The aftermath of Covid-19 will impact attitudes to work forever. Now, with offices beginning to reopen, a new focus is on workplace safety and keeping employees engaged when they’re working remotely. An employee experience app can aid workplace re-entry by keeping employees informed, engaged and even help to keep them safe.

Companies may not see the benefit of the traditional office set-up, and offer more flexibility to employees to work remotely and use the office as a hub for when they want or need to use the facilities. The benefit could be thousands of pounds saved on expensive commercial leasings for those that decide to downsize and a more satisfied, flexible workforce. The challenge, however, is keeping a more fluid workforce engaged and productive and the management of a less traditional office set-up.

A company app provides a hub at employees’ fingertips, no matter where they are based. Not only can it be used as a communication tool, it can also be used to increase wellness and productivity and can even be used to initiate employee health check-ins for building access. Providing an environment where employees feel safe has become fundamental aspect of the workplace.

Companies that adjust their internal communications strategy for the modern workforce and launch employee experience technology will be leaps and bounds ahead of their competitors.

Read on to find out how an employee experience app can help with workplace re-entry.

Health check-ins 

Health checks on building or office entry allows you to provide the safest workplace that you can. Once employees are checked in, they’re informed on the key safety tips to be aware of and the current building capacity. They can then click to view the least crowded area to work. On failure of a health check, they’re informed to work from home for the next 14 days and can contact the concierge services for further advice.

Manage floor plans and occupancy and allow employees to book spaces

Alleviate employees’ worries about returning to the workplace after the lockdown by providing a digital layer to your workplace. Employees can book desks or meeting rooms without the need for queues or face-to-face contact. And, they can monitor the occupancy levels with the heatmapping functionality meaning they can find a quiet space to work.

Admin users can also get an overview of the desk bookings and occupancy levels via the analytics dashboard.

Internal communication

Use the app as a hub for your company’s internal communications. Share company news, announcements or other relevant content like workplace safety guidelines. Important company information like the company handbook and key contacts can be collated in the company guide section. To really grab your community’s attention, send important announcements through the push notification functionality direct to their mobile phone.

Keeping employees in the loop about what’s happening in the company may be more important than you think. A report by Bambu found that 4 in 5 people felt that an effective communication strategy improves their productivity, and 80% want their employers to keep them updated about company news.

Community

Foster a sense of community through the directory and user profile section. Employees can create their profile with an image, name and job title and choose to be either visible or hidden on the app. They can view and search for fellow colleagues based on job title or skill type, encouraging collaboration.

Employees can see the list of events they have joined within their profile page and can see who else has signed up for events.

Wellbeing

The cost of poor mental health costs UK employers £33bn–£42bn each year, made up of absence costs, presenteeism and turnover costs. Therefore, consideration into the wellbeing of staff is of the utmost importance, especially as more of us than ever are working remotely. You’ll also reap the benefits by minimising employee turnover and increasing productivity levels.

From guided meditation to live yoga and fitness sessions, keep them engaged whether they’re on or off-site by allowing them to browse and book events directly through the app. Attendees receive a push notification 24 hours before the event as a reminder, and they can sync it to their calendar with one touch. Plus, through events feedback, you can adapt and iterate experiences to constantly improve.

With the chat functionality, your workforce can chat instantly with HR, front of house or other services you may offer like dedicated work from home support or a wellness line. Offering peace of mind particularly as we re-enter the workplace post-Covid 19.

With a section dedicated to company perks, services and discounts, your employees will feel valued and appreciated.

Insights

The analytics dashboard gives you insight into user activity and engagement. You also get visibility of the status of health checks and desk bookings giving you a wealth of insight that you can use to improve experiences.

Get event feedback within the app and use the insights to adapt your event calendar to provide what employees really want.

 

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Engaged employees are more productive and efficient in their work, more satisfied and happy, and are more likely to stay in their employment. And, an engaged workforce is on average 21% more profitable. It’s fair to say that a well-considered employee engagement strategy that’s ready for the future of work is not just a ‘nice-to-have’. It will help to improve your bottom line and will have a big impact on your workforce and overall business.

Plus, in the wake of Covid-19 returning to the workplace has its own set of challenges and somewhat redefined employee experience, with a newfound focus on health and wellbeing. This is why we’ve created new functionalities to aid re-entry to the workplace.

District Tech is a leading provider of employee experience software, offering both plug & play and completely white-labelled apps. Companies including Blackstone, LaSalle, Cushman & Wakefield, Investec and WPP have partnered with District Tech in their efforts to provide what modern employees desire.

Get in touch to start your journey with District, optimising your employee experiences and workplace for a happy and more productive workforce.