What’s that saying, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?
Digital transformations covering cloud based systems, IT, mobile and social media are fast taking over every industry, and hospitality is no different. Employees are already experiencing digital tools in their everyday working life, for example front and back of house technology, online bookings, EPoS systems, online dashboards and intranets – and now the world of HR is becoming savvier than ever before.
Digital tools reap rewards for both employees and operators, but for them to be successful, technologies need to be embraced by team members. Digital HR is on the rise; Deloitte reported this year that 56% of companies surveyed are redesigning their HR programs to leverage digital and mobile tools.
So how do you teach an old dog new tricks?
It starts from the top
For new behaviours to be adopted, it must first start from the top. The new culture will not be implemented without managerial ‘leadership’, therefore it is the job of the managers to, first, adopt the use of the technology and then empower their teams to use it too.
A clear understanding of the benefits and uses, alongside full training will further help the adoption and managers using the technology at every opportunity will soon make this new addition second nature in no time.
Incentivise and make it fun
Individuals do not tend to go ‘above and beyond’ without reason and adopting or shifting habits can be tricky. Incentivising the use of such technologies can help lift it off the ground before it becomes instilled into their everyday working life. For HR platforms, incentives can already be embedded through leader boards and point scoring systems – not only to add a bit of healthy competition amongst team members but to also assist with the cultural shift. It’s important to remember that we all learn by conditioning and, for new behaviours to be adopted, individuals must feel like the shift in habit is worth ‘rewarding’.
Right from the get-go
It will certainly be easier for new employees to embrace the shift, as they won’t have known any different, so be sure to use them to your advantage. You can engage with new starters even before their first day at work, through notifications on induction training and providing access to information all available at their fingertips, so they are ready to embrace the digital culture from day one.
As Gen-Z employees start to come through the door, it is important to understand and, more importantly, stay on top of the digital world. This generation is, of course, more digitally savvy and very comfortable using technology, which is completely instilled into their everyday lives. It’s no surprise that younger generations spend a lot of time glued to screens. Market Watch reported in 2017 that millennials are spending over five hours a day looking at their phones. Therefore, an operator must ask “how do I reach these employees?”, and offering mobile based solutions that are available to users anytime, anywhere is only going to increase engagement, productivity and motivation levels.
