So do these employees – who use software for more than six hours per day, want different software? Better software? More software?
G2’s survey says… both!
- 95% of workers said they would be “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with better software tools
- 86% of respondents said they would be “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with more software tools
Why? Because 95% of employees surveyed agree or strongly agree that software makes them more productive at work.
Your employees see the value of smart software tools and their ability to increase efficiency and boost productivity. And now that you understand the depth and breadth of the impact software has on your organization, it’s time to dig into the real question.
How can you, as a leader, use these statistics to implement a well-received tech stack that supports a productive, efficient, fulfilling remote work environment in 2022?
Leaders Need to Be Proactive & Take Actionable Steps
Don’t wait until your team is knocking down your door for better tools. Start the conversation today and get a real sense of what kinds of roadblocks your existing tech tools are creating.
- Build surveys to get a read on employee satisfaction in regards to your tech stack
- Identify and troubleshoot any existing issues
- Look for opportunities to improve the tools you’re offering to your team
- Encourage your team to come to you if they find tools that seem like a strong fit
Beyond the basics, these tips can also help you make sure your tech and your team are in harmony.
Make Room for Choice
In some cases, being more flexible can be a great starting point for leaders. If there are tools that give your employees the power of choice without breaking the infrastructure of your organization (ex; allowing individuals to choose between GoogleDocs, Word, and Pages) – see if it’s possible to give your team the autonomy to choose where they prefer to spend their time. A little independence can go a long way in helping employees feel heard and empowered.
Decide on Your Work Model and Re-Evaluate Your Tech Stack Accordingly
For many companies, supporting remote workers was the exception, not the rule. Now, that’s changed and more and more companies are pivoting to a remote-first model. The issue is, many of these suddenly remote-first companies haven’t paused to re-evaluate whether their existing tech stack is built to effectively support a fully distributed workforce. Collaboration tools like virtual workrooms, an at-a-glance time zone reference dashboard, and team building icebreakers can help streamline communication among distributed teams.
Establish a Clear Procurement Process
If your current procurement process is rushed, disorganized – or even relatively nonexistent – you may end up making a very expensive misstep. Especially if your decision-makers are all senior leaders who are not in the weeds or IT managers who are evaluating high-level issues. Most teams focus on four things; integrations, security, scalability, and ROI. But now it’s time to think beyond the basics.
G2 survey results show that 54% of buyers make a software purchase decision of $20,000 or more in three months or less – and employees want to be more involved in the process. Half of all employees surveyed wish they had more control over software decisions at work. So how do you accommodate?
First, it’s important not to give a singular person or department the authority to make a call without getting buy-in from the larger team. As you head into procurement, consider the big picture impact on your team’s efficiency, ask for opinions on what’s important, and use that feedback to write up software requirement criteria. Making sure employees feel heard will do wonders when it comes to driving adoption.
Leaders should also be thoughtful about who sits at the decision-making table. Try to “evenly weight” perspectives by allowing a representative member of each team who will be using the software have a say in the final decision. Doing so will allow each team to have a voice via a decision-maker who can prioritize core work functions and how they impact day-to-day operations for their team.
Many leaders skip this step because it can lead to a “too many cooks in the kitchen” scenario. At the very least, we encourage you to spend a couple of hours capturing priorities from the perspective of your various team members and using the outcome of that meeting to guide your decision-makers as they evaluate tools.
Choose Tech That Helps You Meet Committed Goals
Good tech helps teams achieve the OKRs and KPIs that matter most. Maybe your department is focused on recruiting and retaining top talent, increasing employee engagement scores, and reducing attrition. Or, perhaps you’re accountable for generating predictable company growth, increasing profit margins, and reaching lofty revenue targets. Whatever the case may be, having the right software on your side can make all the difference.
For example, top-of-the-line recruiting and onboarding tools that make it easy to keep candidates organized and build out a streamlined onboarding process can help people and HR teams woo and win the best talent. On the marketing side, user-friendly tools that provide deep visual data that make it easy to see what’s working can help growth teams build a predictable marketing pipeline. For all teams, being able to stay organized, see who’s who in your org, find what you need when you need it, and collaborate seamlessly is critical to ongoing success.
2022 is the Year of Better Tech for Your Employees
G2’s survey revealed 64% of companies plan on buying five or more software tools in the coming year, and 55% plan to increase their software and technology spending in 2022.
Spending a little more time and putting in the legwork upfront in an effort to get whole-team buy-in can pay off handsomely when teams are satisfied with the outcome. So be ready at the start of 2022 to advocate for your team. Re-evaluate existing tools, invite feedback, prioritize having well-balanced voices at the decision table, and work with your employees to build a tech stack that works for you.
The bottom line is – software matters now more than ever – and it’s up to you to select and implement tools that will support your team and help you meet your goals in 2022 and beyond.