A company’s digital technology is no longer just the concern of IT staff – it has become an integral part of the employee experience., explains why it has become essential for IT and HR managers alike to cater to the demands of the modern day worker. Article by Jane Craven, Sales Director of Enterprise Solutions – UK & Ireland at Sennheiser.

There is every chance that you are reading this article via a smartphone, perhaps on your way to work, or even hooked up to the local coffee shop’s WiFi. There is an equally strong likelihood that the majority of people sitting around you are also on their smartphone or tablet. We are all well aware of the impact mobile technology has had on the way people interact but it’s the adoption in the workplace which is more of an enigma, particularly as it becomes the norm for the modern day employee.

In the past, it could be argued that tech wasn’t the highest priority in the office, and that you would just make do with what was there. That was until advancements in tech outside of the office walls grew expediently, smartphones made collaboration between users easier than ever with the use of apps such as WhatsApp and Slack, alongside the rise in sound quality from headsets and speakers manufactures, making calls possible even in nosiest of environments. As a result, running in tandem with these technological innovations, is the employee’s expectation of not only hardware in the workplace, but also the expectation of a flexible working environment.

Staying agile in a static environment
Research shows that giving staff the ability to be flexible in the workplace via mobile technology is becoming paramount to keeping staff productive and satisfied in their role. The ability to work in any location and at any time while collaborating effectively is the most crucial factor behind loyalty to a company.

In what feels like a flash, a strategic and flexible digital workplace has moved from being a simple perk for employees to an expectation that has a direct impact on the level of engagement in their roles. To understand their needs requires, in part, a solid understanding of the company’s tech and an audit into how employees prefer to work together.

Enter the rise of the ‘huddle meetings’ – today’s employees are now more agile in their working styles than ever before, preferring to get the job done quicker, rather than sticking to formal and often slower processes e.g. having to book a meeting room at a time that doesn’t suit all participants. Needs differ – whether connecting mobile devices to a solitary mobile speaker unit for a conference call on the move, or to take a call from the other side of the building via a Bluetooth headset – it’s all dependent on the needs of the individual.

Understanding these needs are crucial and the ground work of IT departments which build and implement digital technologies is the key link to cater for this ‘always available, anywhere’ mentality, engrained in nearly all modern day employees as a result of today’s mobile technology offerings outside of the office.

Future proofing your company
One example of a company that has implemented this ‘start up mentality’ is Knight Frank, they wanted to bring a flexible way of working to 2000 of their employees in the UK. In this case, it was through the implementation of wireless headsets. This change helped improve employee efficiency and comfort levels, allowing staff to communicate professionally and effortlessly across a wide range of platforms, including integration with Skype for Business – all actioned without the need to be tied to their desks.

By combining the ability to work remotely in the office, with the ability to collaborate internally via mobile apps or hardware that breeds a ‘pop up meeting’ culture – you are streamlining efficiencies, and increasing the output of your business. It’s these working environments that not only attracts new talent to the office, but retains it – creating an infrastructure where employees are more responsive to the outside world, as well as having the ability to collaborate more efficiently internally, creating a knock on effect to productivity, job satisfaction and ultimately, ROI. In short, it is about positively impacting the bottom line of a business – something the IT departments have a real opportunity with in today’s business landscape.