Build Workforce Focus With These Strategies

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Improving workforce productivity and efficiency is an ongoing challenge for many companies, especially with the introduction of remote work. Even without adding technology into the mix, there are enough things for employees and leaders to think about on any given day. The good news is that technology can actually be used in a way to help your workforce improve their focus and productivity. Let’s discover some of the best tools on offer to help your employees remain engaged every day while working for you. Our team will be here to help you overcome the many frustrations that often occur when implementing new technology into the workplace so that you can quickly see the return on your investment.

Communications

Good communication is essential in order to improve any business operations. Even the smallest of businesses require at least an email address and phone number to contact both their employees and clients. On top of that, they should invest in time-tracking software, which will help to hold employees accountable for completing their assigned tasks and ensure everyone gets paid. Communication tools that any business can benefit from include task lists, schedule reminders, and time mandates, helping you to remain on track at any time.

When discussing business communications, you also need to think about the ways in which you collaborate as a team. With the advent of remote work, video conferencing, and project management apps make it easier than ever for your workforce to connect. This type of technology allows employee focus to improve no matter where you are based in the world, solving problems in an effective and rapid manner.

Security

Many companies leave security to their IT department, but everyone has a role to play in keeping your business secure. The number of cyberattacks has only increased over recent years. This is why all of your employees need to be ready to battle these threats. Anyone can be exposed to a security threat on any given day. However, this often leads to fatigue when it comes to staying alert for potential risks.

Training your team regularly about the importance of security within technology is so important. Even remote workers need to stay aware of these risks, as anyone in your workforce could be a target. Investi in the right security tools and automation software alongside working with our team. Then, you can keep employee focus high while improving security.

Flexibility

The recent pandemic has changed the way in which the global workforce operates. Some organizations allowing remote work to continue long after other employees have returned to the office. By offering your employees the choice to work in a way that’s best suited to their needs and productivity, you can ensure employee focus continues to improve year after year.

You may be worried about a lack of control over employees working remotely. You’ll find that many people find their energy and concentration improve dramatically when working away from the office. The number of distractions on a daily basis in an office is huge. Meaning that some people are less productive here than when working in silence at home. Employees now are looking to enjoy a good work/life balance. Your business should really consider whether remote work is something you can offer to help them achieve this. Flexible technology solutions can assist you. Especially when your workforce is spread across the globe or country. Thus, helping you to meet and exceed your goals as a business.

Our team is here to support your efforts when improving workforce focus and technology used within your business. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.

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The Digital Employee Experience

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In today’s day and age, technology has heavily shaped our lives and businesses, particularly in the workplace. It is imperative to understand how your business allocates its time, money, and resources, particularly with technology-related issues that may arise. The digital employee experience, DEX, is an extremely valuable tool that can be used in the workplace.

Defining DEX

All industries incorporate technology, whether it be the scheduling software used in healthcare settings or the Point of Sales systems used in retail stores and restaurants. People must interact and use various digital workplace tools in order to complete their daily work tasks. The digital employee experience, or DEX, is a representation of how people utilize tools provided in the working environment and how they interact with these resources which allow them to be efficient and productive. DEX tracks and assesses the user experience while utilizing the digital workplace tools from an employee’s perspective and how they can be improved. It is important to understand the workers’ experiences with all the resources within the workplace in order to foster a great working environment that benefits the people and the organization.

Why Does It Matter?

When people have some influence on how they complete their work, they tend to work more effectively and be more engaged in their work. Understanding how to navigate and utilize the workplace tools and interfaces may result in better outcomes for the entire company. When employees begin to feel that their work is meaningless, they tend to burn themselves out or leave the company in search of another organization that values their input and feelings.

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed lives worldwide. The one thing that did not change during the pandemic was technology. In fact, technology expanded broadly as people shifted from working in an office to working remotely. Even now, many employees continue to work from home or have transitioned to hybrid work. During these times, it’s important for employees to feel like they have some control over the completion of their work. People want to feel like their ideas and feelings are valued by the entire organization. 

As technology continues to advance, resources that may have worked in previous years may no longer be effective or as efficient compared to the new and improved digital workplace resources. Investing in DEX empowers employees by providing a better experience, resulting in better productivity and enhanced customer experience; thus, benefitting the entire organization as a whole.

Managed IT Services and Training Can Improve DEX

To ensure that your company is adequately using the best digital workplace tools provided, training is required. Managed IT services can assist through the entire process from identifying services and digital tools that can be beneficial for the company to provide IT support whenever needed. WheelHouse IT can provide services and solutions that enhance the employee workplace experience by providing the best training and support.

To learn more about how DEX can help your business, please contact us at 954.474.2204.

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Thinking About Redesigning Your Workspace in 2022?

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As technology advances, there has been a massive influence on businesses and the changes to conventional workspaces. The contribution of Wi-Fi, cloud computing, and mobile technology has also helped change the work culture immensely. So, in this article, let’s understand what the hybrid work model is and why it is preferable among employees in recent times. 

All about Hybrid work and why it’s becoming increasingly more popular for employees 

Hybrid work is a technique that differs from conventional work schedules. Some companies may have their employees work full-time remotely. Others may have their employees work full-time on-site. Hybrid work is when companies utilize the combination of remote work and working from an office. 

Free Strings to Work 

In the hybrid work model, employees have much more flexibility. Scheduled employees are expected to work 8 AM to 5 PM each workday in an office. But in the hybrid work model, employees have much more freedom to work their way and get the job done. Employees seem to be more productive when they have the flexibility to work the way that is best for them. 

With this model, one can analyze their priorities and perform better on their terms. 

Enhanced work-life balance 

Flexibility is the main reason people prefer the hybrid work model. One can easily find the balance in a flexible work arrangement. It helps them concentrate both on their work and personal lives. There is more control and balance between work and personal time. Therefore, it leads to enhanced productivity. 

How can you successfully implement a hybrid workplace? 

So, looking at the pros of the hybrid work culture, one might think about implementing the hybrid work environment into their own company. 

These are the following tactics by which you can easily apply to achieve the hybrid work environment: 

  • You may involve the employees in the process. There may be a higher chance for hybrid work to be successful if the employees feel included in the process  
  • Ensure that it is safe and secure 
  • Communication is key 
  • It should assist inclusion and enhanced flexibility wherever the employees are working.  
  • Also, the right technology tools should be provided for the remote infrastructure.

Ask employees what they want 

Feedback is always necessary to gain insight and understanding, as well as to develop empathy towards the people for whom you create solutions.  

Your employees need to express their thoughts and where they may be having issues. Everyone wants to be heard. Listening is one of the most important things that one can do as a leader.  

It is always good to take the reviews and feedback from the employees in order to create a good working environment. 

The ones willing to work in a flexible model can take up the flexible hybrid work schedule.  

 In contrast, the others who wish to work at the office space can continue to do so. 

What should be the next steps? 

Embrace technology. If the requirements of the job are computer-based and can be operated from a distance, then it may be time to transition to hybrid work. It can give the freedom to the employees to work productively without any stress.  

Maintain your company’s culture. Along with incorporating the hybrid work culture in the workspace, it is essential to maintain the work culture (professionalism, integrity, etc.), even if the employees are working distantly.  

Ensure to include the software tools required for employees so that there is no hindrance in work.  

Regularity, punctuality, and maximum productivity should be maintained in the workspace. 

Make your job listings remote. It is one of the significant aspects of a hybrid work schedule.  

Create a socially distanced office layout. It is also important to understand that a remote office can be challenging as it is difficult to track the individuals sitting distantly.  

So, make sure to keep connected with everyone and try to resolve the issues as soon as possible.  

Do not overlook who you cannot see: Flexible work culture does not mean that one has to lose track of their employees. Proper login and logouts should be tracked to ensure that the work is being delivered on time. 

How we can help you transition to a hybrid workspace 

Are you convinced with the idea of a flexible work culture? Do you wish for a transition to a hybrid workplace?

 It’s time to get modern and enhance productivity in your workspace!  

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Tip of the Week: Organize Your Email with Filters

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Email might be one of the biggest methods of communication in the business world, but it’s hard to stay on top of, even for the best of us. One of the ways you can take back control of your email is to utilize filters. Let’s discuss how you can set these up for your Gmail or Outlook accounts. 

Your Inbox Can Be a Useful Space Again 

Both Microsoft and Google give users the ability to keep their inboxes organized. It doesn’t take a ton of technical knowledge, either. All it takes is a couple of filters integrated right into the software to make it happen. 

Gmail 

Gmail can automatically sort incoming messages into labels using filters. Labels are defined by a specific variable, like maybe you want to set up a label for your pay stubs or to keep reservations/work-related travel separate from the rest of the noise you receive on a daily basis. Labels are great to ensure that you keep things organized, and to make matters better–if messages fit into more than one category–they can be in both places at once! 

You can define your labels by navigating to More in the sidebar and selecting Create new label.  

You can also automate this process by going to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses > Create a new filter. 

(There is another way to do this, but this option is the most straightforward, so we’ll stick to this one.) 

You’ll see a form appear with variables you can select; these variables will help Gmail identify when an email should be sorted into the label. There are tons of options, like referencing the sender, the subject line, and various keywords. These filters can then send emails to specific labels, where they are easier to read and find later on. 

Microsoft 

Outlook provides users with a similar process, but they are called rules and folders instead. You can set up folders while you are making your different rules, but it’s better to set them up ahead of time. To set them up, access the Mail pane and right-click where you want your new folder to be. When the menu appears, select New folder… and give it a name. 

 

To create your rule, right-click on a message and select Rules > Create Rule. You can select all of the conditions that should apply to this rule, as well as what happens when you receive a message for which the rule applies. You can even make these rules retroactive by selecting the option to Run this rule now on messages already in the current folder. 

 

With these labels, rules, filters, or whatever they are called in your chosen solution, you should find yourself more organized than ever before. What other tips would you like to see us cover in the future? Let us know in the comments! 

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