Over the past couple of years, the workplace has gone digital.

Yep, that’s right: millions of employees now work from home through their computers and other devices. In addition to this, employees that have remained in the office are also highly reliant on digital tools.

Unless there’s a giant earthquake that wipes out the world’s internet servers, it’s safe to safe that the digital workplace is here to stay – and it’s something you should be very excited about (especially if you’re a business owner).

Hybrid Work: The Revolution

According to Statista, 79% of employees in 2021 used digital collaboration tools for work. This is an incredible statistic, as it shows just how much technology has advanced how people complete tasks and collaborate with each other.

However, improving and managing a digital workplace isn’t without its challenges. Many boxes need ticking, so this blog is here to give you a little helping hand.

Here are some useful hints and tips on how to improve your digital workplace without spending crazy amounts of money.

1. Use Microsoft 365

To perform to the best of their abilities, your employees should have access to Microsoft 365. Luckily, Microsoft offers various plans for businesses that should (hopefully) fall into your budget range.

Microsoft 365 is great at creating customer content, sharing important folders and documents across a single platform, communicating via chat, and much more.

It is worth noting, though, that managing your Microsoft 365 tools can be a lot to handle – particularly if you have a large number of employees on your platform.

For example, it doesn’t take much for Microsoft Teams to become chaotic, from files being shared to the wrong locations to problems with your messages and threads.

To get help with Microsoft 365 and its different functions, use Microsoft 365 services.

2. Hold Virtual Meetings and Catch-Ups

Whether all your employees are working from home or you have a combination of in-office and remote teams, it’s a good idea to hold regular virtual meetings. This will ensure that everyone remains on the right page, from monthly objectives to existing customer problems.

Ideally, you should hold your meetings on Microsoft Teams, but you can also use other platforms – such as Zoom – to do this.

3. Implement Strict Policies

Due to their nature, digital workplaces can quickly become a mess when no policies and rules are in place.

For example, some employees might think that they can slack off because they’re working remotely rather than in-person.

Therefore, you need to implement policies so that standards don’t slip. Here are a few examples:

• Wear formal attire during virtual conferences and meetings
• Have a strong and reliable internet connection
• Contact your head of department if you have any issues that come up

The idea behind these policies is to keep your company culture strong in the world of digital collaboration!

4. Use Workforce Analytics

When it comes to the digital workplace, tracking the individual performance levels of your employees is much easier. This is because there are endless metrics for you to measure, such as their engagement levels on particular apps to their time spent away from the computer.

Therefore, you should use employee performance tracking software so that you can track how well your team is performing. From here, you can make improvements. 

5. Offer Training

With the constant emergence of new tools and software for employees to use, it’s important that you offer them the relevant training. For example, if you have an employee who doesn’t understand how to use Microsoft Teams, they should be given training on exactly how to.