Workin’ for a livin’ … or taking what’s given?

When thinking about your workforce, which of the following group or groups come to mind — the contently committed, the passionate performers or the distractedly disengaged? Though it’s likely your organization is filled with at least a few individuals from each category, Gallup research indicates that less than one-third (32%) of U.S. workers are engaged. This could be a result of numerous factors, from inaccurate job descriptions and operational inefficiencies to mismanagement of personnel and resources. Regardless, it means that you’re paying at least a portion of your workforce for suboptimal performance and it’s time you did something to correct that.

In The State of Enterprise Work 2015, a recent study presented by Workfront and conducted by Harris Poll, researchers examined the impacts of various sources on our work and productivity. While I believe each of us want to find joy and satisfaction in our work, it’s important we have access to the right tools to make that happen. For example, when asked about the impact of the following on productivity, workers rated the following three items as most valuable in allowing them to be “somewhat more productive” or “much more productive”: email (87%), ability to access work information from anywhere (82%) and mobile devices (63%).

Interestingly enough, these are all tools that give workers a modicum of flexibility and freedom in how they complete their jobs, which is highly sought-after in today’s business environment. To further that point, it’s clear that “work” is no longer defined as something done during a standard set of hours in a specific location. Workers were asked how often during a typical work week they log into work or work email before or after standard business hours. Not surprisingly, roughly four out of five (82%) do so and more than half (52%) noted they do so on a daily basis!

Beyond this changing definition of the work environment, the way in which work is changing. Communication tools are vital to engaged workers, with respondents indicating that email (83%) and shared documents/spreadsheets (75%) are either somewhat or very effective in getting work done. In order for workers to be fully engaged, businesses must find ways to eliminate waste, facilitate productivity and increase alignment across teams. By putting it all together, companies begin adapting to how workers want to work and providing them with an environment in which they can spend the majority of their time performing the primary duties of their jobs.

At TechOrchard, we believe it’s clear that creating a workforce of passionate performers requires connecting the people, processes and data that are crucial for moving forward. As Dr. Tom Nelson explains in his book “Work Matters,” “work” doesn’t need to be a four-letter word. Rather our careers and vocation can have intrinsic value and be satisfying endeavors … and even an act of worship. It’s simply a matter of removing obstacles that inhibit our efforts.

For a FREE copy of “Work Matters: Connecting Sunday Worship to Monday Work” by Dr. Tom Nelson, email me at phil@techorchard.com. Don’t forget to ask about how you can use smartphones, tablets, laptops and wearables within your workforce to provide secure access to the tools and information that transforms your team and generates the ultimate level of worker engagement.