Digital communication in the workplace has become as normal – and essential – as the digital tools we’ve deemed necessary for years, such as Microsoft Word and Excel. While some companies were born and raised through digital communication, digital transformation can be tricky, and many organizations are without a digital workplace strategy. Since our inception, digital communication has been at our core, with colleagues across North America and overseas.
In this blog, we will be looking at the topic from a practical standpoint. We hope to illustrate three ways your business benefits from Digital Communication in the Workplace. If you’re a CTO or IT Director, you might be looking for what technology, rather than benefits, can positively impact your business. Of course, we have the information you’re looking for in our on-demand webinar with CTO and Microsoft MVP Richard Harbridge, and a digital workplace solutions pioneer, LiveTiles.
For a complete understanding of employee experience along with actionable insights, download our definitive guide where we share just that, and how Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Viva can come into play.
Long before Teams, Microsoft has facilitated digital communication with applications, such as Outlook, Skype, SharePoint, and Yammer. Now, with Microsoft Teams becoming the most innovative internal communication tool available, and massive upgrades to all their applications, Microsoft 365 is difficult to rival. But what are the benefits of embracing digital communication? Not from a technology standpoint, but from a practical perspective that everyone can understand and get behind.
Today, we want to discuss three benefits of digital communication in the workplace that will highlight why you should fully embrace digital communication and a digital workplace.
While the typical work model of going to a physical workplace, punching in and out, and having defined breaks is what work-life would’ve looked like for most before the pandemic. It is based on an outdated model mended and adapted to fit the current times. However, with digital communication tools exponentially increasing and bettering over the past few years, it is now easier than ever to make the switch and see the benefits faster.
How will this make your organization more productive? Employees will get countless hours back that are typically lost going to and from the office. If you allow your employees the freedom of a flex schedule, you can expect overall morale to get a boost, as well.
This benefit is even more significant for companies with offices in different time zones. If everyone gathers behind the same ‘digital watercooler,’ you no longer need to worry about feeling divided. Embracing more digital communication for your organization can strengthen the sense of comradery, which will help teamwork and productivity skyrocket.
Of course, we are aware you might be concerned that your employees will become less productive due to lack of structure, but leaning on digital workplace tools, such as the ones offered with Microsoft 365, and experimenting can make the switch easier. Think about it. When water cooler conversations move to your internal communication tools, employees can quickly jump from checking in on a colleague to solving an urgent request.
Experimenting is one of the critical components to the success of a digital-first company. Each company has a unique set of challenges to face when moving your work environment to the digital space, and there is only one way to find out what works best for you.
Of course, you should get some guidelines, and an excellent place to start would be leveraging the existing applications you’re already using. Growing from there will be the real challenge, but remember your core goals as you experiment and always have a baseline to fall back on.
Think of the last software update on your phone. You have probably gained a couple of features, some more important than others, or removed a few bugs. However, it may have also caused a couple of new bugs to occur. Those bugs are quickly reprimanded in the next update, and no significant negative changes happened to your phone’s software.
The important part is to try. See what works best for you. Maybe the new Microsoft Teams background feature is exactly what your employees need to feel more comfortable? There are many big and small benefits of digital communication in the workplace
It’s impossible to avoid technology in the workplace, but people will always tend to lean on what they know and understand. However, when a simple task like asking a colleague becomes digital, employees who may typically shy away from learning new technology will become more confident and sharpen their abilities.
The need for tech-savvy employees increasingly becomes more and more crucial. Most departments rely on applications – online and offline – to keep your organization competitive or make work-life more efficient and straightforward.
Microsoft has various internal communication tools with a user experience your employees are familiar with in their day-to-day. If you’re looking for Microsoft 365 technology to improve employee communications, a good ice breaker might be Yammer, which feels a lot like a social media platform.
While the road may be rocky at first, hang in there and have a plan. If you do, the benefits will position your business to be more future-proof than ever.
One of the ways you can guarantee your employees stay engaged, increase productivity, and connected to your company, even when working remotely, is by having a robust intranet. If you are looking for deep understanding of Microsoft 365 Intranets and Digital Workplaces, download our new whitepaper!
