Are your employees making the most of their tech?

So you’ve implemented an effective hybrid working strategy, and supplied your employees with the tools they need to work from anywhere... Surely you’re now on the road to success?

Unfortunately, it’s not always that simple. To see the full benefit of your technology, you’ll need to ensure your employees know how to get the most out of it... otherwise, it could mean money down the drain. But how do you know if your employees are getting the most out of their tools?

To help us answer that question, Caine Harrison , Digital Solutions Specialist at Virgin Media O2 spoke with SME Today (read the full article here) to explore the steps you can take to tap into the full potential of your technology.

THE FINDINGS

Virgin Media O2 Business’ research report, ‘Medium businesses: Fuelling the UK’s economic engine’, found that 65% of medium businesses say tech is the biggest driver of growth. Yet 33% still place it as their biggest internal challenge.

As tools become more innovative and complex, employees will need regular training to ensure they can keep up. And you’ll need to make sure the policies you have in place empower your employees to use this tech in the ways that best suit them.

THE SOLUTION

Underutilised tech means money down the drain and a loss in productivity. However, there are three key steps that you can take now to unlock the full value of your tech in the long term.

1. Understand where tech is needed most

Technology can make the lives of you and your employees easier. But is it set up to solve the problems specific to your business?

Our report found that 48% of medium businesses want more support from their IT team to help drive their business ambitions. So taking the time to understand what your employees need from their tech is crucial.

This helps you with future planning, allowing you to make more informed decisions when it comes to implementing new technology. Because as technology evolves, your employees should also be learning and adapting to it.

Technology needs to be deployed in the right places to truly have an impact. By providing your employees with an overabundance of new tools, you run the risk of overwhelming them and creating unnecessary complications.

33% of medium businesses state that IT is their number one internal challenge, despite being a key driver of growth. Do you really know what all your solutions are capable of? And most importantly, do your employees?

It may be a question of investing in new tech to keep up the momentum on your success for the long term, or of optimising existing tech through a digital consultation with a partner.

Challenge your suppliers to help you with this. They can advise on where tech can optimise your business, and how you start to return value on your investment.

2. Empower your employees to work in the ways they want

Finding the right tech for your employees gives them the freedom to create the outcome you’re after in a way that suits them best.

For example, Unified Communications (UC) platforms are enabling employees to work from anywhere they’d like. Files can be shared and updated in real-time across desktops, tablets, and mobile devices, allowing for more collaborative and flexible work.

87% of medium businesses notice an improvement in productivity when they provide employees with new technology. But these benefits rely on the right approach to hybrid and flexible working that allow employees to make the most of them. Are you really letting your employees work in a flexible way?

For example, certain colleagues may benefit more by joining meetings or sharing files from their phones whilst on the go to collaborate more seamlessly with their colleagues.

Secondly, empowering employees to get up to speed with the latest technology gives them the confidence to try new ways of working. New AI-powered solutions are automating more basic tasks, for example, cutting out needless admin for those with the skills to use them.

This approach to technology – a culture-driven, even case-by-case approach – can help make employees more productive and cut out mundane tasks. And it’s not just about productivity – it can also keep your employees engaged and help you retain ambitious talent.

3. Train for the long term

Technology is growing in complexity at an astounding rate. To continue to get the most out of it, you’ll need to ensure your employees receive regular training.

This doesn’t just ensure their skills are sharp with the tech you already have. It cultivates a more adaptable workforce, ensuring your employees can keep up as the tools they use develop.

And it also ensures they’re interacting with their tech in a safe and secure way, especially when human error in hybrid working can make company data more vulnerable to breaches.

According to our report, ‘Tech and the Battle for Talent’, 81% of employees agree that technology plays an important part in helping them stay engaged in their job. And 42% would be more likely to stay in their current role if they were provided with more regular technology training.

So it’s clear that training isn’t just about productivity. It’s about keeping your employees engaged and retaining the talent at the heart of your business.

That’s the key to getting the most out of your tech: thinking long term.

You’ll need to understand where in your business it’s being used, and ensure your employees are given the resources they need to make the most of it. And you’ll need to lean on your suppliers to ensure the investments you make will help you keep up with the evolving tech landscape.

If you'd like advice to help you empower your employees and get the most out of your tech, get in touch with Welcomm today for a free digital consultation. Alternatively, read Virgin Media O2's full report here.