How to restore employee confidence through digitalisation

Confidence in both themselves and their employer is crucial for employees to be successful at work. Some people may think of confidence as a binary trait, as something you either have or don’t have. But that’s not true. It can be build up (or restored) over time. And the right digital solutions are often a catalyst for employee confidence.

A lot. In recent years, organisations have mainly focused on creating first-class digital experiences for their customers. Meanwhile, employees were often left with the scraps: dated IT systems, an avalanche of Excel sheets and home-made workarounds.

The fallout of this lack of attention for the digital employee experience – or DEX– is often greater than you’d think. And employee confidence is one of the first things on the line.

#1 Transparency & openness 

Employees will feel more confident their work matters if you’re transparent about your decisions, goals and metrics. Extra points go to organisations that provide timely and specific feedback along the way. This helps employees to grow and feel more confident about their way of working. Possible digital solutions to explore include communication platforms as well as feedback and knowledge-sharing tools.

#2 Security & privacy

Since the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force in 2018, more employees feel confident that their personal data are stored securely and used responsibly. Yet, cyberattacks and data breaches remain a constant threat. The only way to offer your employees peace of mind is to prioritise data security and privacy in your digitalisation journey.

#3 Empowerment

Confidence is directly related to your employees’ ability to perform well as a professional and as a person. In other words, digital solutions will be more effective if they’re made with the end users in mind, and not – let’s say – HR. Remember this when deciding which digital solutions to use for learning, career development, wellbeing, flexible work, etc. to set your employees up for success.

#4 Support

“If you need support, don’t be afraid to ask your colleagues”, said every manager ever. But sometimes there are no colleagues around, a question feels too trivial, or the step to approach someone is bigger than expected. The right tech can help – particularly when AI-powered. Tools can, for example, propose training courses to follow, guide employees through a project, give answers to standard questions, and much more.

#5 Personalisation

‘One size misfits all’ is commonly used phrase by tech providers, but it holds a lot of truth. A tried-and-tested way to raise employee confidence is to implement tools that offer personalised experiences. Just think of an AI-powered talent marketplace that acts as a personal career coach. Or on a different level, some tools can support your DEI goals by strengthening diversity and inclusion in your team.

#6 Listening

Chances are that you’re not sure if employee confidence needs restoring at all. Maybe everything runs smoothly. Or not. Who knows? Well, your employees know. So, start listening to them. They’ll indicate what they need to be more productive and engaged. From pulse surveys to platforms for continuous dialogues, options abound to pinpoint your employees’ (changing) needs and wishes.