. Three common false assumptions standing in the way of digital workplace adoption are dispelled here:
Myth #1: Digital workplace adoption can happen without culture change
The pandemic expedited the adoption of digital workplace technologies, which made remote work mainstream. However, most organizations use digital workplace tools such as video meeting solutions and visual collaboration applications to emulate their existing communication and collaboration experiences instead of enabling new ways of working. This affects the productivity of employees.
Here’s what you can do to address this challenge:
Nominate peer advocates and champions at the team level who can coach team members and support the cultural and process changes needed in a digital workplace.
Identify employees who need more encouragement or motivation. Demonstrate how the digital workplace is linked to their career advancement.
Develop a “our way of working” statement that helps employees select the applications they need for each scenario. This encourages them to use all of the functionalities you’ve implemented.
Myth #2: Workplace collaboration is always synchronous
Several business leaders still believe that true workplace collaboration occurs only when their employees are in the same place, working on a common task. In a hybrid world with frequently overlapping work schedules, asynchronous modes of collaboration equally impact team innovation. Employees forced to spend more time in meetings have proven that they can be as productive and innovative using modern asynchronous collaboration methods. For example, video meeting recordings and transcriptions are great time savers, as they reduce the need for meetings and allow employees to catch up on missed discussions.
Ways to promote asynchronous collaboration methods:
Use internal networking collaboration tools like employee intranet solutions to experiment with new collaboration styles, grow communities, and strengthen employee interactions.
Collaborative work management applications, such as online office tools, file collaboration, and simultaneous editing, drive the adoption of new collaboration practices, improve workplace transparency and accountability, and boost employee engagement.
Myth #3: Digital workplace and digital transformations are the same
The digital workplace is often used interchangeably with digital transformation. Both aren’t the same. A digital workplace provides an engaging and intuitive environment for employees to collaborate virtually through a horde of workplace applications. It allows teams to leverage existing and emerging technologies to drive business outcomes. A digital transformation model exploits the latest digital technologies to create new business models.
A digital workplace is a key step in accomplishing the digital transformation. Prioritizing employee-centric workplace digital initiatives will augment your digital transformation agenda.
Understand what could enhance your employee experience and help them operate in a more engaging and intuitive workplace.
Choose a digital workplace software that’s easy for your employees and managers to optimize when, where, and how the work gets done.
What are the Benefits of a Digital Workplace?
A digital workplace improves employee engagement in your organization by giving your teams the tools they require to connect, collaborate, and perform their core responsibilities at work. Here is why you should implement digital workplace software.
1. Flexibility to work remotely
The third edition of McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey reveals that 87% of people prefer to work remotely one or more days per week if given a choice. Remote work gives employees the flexibility and freedom to manage their core job responsibilities without being physically in their office workspace.
A digital workplace platform features all the collaboration tools you need to connect virtually with your colleagues and access your company data and applications online from any device, any location, at any time of the day. This will enhance your employees’ job satisfaction, productivity, and work-life balance. Flexible work environments and schedules help employees get the most out of their workdays, as they can time-shift to perform work when they are most prepared.
2. More room for ideation and innovation
Smart and reliable virtual collaboration tools cut down meeting times, reduce delays in peer-to-peer communication, strengthen employee-management relationships, and give teams more room for ideation and innovation. Better workplace coordination infuses a collaborative culture in your organization that helps churn ideas that may not otherwise have been heard.
Instant feedback shared laterally between team members and vertically between the management and employees will improve your team’s workplace morale and satisfaction. Employees ardently use their freed-up time for problem-solving and ideation when work becomes easier.
3. Lower operational expenses
There is no better choice than a cost-effective digital workplace to manage globally distributed teams. When you are spared from the need to pay multiple subscription costs and license renewal charges, your operating expenses decrease considerably. For example, a cloud-based digital workplace platform eliminates the need for costly on-premise servers and storage and the physical office space and IT resources needed to operate and maintain them.
4. Better data security, storage, and access
Digital workplace software leverages the power of the cloud and mobility. Cloud technology ensures secure storage and easy access/ sharing of data files from anywhere, at any time. The virtual work environment allows employees to access the right information they need and share their knowledge with a few clicks or taps.
Most digital workplaces are designed with built-in security measures. To protect your employees’ personal identity and save your data from cyber attacks, you can implement additional security measures, such as strong password encryption and multi-factor authentication.
5. Transparent work environment
A digital workplace combines multiple components into a single suite, so your employees can perform their best with as few obstacles as possible. When everyone in your team is on the same page, you will get more time to focus on business and organizational goals. Sharing company news, success stories, culture posts, accolades, and recognition via the digital workplace platform improves team bonding, promotes a “family-like” environment in your workplace, and ensures all employees are aligned with your organizational culture.
How Does a Digital Workplace Transform Your Employee Experience?
Digital workplaces follow a bottom-up approach that considers all the daily challenges of employees and provides all the tools to boost the overall employee experience.
1. Facilitates modern workstyle
A digital workplace platform allows employees to work remotely with optimum productivity. Easy access to all information in one place, sharing the right information to the right people at the right time, collaboration tools, productivity applications, and all the necessary tools and technology for your remote employees ensure that their productivity isn’t compromised.
2. Bring your own device (BYOD)
Millennials, who presently comprise the largest portion (38%) of the American workforce, prefer to work from their own devices because they feel more engaged, motivated, and comfortable. As long as your employees are connected to the internet, they can access their work-related data anywhere, on any device. The freedom to use any device they prefer improves your organization’s employee experience.
3. Communication and Collaboration
Effective workplace collaboration is the key to business success and innovation. Ideas developed by a team of three or more people have a greater appeal than those developed by just one or two individuals. However, desk-side collaborations and conversations over lunch are practically impossible when you have a highly distributed workforce. A digital workplace platform is the best way to make collaboration and coordination an important part of your company culture. Using digital workplace software, you can set up internal communication channels for every team or department, making it easy for members to communicate with each other. It gives your team more time for innovation and ideation by reducing the duration and number of meetings they attend.
Why Choose InfinCE Over Other Digital Workplaces?
No digital workplace platform is 100% one-size-fits-all. Therefore, it’s crucial to find a digital workplace solution that can be customized according to your company’s needs and integrated with your existing workflows and third-party software tools, if any. To keep it simple and short, a digital workplace should augment your employee experience and work culture without disrupting your existing workflows and give you better results and ROI. This is where InfinCE makes a difference.
Whatever your use case may be – team communication, project management, document creation and sharing, managing information assets, video meeting, virtual collaboration, and more, InfinCE has everything you need to handle all aspects of your business. Here is a summary of the top InfinCE features.
1. Built-in collaboration apps and productivity tools
Collaboration apps for employees to coordinate at work more efficiently, including employee directory, live chat, one-on-one voice and video calls, video conferencing, and private email.
A comprehensive suite of productivity tools that help perform your day-to-day organizational activities like task management, document creation, and sharing.
Ready-to-access online office tools: Documents, Spreadsheets, Presentations, and Calendars raise your employees’ productivity. Employees can easily share and collaborate on documents and get the work done quickly.
Secure file sharing: Files can be securely shared between employees, but also between employees and non-employees using options like upload-only folders and password-protected files.
2. Custom dashboards to track insights and make decisions
InfinCE lets users create custom dashboards to help them keep track of what’s happening in their project or team. It brings an effective way to communicate key business information in real-time and simplifies team collaboration.
InfinCE dashboards can be restricted to and contain just the information appropriate for the expected viewers. However, those viewers may be classified: as Organization, Department, or Team. An individual can create private dashboards for their sole use.
Unique standard tiles on the InfinCE dashboards allow sharing of different types of information, including news feeds, announcements, bookmarks, videos, notes, and more, in one view.
The dashboards consolidate data from various sources (such as other internal software apps) and display insights in charts, graphs, tables, and other formats.
3. InfinCE Mobile App
Download the InfinCE employee engagement mobile app on your iOS or Android device and stay on top of your work.
View dashboard updates, access work files, find contacts, join video meetings, and do a lot more with the intuitive InfinCE mobile app.
Customize the app’s interface to reflect your branding and deliver a highly engaging experience to your workforce.
The mobile app is envisioned to help you perform all the functions that are available on your InfinCE Web, from anywhere, at any time.
Private cloud infrastructure guarantees enterprise-grade security for your organization. It provides unmatched data security and powerful performance that your IT team can manage and monitor easily.
We offer dedicated virtual servers, so you don’t have to manage your cloud platform separately. InfinCE private enterprise cloud gets renewed along with your subscription.
Virtual private servers improve corporate privacy because there is no sharing of your company data with third-party software vendors. InfinCE’s secure digital infrastructure achieves this added protection through its inbuilt firewalls and encryption/password-based user access controls.
5. Custom brand your digital workplace
You can elevate your brand presence from your workspace to your customer front with InfinCE’s extensive custom branding options.
Showcase your brand logo and colors at every touchpoint – internally and externally – such as your private email, website, digital workplace, company mobile app, and video meeting rooms.
Carve a unique brand identity that’s both consistent and catchy through custom business email, white-labeled web and mobile apps, personalized smart workspaces, and branded video meeting rooms.
Reflect on your brand’s purpose, values, strategy, and communication codes with InfinCE.
6. Curated application marketplace
InfinCE features a growing library of commercial and open-source business applications from several software vendors on its platform. Available applications come in categories suited to different business functions, such as CRM, ERP, project management, HRM, etc.
Subscribe and readily access all your essential enterprise applications with a single sign-on through the marketplace. Suggest any compatible software that can be added to the marketplace. Our developers also help you build special-purpose custom software.
Easily integrate all your business processes, reduce expenses, manage resources optimally, and engage with clients better to stimulate growth.
Stay on top of your software costs by avoiding multiple subscriptions and unused software tools.
7. Business phone system
InfinCE offers a complete cloud-based phone system for all your business communications.
Enjoy lower call costs per minute based on the time spent on calls. No cancellation fees are required.
An intelligent IVR system helps improve customer service efficiency, manage incoming call spikes, and increase customer satisfaction with auto callbacks.
Automated call distribution minimizes call waiting times by customizing call flow paths and diverting callers to the right agents.
Conclusion
A robust digital workplace drives real cultural change. It breaks down communication barriers, transforms employee experience, and fosters innovation and growth. From integrating email and instant messaging to virtual meeting software and custom business dashboards, InfinCE offers all the tools you need to implement an entirely new working environment that replicates your employees’ changing work experience.
I am a Product Consultant, living at the intersection of empathy, design, engineering and helping teams craft Products that bring a smile. I believe that technology best serves its purpose when we use it to address deep problems without losing sight of the human nature of its users. Truly transformative technology is one that seamlessly becomes part of the daily narrative of its customers, aiding them to achieve their goals faster and easier.
Is Remote Work Culture Hindering Your Company Productivity & Growth?
Business Software
Cloud
Small Business
Technology
Productivity leakage is a concern when it comes to remote work.
There’s still a debate on whether to work from home or the office. And to settle this debate, we focus on the productivity levels in each working environment. Productivity can only be measured with the amount of outcome generated by the employee.
It’s a common notion that employees are distracted or less productive when working remotely. A leader constantly worries about deadlines, deliverables, team relationships, employee creative levels, and upscaling employee skills that contribute to the company’s goals. However, a survey conducted by Work Trends Study states 87% of employees say they’re more productive when working remotely or in a hybrid setup.
But employees, on the other hand, might feel a communication gap and lack motivation when working remotely. Employers must ensure a connected workplace with effective and regular communication, feedback, and employee training. Focusing on these factors alone can help companies tackle the challenges of shifting work culture.
With remote work culture growing, particularly given recent trends with companies such as Facebook, Twitter, and SalesForce all announcing new policies for unlimited working from home, it is crucial to stop and see how this change in dynamics might impact the culture at your company. These nearly invisible changes directly impact employees’ happiness, yet data and analytics are lacking to see how remote and hybrid working impacts things.
Regarding productivity, managers who track it down on baseless metrics like working hours, putting a tracker system, and following up every hour, jinx the work culture. In this blog, let’s try to understand how remote work culture directly impacts productivity, internal relationships, creativity, and collaboration and if it is the future of work!
How is remote work culture impacting work productivity?
While working remotely may increase productivity, decrease stress, eliminate real-estate costs, and lower greenhouse emissions, it may cause several workplace problems. Remote work can hurt a company’s culture in several ways; a lack of social interaction may cause workplace relationships to suffer. For those individuals who strongly prefer working in-person, remote work culture’s de-engagement effects can be as severe as 17% lower productivity to 24% higher turnover.
We covered quite a bit of ground on building good communications and developing a positive corporate culture while working with distributed or remote teams. Developing company culture is not simply done for its own sake; it significantly impacts employee retention, satisfaction, and performance.
You need to understand that long-lasting remote working culture impacts how you are perceived by employees and customers, which will eventually define the success or development of the company. But considering the upside of having a remote work culture, especially the cost advantages, it is not smart to completely turn down this culture shift. The only way to still embrace this shift is by ensuring healthy employer-employee or company-staff relationships. And with technological advances today, nothing is impossible!
How can a digital workplace platform help maintain productivity in remote work culture?
There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many businesses to rethink the way they operate. For many, this has meant implementing remote work policies for the first time. While working remotely has many benefits, some challenges also need to be addressed to ensure that productivity levels are maintained.
One way to do this is by using a digital workplace platform. This platform can help facilitate communication and collaboration between team members and help set and track goals.
It can be tough to cultivate a remote work team culture, but it’s worth it. Here are a few tips to help get you started.
1. Defining team culture in a remote work setting
The best way to create a team culture in a remote work setting is to start with the team’s goals and values. Define what the team wants to achieve and how they want to work together. Once these are established, everyone on the team should be on the same page and understand the culture that is being created. It’s important to be clear about what is and isn’t acceptable behavior and have a set of guidelines that everyone can refer to. This will help ensure that the team culture is maintained and everyone is working towards the same goal.
No one can work in a vacuum. To be productive, people need to feel part of a team. A remote work setting can be a challenge when it comes to creating a team culture.
Here are a few tips to help you get started.
Define your team’s values and culture: What are the things that are important to your team? What are your core values? Defining your values and culture will help you to create a common understanding among your team members. It will also help you to make decisions when it comes to things like hiring and firing.
Establish rules and guidelines: To ensure everyone is on the same page, it’s important to establish some rules and guidelines. These can include how often team members should communicate, what type of communication is acceptable, and how to handle conflict.
Encourage team bonding: Even though team members may be working remotely, it’s important to find ways to encourage team bonding. This can be done through team-building exercises, social media groups, or video chats.
Celebrate successes: When your team achieves something great, take the time to celebrate! This can be done through team emails, social media posts, or even a team video call.
Be transparent: When things go wrong, it’s important to be transparent with your team. This includes being honest about why something went wrong, what is being done to fix it, and what the consequences will be. Creating a strong team culture in a remote work setting can be challenging, but it’s definitely worth the effort. By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating a team that is productive and happy.
2. Managing conflict in a remote work team culture
To manage conflict in a remote work team culture, it is important to understand the dynamics of the team and the culture in which it operates. Effective conflict management involves understanding the triggers for conflict, the communication channels available, and the team’s culture.
In a remote team, there may be a higher chance of misunderstandings due to the lack of communication or facial expressions. This can be exacerbated when team members are from different cultures. It is important to be aware of the potential triggers for conflict and to have effective communication channels in place.
When managing conflict in a remote team culture, it is important to be aware of cultural norms and expectations. In some cultures, it is acceptable to be more direct in communication, while in others, it is considered rude. It is important to be aware of these differences and to adjust communication styles as needed.
By understanding the dynamics of the team and the culture in which it operates, you can better manage conflict in a remote work team.
3. Encouraging team productivity in a remote work setting
To encourage productivity in a remote work setting, setting up some ground rules and expectations for team members is important. This includes clearly defined working hours, communication methods, and expectations for quality and output. It is also important to foster a positive team environment where team members are supportive of one another and are willing to help out when needed. By establishing a productive remote work environment, team members are more likely to be productive and meet deadlines.
How InfinCE makes an apt Digital workplace platform
InfinCE allows you to feel more in control of your data and your work-giving you a greater sense of mastery and purpose. It also helps you feel more connected to your team and organization, fostering a sense of community and collaboration matters.
As an HR professional, you know that employee engagement is essential to organizational success. But what’s the best way to promote engagement within your organization?
One effective way is to use modern dashboard software to create custom dashboards for employees. By doing so, you can ensure that employees have the information they need to stay aligned with organizational goals.
Not only will this help to promote employee engagement, but it will also help to improve communication and collaboration within your organization. So if you’re looking for a way to boost employee engagement, consider using modern dashboard software to create custom dashboards for employees.
Looking for the contact information for your entire employee base? Look no further than the InfinCE comprehensive employee directory. This easy-to-use tool provides all the information you need to connect with your employees, no matter where they work. With multiple modes of collaboration available – live chat, one-on-one video calls, and meetings – your employees will stay connected and productive, even when working remotely.
Enhance your organization’s credibility with business emails. Store captured business data on documents, presentations, or spreadsheets in a private drive and ensured selective access through permissions and controls. Create events on InfinCE’s calendar, track tasks, and enhance your workforce efficiency easily!
Conclusion
Various stats have proved that remote work culture has contributed to productivity but, at the same time, has also increased work stress for employees. However, the advent of remote working tools has helped embrace the work culture shifts and continues to enable the company to empower the upside of remote work culture!
InfinCE, a powerful digital workplace platform, can help your company improve communication and collaboration and maintain transparency to embrace the remote work culture. It’s easy to use and can be customized to meet your needs. Start a free 30-day trial today and see how it helps your company!
Currently leading and managing a highly talented group of developers to produce an unmatched futuristic complex cost effective cloud product which can compete with technology giants.
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The Best Ways to Improve Your Digital Workplace Management
Business Software
Small Business
Technology
Remote work is taking a front seat, and companies need to shift from traditional workplace norms to an on-demand workforce that is changing the business world completely. To make this shift, companies need a digital workplace solution. These integrated and intelligent remote work platforms provide exciting new ways to increase employee engagement, optimize costs, and create an agile workforce.
What is a digital workplace? On the face of it, a digital workplace may seem like a virtualized proxy of the in-person office space, but in today’s competitive and technology-enabled world, it needs to do so much more.
A digital workplace platform offers cloud-native technologies that improve the company’s bottom line and lead to better team collaboration. It also leverages digital tools that help companies achieve scale while reducing costs.
Deloitte describes the digital workplace as encompassing “all the tools and technologies people need to get their work done in today’s workplace – both in operation and the ones to be implemented.” Deloitte’s report outlines one characteristic that makes a great digital workplace solution. A good digital workplace platform connects the employee experience with business outcomes.
Why Your Company Needs a Digital Workplace Solution
Digital workplace solutions give companies a competitive advantage by making them agile, flexible, and providing them with a centralized management view. In the shift to a remote work culture that is now the new normal, companies need to go beyond generic tools for remote work. Instead, they need to look at a digital workplace solution that integrates processes and leverages digital technologies to help companies improve their profits. There are many reasons why your company must rely on a digital workplace solution.
Provides real-time collaboration and productivity tools: Productivity and collaboration tools are crucial for remote and hybrid work. Productivity tools like smart email management tools, collaboration channels, and task management apps can help companies complete more work in less time and strategically plan their workloads and business strategies.
Improves employee experience: Digital workplace solutions put employees at the center of their design, making team members feel engaged even though they work remotely.
Offers unified custom dashboards: A good digital workplace solution provides tools like interactive, data-rich dashboards that give a unified view of all the end-to-end processes.
Reduces costs and drives profitability: Digital workplace solutions reduce organizational and management costs. They can increase productivity, which impacts the bottom line. This survey byGartner reveals a 44% rise in employee productivity. Thanks to collaboration tools.
Promises transparency and data security: With their business dashboards that provide an additional layer of data security, digital workplaces offer better transparency and prevent data theft.
Drives innovation and scalability: Digital workplace technologies will drive innovation by enabling companies to hire from around the world. They will also help companies scale and increase productivity due to their feature-rich collaboration tools.
The Best Ways to Improve Your Digital Workplace Management
In the aftermath of the pandemic, remote work is the new reality of an on-demand workforce. A company can have many productivity and collaboration apps but without a digital workplace management strategy and platform to unify them all, there can be information and collaboration overload.
Here’s how you can improve your digital workplace management.
Prioritize a single pane of glass view: Digital workplace management brings this unified view of the entire company’s workflows. A central point of control is important. With it, you can leverage advanced levels of automation to make collaboration better and faster. Unified dashboards lead to faster workflows and greater scale.
Aim forseamless integration: Digital workplace solutions are invaluable only if they are completely integrated into the company’s overall business processes. Digital workplace management helps companies achieve this single point of integration.
Choose smarter data analytics: To improve your digital workplace management, focus on actionable data and people analytics. Intelligent collaboration tools can give you real-time updates about projects and employee performance. It is not just important to have data but to mine and utilize it immediately. Use custom dashboards to track performances and processes. These dashboards can also give you immediate access to company-wide data from APIs, apps, and CSV files.
Look for personalized digital solutions: Choose digital workplace solutions that suit your company and its specific requirements. This is where digital orchestration platforms come in. They blend into your company’s existing workflow and optimize it instead of disrupting processes. A digital orchestration platform helps you integrate software and solutions from various SaaS vendors to manage and scale your digital workplace.
Pick the right tools: Choose digital workplace tools that drive higher rates of automation and collaboration. Digital workplace solutions should be designed to drive end-user adoption, leading to an agile digital workplace. Look for rich interactive collaboration tools like live chats, multiple screen sharing, breakout rooms, and shareable meeting links. Go with productivity apps with excellent project management capabilities and tools to track performance and tasks.
Give importance to the employee experience: Employee experience is central to the success of your digital platform. Opt for voice and video calls to build stronger workplace connections so that employees don’t miss face-to-face interactions. Employees value flexibility in remote work and tools like live chats, collaboration channels, and intranet platforms that keep social interactions alive.
Choose a centralized IT management: When your company runs multiple applications and has to juggle between many sign-on, work becomes tedious and difficult to manage. With a single sign-on and an efficient third-party tool integration, centralized IT management unifies all of the enterprise’s applications and workflows. It also increases business transparency.
With the rise of remote work, sustaining a distributed workforce and empowering it with a solid digital workplace management solution is important. InfinCE integrates online and offline communications by providing all-time access from anywhere in the world. While most digital workplace tools offer a variety of tools, some of them like InfinCE, are purpose-built to provide unified reporting of company workflows and targets. InfinCE also provides companies with excellent data accessibility and multiple modes of effective collaboration. Its features include customizable dashboards built to mine data and generate metrics. Want to create powerful and profitable digital workplaces that help you race ahead of the competition?
Currently leading and managing a highly talented group of developers to produce an unmatched futuristic complex cost effective cloud product which can compete with technology giants.
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Why Does Employee Well-being Matter in a Hybrid Work Model?
Cloud
Technology
Remote and hybrid work has gained more popularity during and after the outbreak of Covid-19. Flexible work has been found to keep employees more productive and happy, a fact acknowledged by employers worldwide. Working from home/anywhere has become a vital strategy for organizations to increase employee productivity.
Post Covid-19, companies are increasingly adopting hybrid work schedules by encouraging employees to work from the comfort of their homes for part of a week. The Accenture 2021 study “Future of Work: A Hybrid Work Model” found that 83% of the 9326 employees surveyed confirmed their allegiance to hybrid work, wherein they got to work at least 25% of the time remotely. Another key finding of the study was that “responsible leaders must move beyond physical location to shape the future of work by giving people resources tailored to their needs.” The same study report also documents that 63% of high-growth companies have already embraced a ‘productivity anywhere’ workforce model. And more companies are expected to follow suit! This data indicates companies that enable their employees to be productive and healthier anywhere have succeeded in improving bottom lines.
How Hybrid Work Model Increase Employee Efficiency?
A hybrid work model serves to improve employee efficiency in a multitude of ways. Here are a few:
1. Hybrid work calls for smart digitization of business processes.
Hybrid work requires the adoption of smart digital workplace platforms to enable your dispersed employees to communicate and collaborate with their remote team members to get their work done. Digitization of business processes endows your business with technical capabilities to fast-track its operations while training your employees in state-of-the-art technologies to help the latter upskill themselves and improve their efficiency.
2. Increases productivity
Flexible work lets employees work to their strengths, thus serving to increase their productivity. The hybrid work model encourages teams to leverage cloud technologies to find an optimum balance of creativity and collaboration to meet goals.
3. Improves employee satisfaction and culture
Getting to decide on how, where, and when to work to meet the organizational goals increases employee satisfaction by leaps and bounds. This autonomy in decision-making serves to boost productivity.
4. Increases collaboration and betters work relationships
Regular virtual meetings help track the progress of projects while facilitating your geographically diverse teams to communicate and collaborate effectively and efficiently over the digital platform in a connected world. A digital workplace solution offers your employees an avenue to contribute proactively toward meeting goals smarter and faster, thus strengthening relationships in the event.
5. Better work-life balance improves mental health
Hybrid work enables your employees to have a better work-life fit which is very important or their mental well-being. Getting to weave their work around their life allows your employees never to leak their energy into their work, thus decreasing their stress levels. This flexible work schedule prevents your employees from burnout, increasing their productivity.
Digitization improves the efficiency of both the employees and the employers, thus rendering your business processes smarter. Having said that, it doesn’t imply adopting hybrid work would be a cakewalk for companies. Hybrid work poses its own share of challenges to employers.
1. Nurturing company culture when working remotely
Companies are worried about growing a company culture around remote work that aligns with their core values and beliefs. The fear of physical distances hindering the development of company culture is amiss. Smart digital workplace solutions come equipped with the right communication and collaboration tools to keep your employees engaged at work and involved in team-building activities to enrich their experiences. Decision-makers must implement an employee-first culture to nurture their remote teams.
2. Fear that employee well-being might be at risk
Digital workplace solutions enable employees to seamlessly access data vital to their business operations. Increased levels of communication and collaboration might lead to your employees being bombarded with an overload of information that they may fail to disseminate, leading to higher levels of work stress and burnout. This will adversely affect your employees’ well-being. This problem can be resolved by choosing a smart digital workplace solution with custom capabilities to integrate the right tools to suit your business. InfinCE is a smart digital workplace solution that ensures the right data reaches relevant people through its highly customizable smart features. You needn’t settle for a one-size-fits-all kind of digital workplace solution anymore! You can use custom dashboards to simplify your employee data analytics and streamline the management of your information assets. Custom dashboards help analyze performances through smart people analytics and use it to manage and assign tasks to optimize your manpower.
Tips to Reimagine the Well-being of a Hybrid Remote Workforce
1. Hybrid working model helps make human connections
A fully remote workforce might miss the human connections and relationships they once enjoyed at their on-site workplaces. Hybrid work would allow your teams to meet at their physical office premises periodically and enjoy casual, personal interactions with their peers like they once did. This will help eliminate the feeling of disconnect that fully remote employees might feel.
2. Implement hybrid work as a strategy and train leaders to manage new work schedules
Business leaders and managers need to be trained to leverage cloud technologies to manage their hybrid workforce and track their work effectively so that their teams remain engaged and productive. They should be empathetic to the needs of their employees.
3. Integrate smart tools tostreamline communication
Digital workplace solutions come equipped with an array of smart tools to facilitate file sharing, virtual meetings, chatbots, etc., to enable seamless communication among your diverse teams. The right sets of tools ensure that data remains transparent and silos are broken while ensuring the communication remains relevant.
4. Make employee wellness programs an essential part of your business strategy
HR teams must plan workshops and programs to help employees destress and unwind. These could include classes on meditation, stress management, fitness challenges, etc. Employee wellness programs help boost employee loyalty and reduce attrition.
5. Build digital fluency
Digital fluency is critical to improving revenues. Companies must adopt digital working solutions tailor-made to suit their business. Technology is vital to help your remote teams stay connected in a physically disconnected work scenario.
Creating opportunities that optimize communication and cater to the mental well-being of your employees is thus vital for business growth. You must maintain transparency in your communication to build a culture of trust among your hybrid working teams. Hence, you must adopt the right kind of tools and applications to help your business remain agile to meet its ever-changing needs. This is where a smart digital workplace solution like InfinCE comes in handy.
InfinCE is a feature-rich digital platform that can help you manage your hybrid workforce through its,
Custom dashboards that enable smarter data analysis and improve business efficiency by tracking the progress of projects in real-time
Varied collaboration apps that enable seamless communication among your dispersed teams through a comprehensive employee directory; live individual and group chats; and individual/group audio/video calls
Curated marketplace that includes a multitude of applications to suit any business or industry
A suite of productivity apps that includes online office tools, business email, and secure file sharing to enable faster and smarter execution of tasks
Seamless IT infrastructure management from a single place to enable better visibility and much more!
Get in touch with our experts or experience a live demo to know how InfinCE can be an asset to your digitization endeavors.
I am a Product Consultant, living at the intersection of empathy, design, engineering and helping teams craft Products that bring a smile. I believe that technology best serves its purpose when we use it to address deep problems without losing sight of the human nature of its users. Truly transformative technology is one that seamlessly becomes part of the daily narrative of its customers, aiding them to achieve their goals faster and easier.
The pandemic caused remote and hybrid work cultures to become the new modes of work. When workplaces shifted to homes, it compelled many companies to adopt digital workplace solutions to enable their employees across diverse geographies and time zones to stay connected. But why are connected workplaces increasingly becoming the need of the hour for businesses today? Why are companies striving to prepare for the future direction of the workplace?
Connectivity offers flexibility to workplaces, and employees tend to be more engaged at work when they can choose how they spend time at work. Remote work allows employees to work from the comfort of their rooms, thus letting them save the time required for daily commutes to the office.
A connected place is essentially an integrated, secure network of tools and systems that brings together personnel, information assets, and business services on a single, centralized platform to improve efficiency and productivity. Powered by cloud technologies, a connected workplace is equipped with all the aspects you require to manage the services of your business to the employees and customers alike. Connecting with employees at the workplace is vital for sustained business growth.
Benefits of connected workplaces
Connected workplaces bring a host of benefits to the table, a few of which are:
Inculcate a sense of belongingness among employees, which gives rise to good employee experiences, leading to good customer experiences.
Carrying out all tasks on a single platform gives transparency to employee activities, easing collaboration across all departments.
The progress of every task can be tracked, which would help in their timely completion.
Enable seamless internal communication among all departments.
Connected workplaces help increase cooperation among employees. Your employees can connect with team members, their work, company goals, and work culture. Thanks to the smart tools on a connected digital workplace platform. Hence, keeping your geographically dispersed teams connected at work is important to meet organizational objectives and attain sustained business growth.
Here are 12 ways to keep your workplace more connected,
Make sure you know your employees personally
Allow a free flow of information to one and all
Focus on employee engagement
Integrate collaborative software suites with the digital platforms
Ensure your onboarding process is hassle-free
Conduct online surveys and opinion polls among employees
Set up a peer mentoring program
Recognize the voice of your employees
Nurture communities of practice
Encourage employees to connect on an intranet
Set up an employee directory
Plan virtual social events to build a rapport among team members
1. Make sure you know your employees personally
The managers and HR executives must make sure that they connect well with the employees to create a sense of belongingness in their minds. Several companies make it a point to send a gift to their employees on their birthdays. Such gestures would give the message that employees are important to the company.
2. Allow a free flow of information to one and all
The information must freely flow from top-down, bottom-up, and peer-to-peer while working from home. The multi-directional flow of information required for your day-to-day business operations calls for connecting to digital workplace platforms. Content should be well documented and made accessible to one and all through intranet and other tools for communication available on your digital platform. Employees must have the liberty to ask questions and offer feedback to their superiors as and when required. The free flow of information is an important factor in determining how to stay connected with teams while working remotely.
3. Focus on employee engagement
To increase productivity, your employees need to feel enthusiastic and involved in what they do. Lack of enthusiasm might lead to lesser productivity. Being connected on digital workplace platforms renders transparency to work. Tracking and reporting tools like custom dashboards display the progress of tasks and motivate people to work hard.
4. Integrate collaborative software suites with the digital platforms
A digital platform integrated with collaborative suites like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and other collaborative tools helps employees stay connected and join hands with team members to realize organizational goals.
5. Ensure your onboarding process is hassle-free
Your new recruits deserve a suitable environment virtually to familiarize themselves with the tasks they would be entrusted with. Conducting well-designed virtual induction programs will help the new recruits connect with their colleagues while familiarizing themselves with your digital platform. Existing employees will get to hone their skill sets by attending virtual orientation programs designed to introduce new software updates.
6. Conduct online surveys and opinion polls among employees
A connected environment would give all your geographically dispersed employees an equal opportunity to engage in conversation with each other. Online surveys and opinion polls would help keep your employees stay connected and engaged while giving insights into employee conceptions and work culture.
7. Set up a peer mentoring program
Workplace mentoring enhances the employee experience and well-being. Peer mentorship helps build unbiased relationships among employees wherein participants encourage and support each other by sharing knowledge on digital workplace platforms. Peer mentoring programs testify that employees stand to gain knowledge and personal growth through social connections via the Internet.
8. Recognize the voice of your employees
Your employees must be encouraged to drop their suggestions and opinions on your company’s performance in virtual suggestion boxes. Managers must appreciate these ideas on their merit and act on them. Internal communication channels on your digital platform can also be used to voice employee opinions on business performance. Your employees’ voices deserve to be heard!
9. Nurture communities of practice
Harvard Business Review defines communities of practice as “groups of people informally bound together by shared expertise and passion for a joint enterprise”. These groups allow your employees to freely share their experiences and knowledge in novel ways to develop new methods to resolve issues. Communities of practice focus on taking advantage of the expertise within the company by letting your employees across multiple locations connect, brainstorm, and collaborate on your digital workplace platform.
10. Encourage employees to connect on an intranet
Post good content on the intranet that focuses on specific activities of employees and teams. The special events and campaigns held in the company also must find mention in the content shared on the intranet. Excellent performances must be duly appreciated, thus making the intranet an employee recognition center. This gives people a chance to recognize the good work done by their peers, thus improving your company’s culture.
11. Set up an employee directory
Having an employee directory on your digital platform would mean having the contact details of all your employees at your fingertips. This would help an employee to communicate with the right person to resolve a crisis. The valuable opinion of the expert can be initiated through an audio or video call or even an email, all of which would be available on the digital workplace platform.
12. Plan virtual social events to build rapport among team members
Your geographically dispersed teams can be brought together at virtual social events. Online games and campaigns are other events that help employees connect with peers.
Your employees deserve to be heard, and their opinions merit appreciation. They need the support of a smart digital workplace solution like InfinCE to help them stay connected with their peers and company goals. InfinCE offers many features to help your employees stay connected at work.
How does InfinCE help in keeping workplaces connected?
“Employees who feel their voice is heard are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to perform their best work”, says Forbes. InfinCE is a smart digital workplace solution with many features to help your employees stay connected to voice their opinions and share their knowledge.
InfinCE offers a pool of effective collaboration tools to help you connect with your teams faster and work together better for greater business achievements.
You can create custom dashboards with InfinCE that offer deep insights into your business operations and track the progress of projects to ensure they are on schedule.
The platform offers a wide range of productivity tools to help you manage tasks, organize data, and share files seamlessly in a secure environment.
The curated app marketplace of InfinCE provides your organization with many open-source and commercial business software options from multiple vendors that cater to varied industries.
The extensive list of apps available on InfinCE includes Vanilla Forums to manage interactive community forums for customers and potential clients; LimeSurvey to conduct surveys and gather feedback; MediaWiki to build, track and share a hub of knowledge internally and externally; Mautic to manage campaigns, track metrics and generate reports; and many more! Besides, you can seek the help of our experts to integrate custom apps into the platform.
The platform helps you streamline communication through live chats, video calls, and meetings.
InfinCE has an extensive employee directory that fetches important details of your company staff and other external contacts, including their designations, email ids, and contact numbers, with a few clicks. You can view their online presence status and initiate a chat, call, or email directly from the directory!
Get in touch with our consultants for more information about our smart digital workplace platform, or just Sign Up for Free!
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