Companies should identify and provide intelligent devices to meet the differing needs of employees. 

Innovation and improvement cannot be top-down, or just an "IT thing" – they must consider and come from all levels of the organization. 

Dell's Digital Workplace Solutions, powered by Intel technologies, can reduce friction and help IT, leadership, and employees stay connected and collaborative.


The Great Resignation has shown that companies cannot retain talent with a one-size-fits-all approach. Successful organizations adapt to the individual: They must understand how and where each team member works best, and provide the hardware, software, and peripherals for them to do so smoothly and securely.
Recognizing this, many companies have focused on equipping teams with the right technology to innovate. But rather than hyper-focus on technology alone, leadership must also consider the people and processes that this technology is meant to empower. A recent global study of 10,500 individuals by Dell Technologies showed that 67% of respondents said their organization underestimates the needs of their people when planning transformation programs.
This disconnect has crucial consequences: Employees who feel that their current company does not consider their needs are likely to look for one that will. 
Here are three ways your organization can select, deploy, and support technology to improve employee collaboration, connectivity, and productivity.
Create an IT culture of inclusion, innovation, and collaboration
Without an inclusive approach, even the best idea is unlikely to achieve its potential. 
Innovation must come from all levels of your organization. It cannot be accomplished via top-down directives, and should not be considered solely "an IT thing." 
Leadership must actively champion new initiatives and updated strategies that benefit their employees – not the other way around. When selecting new tools or software, the perspective of the people who will actually be using those tools most should take precedence. 
Failure to consult rank-and-file staff in the selection process will always have consequences. If employees feel that a new solution does not meet their needs (because they weren't included in the process), they might ignore the implementation effort. With many free tools available for self-provision, they can just find something else more appropriate – resulting in more discord and less return on your investment. 
When implementing new tech, collaboration and communication are key. With so many employees now working remotely, depending entirely on tech to contribute, it's imperative to ensure that IT is not stretched too thin. They'll need management and HR's help to collect feedback and keep everyone informed and coordinated. 
Corporate leadership must not dismiss these responsibilities as "IT's problem," or they'll unexpectedly find themselves dealing with underperforming talent and open roles to fill.
Make selection of technology strategic and empathetic
An optimal culture of innovation places people in partnership with technology — not in opposition to it. Forcing your workplace into a cookie-cutter approach to IT service management will not succeed in today's environment.
It's essential to address the emotional needs of employees grappling with unfamiliar tools, changing protocols, and uncertainty. Failure to acknowledge how a transition might impact employee productivity will decrease adoption and increase resentment.
Instead, successful organizations leverage a more strategic, empathetic approach.
With the Great Resignation still ongoing, companies must evaluate how they select and provision technology. Employee workflows and processing demands vary dramatically within an organization so randomly provisioning equipment without considering individuals' needs can cause frustration and hurt productivity.
Each employee's equipment should reflect their use cases. Data scientists, designers, engineers, video editors, and marketers often require abundant processing power, whereas sales and HR applications are less resource intensive. Providing all employees with identical equipment means you're either wasting money (by over-equipping some) or limiting productivity (by under-equipping others).
Likewise, consider how and where each employee works. Some are stationary, whereas others split time between multiple locations. Some, like road warriors and digital nomads, are perpetually on the go. Thus you must account for not only individual processing requirements, but also for whether their work patterns call for a workstation, desktop, or laptop.
Such strategic individualization brings another issue into play: parity. Employees notice when a coworker has a "nicer" laptop or workstation. To mitigate this, treat employees equally — and generously — when it comes to peripherals. In this era of mobility and online collaboration, every employee deserves a high-quality camera, headset, external microphone, charger, ergonomic keyboard, and mouse.
If you're balking at the cost of that generosity, consider how much replacing an experienced JAVA developer, product engineer, data scientist, or marketing director costs. Invest in your employees and the tools they need to succeed — or you'll have to spend 10-20% of their salary finding a replacement.
Keep your employees connected, not distracted
Poorly timed tech hiccups can derail an employee's productivity — and if other people rely on that employee's work, a "minor" issue could have a major effect on your business.
Take the simple, essential act of sharing files or data: A recent report by Forrester found that 49% of firms struggle to enable employees to easily and securely share data, especially in the cloud. 
When the secure, "official" channels for sharing data are a hassle, employees may resort to sharing files via unsecured, "unofficial" means, thereby exposing the company to much bigger problems.
Whether it's safely sharing data, securely accessing systems on the go, or obtaining IT support, a solution won't succeed if it adds hassle for the user. Dell SafeData encrypts data and governs who can access or change files, online or offline. This functionality, offered only by Dell, seamlessly protects sensitive data on the device or in the cloud, without any added steps by the user.
Furthermore, remote and hybrid workers require timely, efficient tech support. Remote service management capabilities, such as Intel® Active Management Technology, found only on the Intel vPro® platform, streamline a company's ability to discover, repair remotely, and help protect PCs in your entire organization, which will help simplify support and improve user experience.
IT solutions should be frictionless and intuitive. Cutting corners on a corporate level leads to corners being cut elsewhere. From maintaining hardware to updating software, people tend to follow the path of least resistance. If incomplete IT initiatives place obstacles in their way, the path of least resistance might lead your employees to another company. That's why it's essential to choose tools and tech that help your people move forward.
Find out more about how Dell Technologies, with Intel technologies, can help your organization's innovation initiatives. 
This post was created by Insider Studios with Dell Technologies.

Source: Business Insider

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