According to the Governance Studies at Brookings report, millennials will comprise more than one of three adult Americans by 2020 and 75% of the workforce by 2025. This is the new workforce whom companies are going to target and search the best candidates from. They are more digital, more global, more diverse, and technology savvy. There are many enterprises namely Google, Microsoft, Deloitte, and T-Mobile who are successfully implementing gamification activities in the workplace to drive positive change, outcomes, and enhance employee experience. To give you an example, Google has incorporated a travel expense game that focuses on employees that travel a lot. They are encouraged to keep track of their travel expenses related to the business trip. The employees feel motivated because every penny that they save from spending that is officially allocated for the business trip is then paid back to them as an addition to their salaries. Isn’t it a great initiative to keep employees interested and performing at the peak performance using gamification in the workplace?
Here are some ways for HR to generate growth in business; to attract, develop, engage and retain such talented people by adopting digitization in the workplace for below mentioned HR functions.
Job Application and Tracking: Earlier it was difficult to reach out the right candidates. Job postings were rolled out by announcements on a local newspaper, postings at the local employment office, etc. Also, it was also difficult to stay connected with the deserving candidates and keep them engaged. But, digitization of this entire process has helped in transforming the recruitment workflow. Organizations can start posting jobs using online recruitment marketing portals. This will help in attracting many candidates and drive them to apply for your open job positions. Organizations give candidates the liberty to submit their LinkedIn profile or ask them to fill up a short application form, etc. If organizations have an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) in place then candidates can check their application status anytime and from anywhere, this will help in improving the candidate experience. There are various other ways where the recruitment process can be digitized using a chatbot based pre-screening method, shortlisting resumes from drives, sharing job updates and status on mobile via SMS or emails, etc.
Interviews: Video interviews have improved experience for the interviewer as well as the job applicant. These have resulted in saving valuable time, resources, and streamlining the hiring process. Nowadays, many organizations are looking forward to hire remote hiring and video interviews are the best way to show off their abilities. The recruiters can always check the tech savviness of the candidate, observe their body language and nonverbal cues, etc. This video call can be recorded and its transcript can later be used in the automated resume parser which will later help in deciding the right candidate for the open job position.
Onboarding: There is a strong need to set the tone right from the start when you are hiring an employee. You can start by automation of compliance related work such as online paperwork, finishing up the formalities, sharing videos about the company culture and employee engagement, etc. Organizations are having a common platform where new hires and current employees can talk, share, and discuss new topics. This gives the new hires to interact with other employees and share their ideas and they can quickly feel as a part of the workplace. Organizations can also have an onboarding app that will provide all the information over mobile. This will give access to new hires on mobile and they can read documents, watch videos, etc. on the go.
Learning & Development – Gamification technique is being adopted in corporate training. It’s been observed gamification of training courses has increased the engagement of the learner with the learning material. After getting this satisfying experience, gamification encourages learners to apply their learning on the job which helps the organization in achieving business and also keeping employees engaged. There are Learning Experience Platforms that incorporates personalized learning, virtual reality, and AI-based chatbots as well. LMS vendors are now moving towards adopting LXP like features to provide the learners modern, data-driven, self-directed learning which is unique for each individual.
Rewards and Recognition (R&R) – Offering rewards and recognitions drives continuous improvement and operational excellence within the organization. Organizations can give R&R in terms of spot recognition, personalized awards, and social recognition. Spot recognition will benefit the employees at the moment and give them monetary benefits. Personalized awards can comprise of digital gift cards that can be used at different online portals. Social recognition is where you create an organization’s Facebook page or LinkedIn page where you can announce the achievements of the employees.
It has been observed that many organizations are embracing change and technology to improve their employee experience, workplace culture, and make a positive impact on the workforce. There are various functions that can be automated by using chatbots or virtual assistants. With the adoption of digitization, organizations are nurturing employee experiences that are more engaging, respectful
