You might be surprised how often we speak to businesses who have implemented the latest CRM technology but find themselves up against the same challenges as before. Building a digital workplace necessitates more than simply retrofitting technology to old ways of doing things. It demands looking at business processes with fresh eyes, to identify what is getting in the way of solving business challenges.  If properly realised, a digital workplace can drastically improve productivity, reduce costs and increase innovation, according to Avanade research. So, it pays to go all-in on digital transformation.

A vital part of any transformation project is employee engagement; after all, they will be the ones who are asked to make significant behavioural adjustments for the business to reap the benefits of the technology.  Here is a four-step strategy for getting employees engaged in your digital transformation project:

1. Cultivate a pro-digital mindset

There are two types of people in this world: those who embrace change and those who don’t. However, digital transformation means change for every single one of your employees, regardless of whether they’re for or against the notion. The most effective way of ensuring that employees see it as ‘change for good’ is to instil a mindset that digital can facilitate greater fulfilment and more collaboration – things that all employees crave from their workplace.

2. Target the labour-intensive tasks

Technology doesn’t always result in major gains – sometimes the impact will be negligible, but nonetheless important. To ensure that employees don’t just see digitalisation as ‘change for change’s sake’, prioritise the activities that employees spend the most time on, and understand how technology can be used to help them be more productive.

3. Optimise the technology

Technology is only as effective as what you make it. For large organisations especially, you can’t expect to just ‘plug in and play’ – the user experience will not be up to scratch, and you risk turning employees off at a crucial stage in their engagement with the tech. You need to optimise the tech that you implement, so that you are providing consumer-grade digital experiences to employees which make accessing and consuming information quicker and easier.

4. Ensure employees remain the focus

Improving the working lives of employees should be the primary focus of any digital transformation project. So, in addition to making workers more effective, enterprise technology should help them maintain a desirable work-life balance and establish clear boundaries between work and leisure. If employees see tech as the enabler for having more free time, they can’t help but become digital advocates.

For help engaging employees in your digital transformation project, contact Cognition24 today.  Our People, Culture and Change Practice can put forward a case for change that fits it with your business strategy.