Despite the changes brought on by the one pandemic, one benefit shines through: global employee engagement was at an all time high in 2020 at 68%. 

Why is it that employee engagement, or the level of involvement and commitment from employees, is increasing despite businesses still requiring their teams to work from home? 

Because of digital workplaces.

What is a Digital Workplace? 

The digital workplace is the result of the digital transformation of work processes and systems. Portal platforms, collaboration suites and intranet point solutions have evolved to better meet the needs of the digital workplace. But a full solution generally requires an integrated set of systems, such as remote work, communication, and intelligence tools to truly meet the needs of a modern workforce.

But limiting a digital workspace to just technology is not painting the entire picture. While technology certainly plays a significant role in a digital workplace, the tools must be supplemented with cultural change in order to facilitate this transformation.

How Does a Digital Workplace Improve Employee Engagement? 

Even though the pandemic has accelerated the need for digital workplaces, this new way of working is not going away anytime soon. And for good reason. In addition to generating more revenue and increasing productivity, experts believe that the increased volume and clarity provided by digital workplaces is also improving employee engagement. 

So how can businesses use their digital workplace to engage with employees on a more personal level?

Here are just three ways digital workplaces encourage employee engagement:

1. Increasing Productivity 

   
   A digital workplace provides a unified tool for all employees to use, ensuring that every member of the team, from frontline workers to upper management are connected. This encourages clear communication and organizational alignment with the overall company vision, strategies, and even company culture. 



2. Leveraging Collaboration Metrics 

   
   Having the ability to measure the data from employee engagement can help make changes to processes in real-time. With a unified digital workplace, not only are the metrics easier to capture since all the tools are consolidated, but they are also much easier to leverage for changes for the same reason.  

   Digital workplaces can provide insight into where collaboration is taking place and where it is falling short. Over time, these metrics allow for businesses to analyze and validate their return on investment.
    

3. Enhancing Employee Experience
    

   At the end of the day, the work employees do directly impact the customer experience. So you want your employees to exude passion to your customers and each other. When employees feel excited about being part of something great, the joy spills over. Creating internal channels to praise employees goes a long way to building team cohesion. 

   According to a recent Gallup survey, employees who receive daily feedback from their manager are three times more likely to be engaged than employees who receive feedback only once a year or less. 
    

Is Your Digital Workplace Working? 

So how can we tell if these practices are effective? Below are common signs that your company’s digital workplace is gaining adoption.

• Mundane tasks are decreasing or have been eliminated
• Workplace efficiency has improved 
• Employee engagement levels are high.
• Remoted workers are better connected with their teams
• Attracting and retaining talent has become easier

While most companies have or are adopting a digital workplace, in a recent poll of 700 top executives, only 11.3% have fully implemented a complete digital workplace. While this number is not shocking, it should reaffirm to many that digital workplaces are still evolving. 

For more resources on how to make your digital workplace a success, access this webinar on how to humanize your intranet.  

About Veriday
Veriday, a Platinum Liferay Solution Provider Partner, provides award winning marketing software and services. Veriday builds intranets, websites and connected experiences on Liferay and world-class technologies for companies in a variety of industries.