How mobile technology adds value to the employee experience

The pandemic accelerated the need for digitization in the workplace as employers adapted to changing circumstances. In the future, we’ll likely see new working arrangements become more permanent, as both organizations and employees have realized the benefits, such as increased employee performance and productivity.

Companies are also becoming increasingly borderless, as remote work allows them to hire people from other regions and countries, rather than being constrained to the limited talent pools located near physical locations. As the workforce becomes more dispersed, organizations will need to adopt new technologies that help build a tailored and connected experience for their people.

Consumers were looking for more personalized digital experiences even before many businesses shifted their delivery models online during the pandemic, and these changes in consumer behaviors are here to stay. And today’s workers expect consumer-grade experiences from their employers. According to Deloitte, people want to engage with their employers with greater ease, and with fewer friction points, just as they would their favorite brands. According to a recent study, more than one in three U.S. employees are frustrated with their technology at work. Less than half of those surveyed said their employer places a high importance on deploying technologies intended to make their jobs easier.

For HR and payroll teams, working across different human capital management systems can also present challenges in today’s fast-paced and increasingly global world of work. Teams can spend a lot of time reentering data across different systems, processing payroll, and addressing employee requests and concerns.

Staying competitive in the new war for talent

Post-pandemic, many employees are expected to leave their companies if they don’t get the flexibility they desire – and this exodus has already started. According to the Wall Street Journal, job openings were up 34% in March 2021, compared to January 2020, and Microsoft’s Work Trend Index found more than 40% of people globally are considering leaving their employer this year. This is creating a new war for talent, which is putting added pressure on organizations to meet the needs of current employees and potential new hires.

Many companies broke down technological barriers and adopted new ways of working over the last year and a half, but now we’re settling into a novel, more permanent reality – one that will continue to evolve as employee and business needs shift. According to Deloitte, organizations with the most compelling workforce experiences generated 22% higher engagement among their workers than organizations with an outdated experience. Employers who meet changing workforce needs and build seamless and connected experiences for their people will be able to stay competitive in the years to come. Here’s how the right mobile HCM technology can drive value in the employee experience (EX).

How mobile HCM technology can add value to the EX

Deliver a more unified EX for the entire workforce

Prior to the pandemic, a source has estimated that as many as 74% of employees felt they were missing out on company news and information. Now, establishing connectedness across a decentralized workforce is an even greater challenge. Employers will need to make company information and policies more accessible to the entire workforce. With mobile HCM solutions, employees can access company information and resources they need, when they need it, right from their mobile devices.

Employers can also keep everyone engaged and on track by assigning specific tasks, such as completing important onboarding documents, right to new hires’ mobile devices. Employees can access training specific to their role or interests and complete it on the go. For example, there may be a new product feature that the sales team or retail associates need to learn about, or training that is to be completed by a certain date. With intelligent mobile HCM technology, the entire workforce can get the information, resources, and training they need to stay productive, up to date, and certified – no matter where they’re working from.

Make learning more effective

The fundamental switch to digital requires a significant skills pivot for the workforce, and today’s employees are looking for more skills-based development. Technology that supports faster and more efficient learning can also help companies become more agile and acquire the skills to propel future growth and build a competitive edge. As well, organizations may need to provide up-to-date employee certifications and training on new laws and regulations to help maintain compliance. Employees are often mandated to complete training, such as workplace health and safety training, which can get even more complex for organizations that operate across many regions.

Contextual learning or microlearning can help develop employees by relying on information pushed out from their mobile devices so they can immediately be applied to the project or task they’re working on. For example, short snippets of information or videos pushed from mobile devices can help employees learn in the context of their work. Employees can learn on the go and get an experience that best fits their preferences and needs.

Read next: The importance of agile learning in today’s workplace  

Empower employees to take control of their work life

A single HCM system can empower employees to manage their own work lives from anywhere, at any time. Self-serve HCM tools help elevate the employee experience – from helping employees update their personal information to managing their own schedules.

In the retail industry, for example, employers have significant opportunity to help their workers manage their schedules on-the-go without having to use a mouse and keyboard. Helping employees more easily make changes to their schedules wherever they are, whenever they want can help reduce shift coverage gaps. Mobile technology can also help reduce absenteeism as employees have a clear view into when they’re scheduled to work, right at their fingertips. Managers can also reduce time spent on managing complex schedules and time off requests so they can focus on developing their people.

Support employee financial well-being

Employees experienced acute levels of financial stress due to the pandemic and over half of U.S. workers struggled to cover their expenses between pay periods in the first half of 2020. Looking ahead, employers will need to do more to support the financial well-being of their people.

Ceridian’s 2021-2022 Executive Survey found 72% of business leaders consider EX as a high-priority or essential, yet only 50% plan to invest in on-demand pay solutions in the next two years to provide a better pay experience for their people. These solutions provide employees access to their funds as soon as they have earned them, so they get a true payday as opposed to a loan or advance based on approximated earnings. If an employee has an unexpected car expense, for example, they can get access to their earnings after every shift, so they don’t have to wait for the traditional pay day to make a larger payment. A single payroll solution that provides continuous calculation can process pay as a regular payroll so the appropriate deductions, remittances, and garnishments are accounted for. This helps support more accurate pay while minimizing administrative effort for payroll teams.

Adopting mobile as a value driver for EX 

A new world of work requires new employee experiences. Organizations adapted their existing operating models and workforce strategies to address new challenges as the pandemic evolved, however, now employers must be thinking about what’s to come. What worked during the pandemic may not be effective moving forward as the war for talent intensifies and employees desire more personalized, seamless experiences.

Mobile technology that leverages a single HCM system is a strategic imperative to help the workforce better manage their work life, develop their skill sets, and drive engagement and productivity in the years ahead. This technology also demonstrates to your people that you’re invested in addressing their specific needs for their work and personal lives. As the world of work becomes increasingly remote and borderless, mobile HCM technology will be a key part of building better experiences for the workforce so companies can get the competitive advantage they need to drive continued success.