A few years ago, COVID-19 forced employees out of the office and into remote or hybrid work environments. By now, most offices have reopened and business leaders are embracing a hybrid work model — our research shows that 86% of employers have already implemented a flexible or hybrid working model since the beginning of the pandemic. However, getting employees to return to their workspaces, even in a small capacity, is easier said than done.
With most of the global workforce following a hybrid work model, the success of physical workplace environments depends deeply on providing memorable and valuable experiences that will draw employees back to the office. An important way to do this is by fostering an improved employee experience through engaging workplace events, which will result in engaged employees.
Employee Engagement
In order to attract and retain employees, specific strategies are being implemented to establish value in the physical office. By focusing on employee satisfaction and company culture, employers are enhancing employee engagement efforts and improving employee benefits.
Employee engagement strategies include, but are not limited to, organizing different kinds of events and programs such as health awareness events with free lunch, perks and giveaways that show employee appreciation, and more. More than ever, these engagement strategies are contributing to a positive employee journey and experience, which in turn increases employee satisfaction and the overall workplace experience.
According to HqO’s 2022 Tenant Engagement Report, 82% of property teams plan to host on-site events this year. This shows that after a year of strict caution, properties are committed to doubling down on their investments in 2022 to connect with the people in their spaces. In order to better communicate these events and happenings at their properties, property teams are also looking towards modern technology solutions.
How Technology Can Help
As business leaders continue to fine-tune their business performance and strategies for the long-term, it is important that they do it with the help of a workplace experience platform. Workplace experience is made up of three categories — people, experiences, and spaces. Events fall under the “experiences” category of workplace experience, which is why they are so critical to keeping employees happy.
A technology provider that provides programming and content management, event planning support, messaging and notifications, data-driven strategies, and platform guidance will guarantee best-in-class experiences for your employees.
A well-rounded employee experience app will also provide a single, easy-to-use app that can continuously improve your workplace experiences. Along with ongoing events and engagement services, it’s important that business leaders send out surveys and gather feedback to learn what people are looking for in the workplace. With the help of a workplace experience app, the app can collect meaningful insights on workplace sentiment, employee feedback, and an office’s space usage.
To keep pace with evolving employee needs, feedback is required to make ongoing improvements. The importance of feedback is to understand what employees want most, how employee sentiment is changing, and what programming is most engaging.
Workplace events help employers create a thriving workplace community that employees will want to be a part of. The workplace needs to feel personalized, easily accessible to everyone, and enjoyable enough to keep employees wanting to come back. However, the success of these events and long-term employee satisfaction depends deeply on how you enhance your workplace with technology.
For more information about how HqO can enhance your employee experience, schedule a demo today.
