Believe it or not, a Gartner surveyOpens a new window revealed that only 13% of workers are fully satisfied with their work experience despite organizations making efforts to improve the same. For employees, dealing with complex processes, systems and internal structures can, at times, be taxing. And to make lives easier, a robust Digital Employee Experience (DEX) is certainly a way forward.
To provide an engaging Digital Employee Experience (DEX), companies need to make sure that CIOs, IT teams, HR teams and Internal Communications departments collaborate to bridge any communication divide.
Why DEX Matters?
Simply put, a positive DEX improves the overall workforce experience, which is necessary for improving productivity. Citing a recent study, a Deloitte reportOpens a new window said, “organizations with the most compelling workforce experiences generated 22% higher engagement among their workers than organizations with a less compelling workforce experience.â€
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With remote and hybrid working models becoming popular amid the pandemic, employees are looking for the perfect technology, which would keep them connected with their bosses and colleagues. But, this is no easy feat given the sheer volume of new technology.
A Gartner reportOpens a new window has recently revealed how much the HR department needs to change its approach to support  employees in 2021.
Where Are Companies Going Wrong?
CIOs, HR, and Internal Communications experts (ICs) cannot agree on what they are looking for in the DEX technology. While the CIOs are more concerned with the technical aspects of the rollout, the HR teams try to align it with employee concerns.
A SocialChorus surveyOpens a new window showed that 41% of CIOs believe that centralizing employee engagementOpens a new window through a single vendor/platform can complicate the matter. Also, 40% of them said that new tools pose the risk of adding more “noise†to existing channels rather than enhancing it.
The concerns do not end here. More than a third feel that employee adoption would be low, while a quarter hold  their businesses do not provide enough access to devices.
However, CIOs need to listen to the HRs and ICs who feel that the tech should have the ability to assess wellbeing, give access to information, analyze who engages with the content and be available to people wherever they are. Unfortunately, it is only 11% of times that HRs/ICs call the shots in making tech choices.
Is There a Solution?
Proper collaboration between CIOs and HRs/ICs is imperative for the success of DEX tech. Luckily, the attitude has already started to change. At least 44% of respondents believe HR/IC teams play a vital role in making an employee engagement program successful, while 41% think their organization already has a collaborative approach.
Also, the survey found out both the groups arrived at a consensus in more than one aspect. CIOs, as well as HR/IC teams, feel increased productivity could be the greatest outcome from such tech solutions. They also believe employee retention, better communication, and mental health and wellbeing support would be a few other benefits.
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In Closing
With our workplaces transforming at a manic pace, companies are under tremendous pressure to improve DEX in order to improve productivity and retention. However, the responsibility should not be put on  CIOs or HRs alone. Coming up with a best-in-class workforce communications platform, especially in pandemic times, should be a collective effort of senior leaders (tech and HR) while ensuring employees (deskless and desk-based) have a say too.