PARTNER CONTENT:
Whether driven by necessity or desire, technology has become a top priority for many businesses. But Vodafone wanted to know whether technology has helped businesses become more connected or disconnected with their colleagues, customers and overall purpose.
So they asked Kiwis across all kinds of industries, big and small, how technology has impacted their day-to-day. The Disconnection Report is a ‘state of the nation’ for New Zealand business, helping us gauge our sense of connection and provide ideas on how we can foster stronger connections and drive business success.
Here are some of Vodafone's findings. You can download the full report below.
Hybrid working is the way forward
With more and more team members demanding flexibility, an organisation needs a strategy to retain and recruit the best talent. Hybrid working is a great solution, but can lead to feelings of disconnection and remoteness.
There is a way forward that involves thinking outside the box and reimagining old paradigms. It involves empowering your team members with the right tools. And it involves organisational leaders leading by example to make time for personal interaction.
“Attracting and retaining great talent is a critical business issue. To find the best, we need to think beyond geography. And that means we need to keep our people and our data connected and secure.“
Glenn Johnstone, Head of ICT
Embrace technology that creates value
Nothing compares to quality face-to-face time, especially when it comes to building and maintaining excellent customer relationships.
So how can we be successful in a digital environment? By making technology the hero. By using the right technology to make time for conversations that drive value. By using it to give customers a choice of channel — social, chat, voice or whatever’s next. And by using technology so businesses can respond to customer demands immediately — making the most of every opportunity and conversation.
“Customers expect you to be available. Connectivity solutions give businesses the readiness to be on-demand.”
Lindsay Zwart, Chief Enterprise Officer
Understand cyber security as a team
Digital security affects everyone because we’re all connected in so many different ways. Whether it’s our phones, the printer, our cars, fridges or our fish tank - if it has a connection, it can also be a liability.
It can be as simple as one action, from one individual, that can cause massive downstream impact across a business. Employees need to be made aware of the impact their behaviour can have on the organisation.
“When employees aren’t worried about security, I wonder if they think there’s nothing they can do. But that’s just not true… It’s not just I.T’s problem, it’s everyone’s problem.”
Lindsay Zwart, Chief Enterprise Officer
Rethink technology’s role on productivity
Keeping team members focused and on track are key considerations for successful hybrid working scenarios. Expanding how we think about their productivity to include more than just workload, is a great way to maintain and build a purpose.
Employees can be individually productive when working remotely, but need clarity, encouragement to collaborate and problem-solve together, like they would in an office environment.
Technology, the likes of IoT, can also help free up staff from mundane tasks to work on projects where they can add greater value and have a stronger sense of purpose.
“We need to talk to our employees on a daily basis, to check in on their health and wellbeing, not just their productivity.”
Glenn Johnstone, Head of ICT
Download the full Vodafone Disconnection Report
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