Mobile First – The Key Enabler for Employee Experience 2.0
The mobile revolution has spiralled into a world of apps and unparalleled user experiences. Yet, the void between the ones we use and enjoy as consumers and the ones we use at work is huge. Workflows are not as streamlined as they should be even with the advent of enterprise software. In fact, in most cases the entire workflow experience itself remains unstructured for the workforce – leaving plenty of gap for miscommunication, inefficiencies and dissatisfaction.
The more evolved organizations understand this and are inclined towards creating an employee experience that’s truly gratifying. The smarter ones are switching over to easy-to-use mobile apps that help employees work on the go.
Taking cue from consumer apps
As we are aware, consumer apps are purpose-built and rather than doing too many things, they focus on doing just a few things really well. In that sense, they are the key enablers of everything organizations are craving for – productivity, talent attraction, user engagement and retention. From creating sprawling apps that do nothing but cause chaos and confusion, enterprises are now moving towards building apps that curate unparalleled employee experiences.
The modern apps are a fusion of native mobile capabilities such as location and camera with the power of digital workflows and corporate rules that phenomenally alleviate everyday concerns.
Simplifying daily chores
Your employees may send holiday requests or request approvals on expense reports. Oftentimes, these requests stay buried in the Inbox. Another example is that of IT requests. From wanting a new laptop to getting the exiting one repaired, there can be quite a few requirements from employees’ side. With employee-based mobile apps, employers and concerned personnel can easily be notified about such approval requests. They get to access them by simply tapping on the notification.
There are modern employee mobility platforms that accommodate a whole lot of integration options enabling users to add approvals from other systems to facilitate smooth functioning of work. From managing IT requests to booking conference rooms, everyday tasks can be effectively addressed with mobility empowered apps – all in a matter of taps, swipes and a QR codes.
Here’s what you should do if you not yet embraced the Mobile First approach:
Identify the right use cases – Look for areas that need immediate attention and those that offer scope for innovation.
Talk to actual users – No matter how good an app may be, the real problems of users need to be taken into consideration before choosing solutions. Look at the pain points, and ask them what their immediate challenges are. For instance, focus groups helped ServiceNow realise that finding conference rooms and connecting with HR business partners were two of their top concerns. Ironically, these are often the ones that get missed out when techies are looking at the bigger picture while building the apps.
Encourage app usage – While most will be reluctant to change the pre-established methods of working, helping them understand the benefits of great mobile experiences and cost savings can well do the trick.
Let the experience evolve – It’s all about adding that human touch to brands. The chatbot will be ready with answers and great conversations, and in the event it cannot answer something, that data is mined for further conversations. Modern employee apps are crafted to greet you on birthdays with a burst of confetti on your screen and promptly respond to all your queries.
In closing
The Mobile First approach also goes a long way in boosting employee retention and making employee engagement rewarding, especially in case of younger personnel. Serviceberry has worked with several organizations to get started and stay on-board their employee enhancement journeys.
