Using Employee Experience Software To Drive Engagement
It doesn’t matter if it’s your first time or your fifth: starting a new job is scary. But starting a new job at a company that isn’t unprepared for your first day makes things even scarier.
If you want to make sure every one of your new hires feels supported from day one, you need to invest in smart technology and employee experience software. Here’s why.
An Onboarding Horror Story
A new hire arrives at the front desk but has no way to check in or alert his new boss he’s there. He eventually manages to get in touch with her after calling her desk phone a few times. She walks out to the lobby, apologizes, and takes him into the office where he is greeted by rows of identical cubicles.
It’s then that his manager discovers her employee hasn’t been given a computer. Even worse, he hasn’t been assigned to a workstation. There’s no desk—just a broken chair under flickering fluorescent lights. Nearby, a vent is blowing hot air aimed directly at his feet.
Upon further investigation, the boss discovers there was a miscommunication with HR, and the new hire’s information was never entered into the database. He has no email address and no username and password to log into the company’s software systems.
While his boss is scrambling in a desperate attempt to fix the situation, he searches for the restroom. On the way, he passes by an employee angrily yelling at a malfunctioning printer. On the way back, he finds a group of employees standing outside a conference room and overhears them complaining that the room they booked a week ago is occupied.
Then the company president opens the conference room door to see him standing there, looking lost and confused. Three key departments—including his—are in the middle of their monthly meeting and he was supposed to be there along with his manager, but no one invited him. He quickly takes a seat and tries to hide his embarrassment.
Smart Technology and Employee Experience Software to the Rescue
Luckily, employee experience software can prevent every one of those problems. Here’s what the same scenario looks like with the right workplace technology in place:
The new hire shows up at the office and sees a kiosk with an iPad. He checks in via visitor management software, and his new boss immediately receives an alert on her smartphone letting her know he’s arrived. She greets him in the lobby and brings him to his desk, where a top-of-the-line laptop and brand new monitor are waiting for him.
The office is bathed in natural light, and the temperature is comfortable. His laptop already has all of the right software installed, so he doesn’t have to spend time downloading different programs.
His boss shows him how to locate and complete his electronic new hire forms. She also shows him how to install the company’s employee experience mobile app on his smartphone. Afterwards, she steps away to have a quick pow-wow with her supervisor.
When the employee takes a bathroom break, he sees a service technician fixing a printer. He walks by a conference room and notices a display next to the door that shows who has reserved the space and for how long. Inside the room, a group of coworkers are having a video chat with a remote employee. Several employees stop to chat with him. They already know his name because they saw an announcement about his arrival on their smartphones before they even checked their email.
He smiles, knowing he made the right decision.
A Great Employee Experience from Day One
The new hire’s positive first impression of the company is all thanks to proper communication and information sharing between HR, IT and the facilities management department. And this data transfer is enabled by smart technology and employee experience software.
Because the software is integrated with the company’s HR solution and facilities management platform, the facilities team knows all of the important details about the new hire. They see where his workstation should be as well as the resources and equipment he needs. The facilities leader makes sure the space is available and reserves the necessary assets.
The day before he’s supposed to start, the facilities team receives a service ticket from his supervisor asking him to fix the broken chair, flickering light and blasting heat vent. The team sees the request is time-sensitive and they send a technician right away.
Once the employee’s desk is set up and the service ticket has been closed, the facilities team informs the IT department it’s their turn to move the onboarding process forward. The IT team finds which type of computer, monitor and software the new hire needs. Then, a member of the IT team installs all of the necessary equipment and makes sure everything is working properly. The IT team signs off on the last step, and the new hire is all set.
After his first day, the new hire uses his employee experience app to find out about upcoming company events and navigate the large corporate campus. He also uses the mobile app to enter another service request—this time to report a clogged toilet—and to reserve a meeting room. Everything he needs is in the palm of his hand.
While this horror story is a bit dramatic, it’s not an impossible scenario. Fortunately, with smart workplace technology and employee experience software, you can be confident every new hire will start their career at your company on the right foot.
