Why have separate apps for multiple tasks and needs when you can do it all in one place? At HqO, we’re obsessed with tenant experience, and with our tenant experience app we believe we can help improve tenant satisfaction by providing an app that provides centrally-located access to several of the services you need on any given day in the office.
Here’s a closer look at some of the different ways we tackle this problem in order to give you back control of your workday.
Declutterization
Oversaturation is a growing concern in modern society. People feel inundated in both physical and virtual spaces by a constant barrage of media, advertisements, and things cluttering up their lives. Average smartphone users now have over 80 apps installed on their phone, yet use only 9 on a daily basis. This oversaturation can actually cause adverse effects on people’s stress levels, productivity, and happiness.
As awareness of this spreads, there is a growing trend focused on decluttering our lives and returning to a more simplistic lifestyle. This is evidenced by The popularity of Marie Kondo’s books and Netflix series focused on “tidying up” or of apps like LetGo. Current app design trends mirror this, as UI designers take a more minimalist approach with simple, elegant designs featuring limited color palettes and more white space.
This same trend can be seen in the workplace, as workers try to simplify their daily routines to maximize focus and productivity. But with 62% of companies currently using between 1 and 5 mobile apps for business operations, that becomes a bit more difficult and opens the door for more distraction and less efficiency.
At HqO, we are working to reduce that number, as we strive to become the only app our buildings’ tenants use for daily building interactions. Technology should enhance a user’s workday experience, not burden the user with extra processes and stress. Any office worker can relate to the frustration and time suck caused by a forgotten system password, or by an unfamiliar and poorly-designed app workflow. HqO eliminates these issues by providing a consistent, seamless, and user-friendly app experience for all workplace interactions.
Convenience by Consolidation
HqO integrates with current building systems for functions such as ordering food, visitor management, service requests, and mobile credentialing.
Here’s an example of practical application of our tenant experience app:
A prospect you’ve been working with happens to be in town today, calls you at 11:40 and requests a noon meeting. So you open your building’s HqO app and register the guest with security. The prospect then receives an email with a QR code that provides access through the lobby turnstile with additional instructions on how to find your company’s suite. As a welcoming host, you decide to order lunch for the meeting at your favorite on-site restaurant. You forgot your wallet today, but are still able to pay through your virtual in-app wallet. On your way to pick up lunch you notice a lightbulb out, so you submit a service request while in the elevator. After grabbing the food, you use your phone as a mobile access credential to get back onto the floor because your key card is in the wallet you mistakenly left at home.
You’ve done all this in a matter of minutes, most of which while being away from your desk. What normally would have required four different systems was done seamlessly via a single mobile app, taking a stressful situation and managing it efficiently and hassle-free.
This is using technology to empower users with the appropriate tools to de-stress and declutter the workday grind, leading to a delightful tenant experience.
Increasing Productivity
So just how much of an impact can this convenience and consolidation provide? Based on productivity research, quite a big one.
In one poll, a whopping 99% of respondents said they are distracted from tasks at some point during their normal work day. Nearly 50% of them admitted the distractions were office related. The definition of a distraction here is pretty loose, but it’s ultimately anything that takes you away from work-related tasks or delays the completion of one. And as you can see from our example above, there’s a wide array of things that can take away from your productivity at any given point during the day, many of which you might not have even considered and can’t exactly plan for.
But distractions are only problems for as long as they keep you distracted, and if you’re good at re-focusing then what’s the big deal? Right?
That’s something Udemy sought to clarify during one study. They learned that 84% of employees believed they were able to refocus on tasks within 30 minutes of an interruption and, on the whole, they were probably right … but that’s not exactly a good thing. Per a University of California, Irvine study, perceived ability to refocus is irrelevant: the average time it takes to refocus from a distraction is 23 minutes, 15 seconds.
Baby Boomers might be at a higher risk of distraction, though: while Millennials and Gen Z workers thrived in noisier environments, Boomers needed a quieter, more distraction-free workspace to focus, but also falsely believed they could refocus in less than five minutes following a distraction. According to the Udemy study, they were wrong.
Still, regardless of whether employees were right or wrong about how quickly they could refocus, losing 23 minutes a pop to distractions is a lot of time. When you consider that the average worker is distracted nearly eight times per hour, it’s a borderline miracle we’re able to accomplish anything at all.
How Does HqO Play into This?
At the end of the day, one of our main goals is helping landlords increase retention and attract more high-quality tenants. We do this by increasing employee satisfaction through a sense of community and providing a convenience service that lives in their pocket. Happier employees lead to more productive employees, more profitable businesses, and happier tenants. It’s all connected.
But distractions make this harder to accomplish. A 2013 University of Michigan study found that distracted employees typically rush through tasks to make up for lost time, leading to increased levels of stress and anxiety and feelings of resentment toward employers. That’s a slippery slope that works in direct opposition to what we’re trying to accomplish.
But it doesn’t have to be. Even a small impact can make a big difference. Are you willing to risk that loss?
Give time back to your tenants and their employees that they can spend doing more productive things at the company level. Waste less time. Reduce frustration. Let productivity — and happiness — thrive.
