When CIOs were forced to redesign the way their employees worked because of the pandemic, it was a difficult transition, to say the least. According to the Citrix Digital Shock survey, 47% of IT executives felt stressed and stated that their workloads increased by 45% in the first weeks of the outbreak. A year later, we have now seen remote work become a part of most people’s everyday lives, and while CEOs, COOs and CIOs across the board are striving to keep their businesses moving and improving the work experience, many have begun to tackle employee well-being as a priority. Who would have imagined that these executives, whose focus was traditionally on the growth and operation of their business, would now be entrenched in making an impact on issues related to engagement and well-being, which are traditionally associated with human resources? Collaboration between HR and C-level executives across the board is no longer limited to the occasional joint project; it’s now about true synergy. CIO’s for example must contribute their technological expertise to improve well-being, engagement, and motivation amongst their workforce. At the same time, HR needs to see technology as a valuable resource for improving processes and simplifying tasks. Let us dive a little further into how technology can support the mental well-being of your team!
I Want to Work: Can I?
In 2019, Citrix did a joint study with Quartz Insights in several countries and found that 90% of employees believe they would be more productive with access to “good technology.” The employees who participated in the study could have never imagined that months later, they would find themselves in the midst of a pandemic or that the way they worked would be radically changed. However, even considering the pandemic, people are aware of the fact that technology should be an enabler, not an obstacle. The fact that employees cannot perform the tasks they need to do because they don't have access to the data and applications they require, deals a hard blow to their engagement with the company and their productivity.
Working better... And living better
In the same study by Citrix and Quartz Insights, respondents said that being “always-on” has a negative impact on their health and well-being. During the pandemic, this feeling intensified since virtual contact expanded in both our personal and work lives. This is a source of burnout, a common buzzword in the corporate world nowadays. However, while technology does have the potential of being a significant contributor to employee burnout, there is no doubt that technology has plenty to contribute to digital well-being. At Citrix, for example, our contribution to digital well-being is in our Citrix Workspace platform. Citrix Workspace eliminates the noise and distraction, helping organize the day and guiding people toward achieving their daily goals. Using micro apps, also helps users handle those little repetitive tasks that are part of the job but often get in the way of more meaningful tasks. By using machine learning, Citrix Workspace discovers the way each employee does their best work and then adapts, guiding them intelligently to the applications, data, and tools they use most frequently.
It is a digital workplace that allows us not only to work better but also to FEEL better.
In short, technology has a lot to offer when it comes to digital well-being. Yet none of that is possible without an engaged CIO who is thinking about more than the bits and bytes. Savvy leadership and a focus on the people must be a compass not only within the IT department but though out a company. Is the C-suite working together in your organization? How is technology contributing to your digital well-being? The time is now to create that synergy your workforce needs!
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/well-being-c-level-challenge-marcelo-giampietro/
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