Intelligent CXO Issue 01 | Page 20

EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
Reynhardt Uys , Chief Experience Officer , Immersion Group

The onset of COVID-19 had organisations across the globe scrambling to find solutions to the sudden and widespread shift to remote work . More than a year later , it is clear that the pandemic has permanently influenced perceptions and the employee experience of workplace culture , said Reynhardt Uys , Chief Experience Officer , Immersion Group , a global team of experience design experts .

According to Uys , organisations are looking for long-term solutions to embed employees within their satellite offices comfortably , with little disruption , where corporate culture is successfully simulated online .
“ The employee experience has undoubtedly changed . COVID-19 didn ’ t bring us anything new when it forced businesses to close their brickand-mortar locations and move to a remote model – it merely accelerated an inevitable migration that may have taken months or even years to fully realise .”
In an effort to adapt and meet the challenges of the moment , some organisations have fully embraced the move to digital and remote working , while in other instances employees felt unsupported as they tried to navigate a new way of working and interacting with colleagues and customers . “ Obviously , internal structure , communication and company culture are more important than ever . Businesses that have seen the benefit of the transition have made longterm strategic decisions and implemented new digital-first processes and systems to ensure the longevity of this new way of working ,” said Uys .
He added that there has been a noticeable surge in businesses turning to digital experts to guide them through the digital migration process . “ In addition , experience experts are also being called upon to weigh in on the employee experience ; outlining improvements in the employee retention strategy , among others , and are proving to be a pivotal force in transforming organisations into favoured employer brands .”
Traditional structures and roles have been turned upside down , and while the psychological need for human face-to-face contact remains important , Uys explained there are definite upsides to the swift effect on workplace culture . “ From collaboration to recognition , digital is making a show of potential as employers are finding that online working and virtual spaces are becoming a catalyst for innovation . By bringing in experience experts to help organisations navigate new strategies , they benefit from the immediate delivery of triedand-tested methodologies as well as best practice and industry-aligned templates and processes – mitigating the need to attempt to figure it out on their own .”
He cautioned that while there are many positive aspects in mapping out a new workplace culture , it is vitally important to seek the advice of experts in employee experience to avoid pushing budgets toward unnecessary technology and solutions that could potentially become blockers of productivity and growth .
“ One of the major red flags we ’ re seeing already is that organisations who ’ ve migrated online , are spending more time trying to track employees ’ productivity , thereby creating more unnecessary administrative tasks that can be avoided through a smart and strategic employee strategy ,” he added .
As the road to a COVID-19 recovery draws closer , Uys predicted that organisational leaders will need to carefully consider and engage with the overall employee experience and how it should be designed and structured . “ Even small adjustments to the employee experience will make a huge difference to business goals and outcomes .”

How can business leaders keep employees engaged when working from home ?

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