At ITEXPO 2023 last month in Fort Lauderdale, FL, one company that stressed how technology leaders should consider their employees’ experiences first was Motivosity.
For example, how about replacing managers with authentic mentors?
"Mentors are better than managers," said Logan Mallory, Vice President of Marketing for Motivosity, a company that makes and distributes engagement and retention software. "Nobody wants to be managed these days. They want to be coached so they can be better learners."
Mallory set the stage for his presentation at the expo’s Solutions Theater by defining the state of workspaces in 2023.
“Worker production in the United States is at the lowest level since 1948,” he reported. “Unsurprisingly, there's also been a 200% increase in workplace loneliness since COVID sparked the move to a hybrid workforce.”
In November and December, more than 1.2 million workers in the United States were laid off. As a result, Mallory explained how recent surveys show that:
- 80% of workers are worried about getting laid off
- 74% of people who retained their jobs feel less productive
- 67% of workers feel at least partially disengaged
"People are afraid because they see others getting fired on the evening news," Mallory said. “Toss together a changing work environment with lay-off angst and you'll find a combustible situation in today's work environment.”
“And since qualified technology workers are in such high demand,” he went on, “Technology executives need to pay more attention to what employees are saying. They can’t afford to ignore employees’ relatable experiences being brought to the table.”
Workspace consultant Forrester analyzed the situation, as well. The consultancy said companies that want to improve their work culture should implement three actions:
- Create personalized workspace experiences.
- Provide developmental learning opportunities.
- Establish an appreciated, people-first culture.
"When people feel appreciated and connected, they stay at their job longer and they remain motivated," Mallory noted.
Mallory also said that there are two problems inherent in most employee management systems used today. First, most systems are built to serve the needs of the corporation, not the employee. Second, most of these systems have multiple disconnected solutions that don't talk to each other.
"So many tools were built with only corporations in mind," he said. “As a result, most of today's employee management systems are siloed and suffer from low usage and employee disengagement.”
In contrast, Mallory said Motivosity experiences a 96% usage rate across the companies that employ the system. "It's because we built it around the team member, not the team leader," he said.
Mallory calls his product "an integrated, comprehensive system where people can communicate." Motivosity software features modules for work and life connections, recognition and rewards, career development and employee insight. The product is fully available to off-site workers.
“The ability to create sub-communities on the platform based upon common, non-work interests is a big plus,” Mallory said.
In closing, here's another interesting stat Mallory threw out: 70% of an employee’s experience depends on how they're treated by their manager. Mallory said Motivosity allows for closer alignment between management and employees, particularly in the area of goal-setting.
"Developing your managers is as important as developing your employees," he said, "because it's weighted so high in the employee’s overall experience."
Motivosity is based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The company was founded in 2013.
Edited by
Alex Passett
