Key performance indicators (KPIs) are important yardsticks for any manager or executive, letting them know whether they’ve met their goals and more importantly, made a significant contribution to the success of the company.
Reaching those KPIs, however, can sometimes be easier said than done, particularly considering that more often than not, success depends on the efforts of other people. This isn’t an insurmountable hurdle if you have regular contact with those people and are able to give them hands-on coaching, such as is the case with in-store management.
But what if you’re an HR executive or upper management in Training or in Operations? After all, you have no way of directly influencing how well front-line staff holds up their end of the job.
Or…do you?
The Status Quo
When you think about it, it’s rather incredible: Retailers now possess a wealth of knowledge about their customers. They can easily target them based on their purchases and can send them emails and texts offering them promotions on the items they’re most likely to buy. We can even geofence customers using our retail app, communicating directly with them about where their desired items are in the store and gathering data about which parts of the store interest them the most.
And in the meantime, we’re sending poorly photocopied instructions and forms to the people upon whom our KPIs depend.
This status quo has long frustrated upper management and executives, who would like nothing more than a direct line of communication to associates on an individual level so that they can exert greater influence.
Enter the Digital Workplace
A comprehensive digital workplace platform can offer corporate teams an easy way to communicate directly with hourly staff. Here’s what this can look like for different units:
Operations
A digital workplace platform can virtually eliminate confusion about tasks, ensuring they’re done properly. Instead of sending printouts to store management, Operations Directors can easily share videos and photos with all hourly staff, clearly demonstrating how things are to be set up, and can receive photos back of the finished job.
Human Resources
It’s incredibly frustrating when the HR team hires people, only for them to change their minds and take a job elsewhere before starting. A digital workplace platform can ensure that the new hire is being engaged consistently during that danger zone between hiring date and start date.
Training
Thoughtfully designed training programs can skyrocket performance and engagement, making employees want to learn and improve. That’s if they’re given the attention they deserve, of course. A digital workplace platform can put customized materials straight into employees’ hands in a fun and engaging way, improving completion rates. Plus, it can solicit employee feedback, providing priceless data that helps the program grow and develop.
Finance
Financial compliance efforts can be a hard sell to hourly staff who are simply too far removed from the big picture to care. A digital workplace platform can get financial executives and frontline staff in the same (virtual) room, opening up the lines of communication and making it easier to help everybody understand the vital role of risk management.
These are simply a few examples of how the right digital workplace platform can tear down silos and make it easier than ever for leadership teams to have open communication with (and influence over) the hourly employees upon whom they rely. With those communication channels in place, every team member will be rowing in the same direction, resulting in KPIs being within easy reach.
Want to know even more reasons why a digital workplace can help your company exceed its goals (and how to best communicate those reasons to any holdouts on your leadership team)? Download our white paper, “Building Internal Alignment for Your Digital Workplace Initiative.”
