Getting new technology for your hybrid workplace is one thing. Introducing it to your employees is another. While both are difficult tasks, introducing technology to your team can be easy and give you successful results if you do it properly.
In this article, we will discuss some tips on how to make sure you are introducing new technologies to your team in a good way.
Tip 1: Make sure it'll benefit everyone involved
A good idea when choosing new technology for your office is to make sure that it will be something that can benefit everyone involved. Try getting digital tools that you know people will respond well to and be able to learn quickly. Ensure that you also have done the research needed and know that this is something that your whole team of employees will find useful.
Remember to remain objective and determine if it will be something that will benefit your staff and organization, and that it won’t be just a quick fix to meet your immediate needs.
Tip 2: Communicate as soon as possible
A change in technology can come as a big shock for your staff. They may be used to operating in a specific way and it may be harder to adapt if changes are sprung on too quickly. Without a proper heads-up, this could also lead to a loss of productivity and confusion over the new technology, especially in a hybrid workplace.
One of the most important things that you need to do is to communicate your plans as soon as you can so that everyone is on the same page and understands what will change and how. Your employees should also be aware of the changes you are implementing and why exactly you are doing so. You must also give them an opportunity to express concerns or ask questions about the new tool you are introducing to them.
What you should communicate with your employees immediately:
- The benefits and impact of the technology
- How it will support business objectives
- How it will align with the company and work
- A brief overview of it
- Why this new technology will be introduced
- Giving your employees a chance to ask questions
If you communicate all these things very quickly with your team, you will reduce the likelihood of employees feeling overwhelmed and losing out on productivity. You will also want to make sure that you constantly communicate in regards to any other changes or updates on the digital tool you have picked, and that your employees are always kept in the loop to avoid trouble later on.
Tip: One benefit you could talk to your employees about is that with a new tool they will spend less time switching in between them, and for remote work new technology can be beneficial to collaboration and communication.
Tip 3: Train and have solid resources
It is important to not only announce the changes that you are making but also explain to your employees how to use the new digital tool. Going through the tool and making sure you understand it first should be your priority. After you’ve gathered your thoughts around it, you can start looking for resources from the company you purchased it for and making a document that your employees can access for training.
Some things your training should include:
- Knowledge base articles
- Shared drives
- Video tutorials
- Training sessions
Make sure you have a good way of distributing all these resources and that you give time to your employees to look over them and familiarize themselves with new tools. In case some of your employees are simply not understanding how to navigate the tool it would be a good idea to hold training sessions.
Let your employees know that their thoughts are welcomed, and any questions or concerns they have are valid. Make yourself or another key person available to answer any questions or to educate. You want to make sure everyone in your company can grasp it well, to avoid a decrease in productivity.
Dedicated training sessions can be extremely beneficial and can help employees understand the tools but also feel excited about them. You can host training sessions either with individual employees, small groups, or even the company as a whole. Decide what is best for your hybrid workplace and ensure you have all the resources needed to create good experiences for your staff.
Tip 4: Take feedback into consideration
The introduction doesn’t stop once everyone grasps the digital tools you have presented them. Instead, it needs to continue on to make sure that your employees will actually be using it and know how to navigate it.
A good way to determine this is to take feedback from everyone. This will allow you to see how everyone is interacting with the tool and what problems may have popped up. If you skip this step, you may risk not knowing whether the tool is meeting everyone’s needs and expectations, which can lead to employees not using it or even using something else without you realizing it. This could be dangerous as it could potentially pose security risks. You want to avoid this and make sure you ask your staff how they feel about it after they’ve had some time with it.
A good way to ask for feedback on something like this is to either do it through online surveys or even ask your employees in person. Whatever you do make sure you give your employees options so that you can ensure that they will answer
