In 2013, Gallup Organization did a study on over 1.4 million employees to determine that organizations experienced 22% higher productivity when the employees showed a high level of engagement. We often restrict consumption of digital medium to mainframe systems & software, employee training, communication, operational activities, etc. However, in this COVID hit world, one missing link to employee productivity is the usage of digitization for employee engagement. Traditionally digital employee engagement means celebrating festivals online virtually with few sessions on health and self-development or discussion forums with management teams. But the role of digitization in employee engagement is beyond that. Employee engagement through digitization can improve productivity from all directions. This article will look at how one can use digital platforms to engage employees differently in remote work conditions, leading to higher productivity.
Socialization: Irrespective of the generations and employee personalities we deal with, human beings like to interact with colleagues, although limited but regularly. Few studies have confirmed that informal relationships help employees feel better connected to organization and give them a sense of control over their work environment. With the current remote location work environment, the same is not possible. Working in silos reduces engagement and impacts productivity. Hence, organizations have to come out with informal forums of interaction for employees apart from doing digital engagement activities. The use of digital platforms will resolve the problem. Slowly, organizations have to create such platforms that must replicate features available in popular social media platforms, in a professional context. These innovative platforms would connect employees with each other, enabling sharing of thoughts and ideas and would facilitate discussion and sharing views with each other. This will not only increase team bonding in remote work conditions but will restore the interpersonal connection increasing trust and synergy.
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