Feet are up; you’ve got a bowl of popcorn to your left and a glass of wine to your right.
With a couple of clicks on your handy remote, the binge-watching session begins!
That’s the reality we live in.
Consumer expectations are rising; whether you’re watching a film, learning at work, or searching the internet for the best organic soap in the UK, people expect a seamless, simple experience.
If tech isn’t as simple as the likes of Netflix, YouTube, or, dare I say it, TikTok, then most consumers just aren’t interested.
And if you think this mindset changes when people come to work, well, you’d be mistaken!
Most people are going to get annoyed quickly if you have all entertainment and the internet at your fingertips at home and then during working hours, you’re still tracking time and booking annual leave via a spreadsheet.
Every other piece of tech is advancing, so why should anything we use at work be behind the times?
Let’s talk… consumer-grade technology!
If you’ve not heard of the term “consumer-grade technology” before, don’t worry.
It sounds more complicated than it actually is.
If you can operate a piece of tech that is so easy to use you don’t need a dreaded manual, and you can pretty much figure it out for yourself, then congratulations – you have a consumer-grade tech!
Consumer-grade technology can be summed up with these three elements:
1. Simple to use: People don’t want to feel stupid when operating new tech. The simpler it is to use, the more they’ll continue to use it. People should be able to open software and figure out how to use it without pages of instructions. Intuitive design is key!
2. Convenient: There are almost 6.5 billion smartphone users globally, and on average, people in the UK check their phones every 12 minutes. People want instant access to everything, like never before. Even with digital learning, people want to learn on the go, and you can only do this with a mobile-friendly LMS!
3. Personalised: 71% of consumers prefer personalised ads. When you’re shopping online, are you more likely to click on an ad for a dress that you’ve been eyeing up for quite some time or a new shop on the other side of the country you have no interest in? How do you think Netflix gets it so right? If they’re suggesting a lot of Hugh Grant movies, it’s probably because you’re watching a lot of rom-com films. Consumers want tech to be tailored to them; consumers want to feel special.
Consumer-grade tech in the workplace
Due to clunky, manual systems, employees and managers waste up to 4 hours per week on HR tasks.
This means HR professionals spend a considerable amount of time managing requests that could simply be avoided with a seamless HR platform.
Instead, HR teams could put those extra hours into improving the employee experience or strengthing the business L&D strategy.
To avoid the loss of productivity and help get the most out of your teams, businesses must invest in an intuitive, easy-to-use, mobile-friendly HR platform that centralises all tasks from day one, such as:
- Getting to know people around the business
- Booking annual leave
- Viewing employee benefits and payroll information
- Accessing policies and documentation
- Completing surveys
Meet our process-first HRIS for people-first teams…
Sapling, our intuitive and fully customisable HRIS, gives back time to HR teams and employees, allowing them to focus on the bigger jobs at hand.
Seamlessly integrating with popular workplace tools such as Google Suite, Slack, and Asana, your teams, really are given a centralised hub for all HR information.
Sync with your ATS to impress employees (even remote workers!) with a strong employee experience before they even start, and with the help of automated emails and reminders, you’ll also never miss their birthday or anniversary!
Speak to our experts about how to maximise your employee’s happiness with our robust HRIS.
Written by Mara Swann Mara has a passion for promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion across global workplaces and hopes to inspire learners to focus on their own careers with self-directed learning content.
