In many industries, organizations have spent recent years attempting to fill gaps left by disruptions in the business world. While some industries are struggling to attract enough talent to fill vital roles, others are struggling with layoffs and managing the happiness of the workers they do have.

No matter the case, though, one thing is often true: hiring new workers can be more costly than retaining existing ones. While there will always be exceptions to this, finding ways to attract and retain talent remains crucial.

So, how do organizations work to meet these challenges and take a systematic approach to retaining talent?

One approach that works in tandem with nearly any other is embracing technology to make work smoother for everyone. To better understand how this helps, let’s explore some of the employee retention tech that can create a more streamlined and effective work environment — one that encourages workers to stick around, develop their skills, and ultimately attract even more talented people.

Streamlining Hiring 

Hiring can’t be overlooked in a discussion about worker retention. To some extent, a bad fit is simply a bad fit. No practical amount of changing the organization will be sufficient to make some hires feel at home without making others feel left out. To that end, it’s essential to identify candidates who will feel aligned with the organization’s ideals and approach. Fortunately, there are technological tools that can help ease the process:

AI and Machine Learning Powered Applicant Review 

Organizations can enhance the efficiency of the hiring process by providing HR teams with automated tools. This enables them to review applicants more efficiently. There are a range of digital tools that can help HR professionals do their jobs more effectively. Many of these now rely on artificial intelligence and machine learning, which can quickly review vast amounts of information.

These might include AI systems that can quickly scan for specific criteria or even summarize their findings, as well as those that can be used to quickly develop hiring materials such as job listings.

Social Media Platforms 

Social media platforms — yes, you read that right — represent a powerful tool for finding and retaining talent. Social recruiting can be a highly effective practice. Platforms such as LinkedIn, which are aimed at aiding professionals in their development and networking efforts, can be a rich place for not only sourcing talent but also entering preliminary discussions with potential candidates. Even social media platforms not specifically aimed at career development can be highly effective in some industries.

Streamlining Onboarding 

Onboarding is one of the trickiest parts of a new job. It’s a time of intense learning, during which new hires get a feel for the organization that they’re now a part of. It’s also, understandably, a time of heightened anxiety and stress for new hires.

They must figure out how to perform their job correctly, make a good impression, and begin forming professional relationships that may have a significant impact on their career. Here’s where the right technology comes in. Onboarding doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, it often works much better when it isn’t.

Digital signature software 

While less comprehensive than an onboarding platform, digital signature software can significantly aid the onboarding process, enabling new hires to fill out and sign important documents on their own schedule.

Digital icebreakers 

While icebreaking may be dismissed as an unofficial component in onboarding, its importance can hardly be overstated. Digital technology can be a huge help, enabling companies to find fun ways to get new hires acquainted, such as interactive games and communication channels.

Training and Outreach 

No matter what industry you’re operating in, it’s often crucial to ensure that workers are happy where they are. While employment is not something people generally do for fun, there’s no need to maintain systems that lead to unhappiness and resentment.

In fact, worker happiness is likely inextricably linked to the financial bottom line of most organizations, and research has just begun to illuminate this connection empirically. That’s why embracing technology to streamline training and receive feedback from workers can be so important.

Gamifying training 

People love challenges, especially when they’re in the format of a game. While many companies would understandably prefer that employees don’t play video games while on the clock, what if there was a way to play a game and receive important training at the same time? That’s how gamified training works.

This approach creates challenges and games that pertain to workplace procedures, policy, and other important information that workers must digest. Making it a challenge is both engaging and rewarding. Win-win!

Of course, not all training can, or should be, gamified. Some topics are far too sensitive and serious to make light of, but in general, this is a helpful format to keep employees engaged in training.

Accessible outreach systems 

Sometimes, the issue isn’t just workers recognizing that they’re unhappy. Sometimes, the barrier to improving worker happiness is how able workers feel to discuss their frustrations in an effective manner. In these cases, accessible outreach systems can be extremely helpful. This outreach can vary in format.

Digitally distributed Employee Pulse Surveys (EPS), digital anonymous communication channels, and anonymous engagement surveys are some of the digital tools that employers can use to better understand how workers are feeling.

The Bottom Line 

While many organizations are facing the challenge of finding ways to retain talent and build a company culture that fosters innovation and collaboration, there is, fortunately, a wide range of technological tools available that can help us create more effective workplaces. Among these, tools that help streamline onboarding training and employee outreach can be some of the most powerful to the end of creating an effective culture.

At Bangert, Inc., as a trusted Sage Intacct partner, we’re no strangers to the ways in which technology can drive positive outcomes in business. To learn more or get started with the best-in-class solutions for the construction industry, don’t hesitate to learn more about Bangert’s Innovative Approach.