Buzzwords and phrases abound when researching the term “employee success”. Improve employee engagement and improve your company’s success. Empower your employees. Treat them like adults. Create the style of workplace and culture that will attract and retain talent. If you expect the best from people, make their time under your roof the best it can be.
Certainly, these address the “what” – as in, what you need to do to set your employees (and your company) up for success. But what about the “how”? How do you do this and how can you engage your employees so that they want (and are able) to give you their best?
One answer is technology. Technology is firmly woven into our lives at work and outside of it. Though despite its numerous benefits, at times it can feel like technology has made life more complicated and confusing; files need to be shared in five different places, emails fly back and forth, you never really know what version of a file is the most recent, and is someone working on version 47.2 without telling the rest of the team? Let’s also not forget the time wasted scrolling through calendars trying to find a time the entire team is free to meet and an appropriate space to do it in…
Technology at its best is simple and flexible – the “how” to the “what” of employee success. With the right tools, you can empower your teams to work how they want, where they want, and even when they want. Cisco Spark provides just that. A single platform where people can meet, message, call, share documents, and brainstorm – where they can get stuff done, quickly, easily, and securely. And, with Cisco Spark’s built-in encryption, data shared through the app is protected in transit, at rest, and in-use, protecting your business every step of the way, no matter how fast you’re moving.
But what does this really mean – working how they want, where they want, and when they want?
How they want
Some people like to instant message. Others want 1:1 phone calls. Some prefer meetings. Maybe you communicate better when you whiteboard a concept. Well, you can do all of this in Cisco Spark, all in one place. Allow your teams to communicate and work in their preferred channel. And no more disappearing IM conversations or taking photos on your phone of a whiteboard session. Cisco Spark provides persistent messaging which keeps a record of what messages were sent, files were shared, or which whiteboards were created.
Where they want
Everyone has a life outside of the workplace. Yes, even that person. And sometimes life calls during regular business hours. Cisco Spark can come with you, wherever you go, with the Cisco Spark app. So, you can still work how you want while waiting for the dentist or renewing your driver’s licence. Or, you can work from home on your tablet or the desktop application on your laptop. You choose.
When they want
Are you an early bird or a night owl? Maybe you wake up in the middle of the night with a brilliant idea that you don’t want to forget – share it immediately in Cisco Spark on the mobile app (we all keep our phones next to our beds) and your colleagues will get it first thing. Or maybe you are working on a project with a team halfway across the globe. Cisco Spark provides the collaborative space to work together, even when your workdays happen on opposite ends of the clock.
In recent years, some companies have retracted their work from home policies, going against the growing and popular trend of flexible workplaces. One cited the need to bring their teams together physically to be more powerful and creative as one of the driving reasons. Cisco Spark does this without requiring employees to relocate. Employees can be together in a Cisco Spark space without being nearby physically. Your team can be powerful and creative and happy, allowing you to recruit the best talent for the job, not only those who live within commutable distance.
Multiple studies have shown the advantages of a flexible work strategy for companies (handily compiled here). Treating your employees as adults, with the responsibility to manage their time effectively, must be embraced at every level of management to be successful. Complementing this culture, your employees must have the tools to get the job done. A 2014 survey revealed that 25% of workers felt that they were not equipped with the tools to succeed in their current role. Give your employees the tools to succeed and your business will reap the benefits.
Today’s digital teams need a new class of collaboration solutions and tools. Read the Report.
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