In the current climate, HR teams need to find new ways to engage, enable, and empower their employees. Here, Gary York, CEO, Help Lightning, discusses how HR can use remote assistance software to completely transform employee enablement.
 For employees, enablement is empowerment. Enablement creates an opportunity to tackle new challenges and problems with an open, unique approach while capitalizing on employees’ individual strengths.
In recent years, companies have been more open to providing employees with the resources needed to succeed on their own rather than training everybody the same way and expecting the same results. It’s difficult, however, to give each employee tailored tools that capitalize on their strengths and foster a genuine sense of empowerment.
In the age of remote work, too much tech can become more of a problem than an asset. Companies often load up their employees’ HR tech stacks with new applications, software, and communication platforms aimed at helping them succeed but also requiring some form of understanding and training to operate effectively.
Instead of throwing new technology at employees and expecting them to learn it, companies can embrace new training methods by introducing goals and milestones for new technology and tasks, guiding the process while also empowering employees to learn on their own. One way to do this is by introducing remote assistance softwarOpens a new window l=”nofollow noopener” title=”Opens a new window” target=”_blank”>e, enabling employees to self-direct their learning and providing them immediate feedback and assistance on specific tasks. By pairing remote assistance software with a company’s learning management system (LMS), teams can curate content and make it available on-demand as well.
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How New Technology Affects Culture and HR
Traditionally, a company’s culture and tools will show how empowered its employees actually are. HR departments can figure out the best way to empower employees through some combination of the two, but implementing technology for technology’s sake will only get in the way of efficient and productive work. Instead, technology must be used in a way that optimizes employees’ workday.
Every business leader knows a more engaged, more empowered workforce leads to better productivity, higher job satisfaction and higher revenue. Since research shows only 36% of employeesOpens a new window are engaged at work, HR teams are constantly looking for new ways to empower their people. Incentives, such as rewards for milestones or other benefits, motivate employees to go the extra mile and amplify their own strengths and contributions to a company. From a leadership standpoint, it makes sense to identify these strengths and assign mentorship or oversight based on them. When a company uncovers what enables employees to maximize their strengths, it can optimize workflow from their technology to the onboarding process.
Remote assistance software is a great tool to find these strengths and areas of improvement for individuals and company culture. It uses augmented reality (AR) to create a shared work environment, where a person needing help “meets†an expert on a video call. The two parties can communicate instantly — anytime, anywhere. Through AR features such as merged reality and 3D annotation, the expert can virtually reach out and touch whatever the employee is working on. The software, using merged reality, can display the expert’s hand in the employee’s field of view, and the expert can annotate, use hand gestures and even bring in tools, images or instructions. Using remote assistance software for equipment inspection, for example, increases the chances of finding issues or mistakes by giving the inspector a remote expert’s guidance and opinion right on site. In fact, research from the British Journal of Clinical Psychology indicates that nonverbal cues are 430% more effective than verbal cues, making the combination of verbal and nonverbal communication up to 10 times more effective.
Like a pocket multi-tool, remote assistance software is a common solution to numerous issues. Its biggest draw is its universality, and it works in nearly every sectorOpens a new window , from field service, engineering and manufacturing to customer support and education. For HR departments wishing to help their employees, remote assistance software enables employees to reach their full potential and receive immediate attention when in need of mentorship.
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How and When Remote Assistance Can Help
In any company or field, remote assistance software provides the human support users need, giving them effective hands-on training through augmented reality features. These visual, nonverbal cues are far more effective than verbal cues. When employees have hands-on training, they can retain information better, work more effectively and feel empowered to help those around them.
Especially in industries where employees are frequently away from the office and on job sites, remote assistance software directly connects employees with leadership on complicated jobs or unique mechanical problems. The hands-on guidance provides immediate feedback, helping employees fix large and small issues while training them in the process.
Remote assistance software is portable and easy to use. It isn’t cumbersome and requires no proprietary hardware. Implementing it now can enable current and future employees to learn more without needing the same in-person guidance they would before. HR departments are an excellent fit for pitching remote assistance software to others — its communicative ability, individual training possibilities and emphasis on mentorship make it a perfect tool to assist employees and increase overall productivity for on-site and remote employees.
Remote assistance software is among many new technologies to reimagine the future of training and mentorship. Breaking from tradition and investing in newer methods of onboarding is a great way to cut down on costs while retaining the same (or better) results. Remote assistance software’s universality and accessibility make it a good first step in training a new, hybrid workforce, enabling employees to learn new skills and improve on their strengths.Â