HRM: Companies must become more digital

At the Employers' Day in Bern at the end of June 2022, there was practically only one topic: "shortage of skilled workers". From healthcare to unfilled positions in the construction industry to a lack of young talent among craftsmen and catering businesses: Virtually all industries are affected by an acute shortage of personnel. The problem will worsen in the coming years as baby boomers retire at an exponential rate.

There are many reasons for the labor shortage, and there are already some solutions. There is talk of better wages, part-time jobs, career changers, creating flexibility or work-life balance. All of this makes sense, but how can employers make their workplaces more attractive, attract young employees to their jobs and retain their existing employees over the long term? Paying better wages is only one possibility, but it is not always feasible. But what about the other factors? How can flexibility, part-time work or home office be integrated into everyday working life without having to introduce a feel-good manager and ten weeks of vacation right away? One solution could be a collaboration and communication app.

Create part-time work and flexible working hours - this is how it works

The first thing to do is to inform the employees about the new possibilities. After all, it could be seen as unfair by one or the other if the new colleague only arrives at the office at 11 o'clock. With today's digital tools, a team can organize itself well, but regular physical events are also important to promote team spirit. At the same time, providing information flows creates a sense of participation in what's happening at the company - even for those employees who aren't at a fixed workstation. This leads to a better corporate culture in the long run.

Various (free) online project management tools, such as Trello, ensure clear task distribution and smooth handovers. Here, tasks can be assigned and described in detail, and deadlines and documents can be stored. You can check off what has been done and comment on what still needs to be done.

An in-house communications app that is easy to use and works on employees' smartphones ensures that even flex and part-time workers are always up to date on the latest information. Beekeeper, for example, is already used in Switzerland by hundreds of companies that have digitized and thus simplified their communication and collaboration. The solution has specialized primarily in companies with many employees without a fixed workplace (frontline employees). The user does not even need an e-mail address to use the privacy-compliant app.

Appreciation and having a say

It is more sustainable and less expensive than recruiting new employees to retain existing ones. In doing so, it is important to respond to their needs, to value them and to give them a perspective. Of course, this also applies to new employees. But how can a boss or team leader show personal appreciation if he rarely sees his employees and hardly ever finds out what they are working on? This is especially true in large companies where the majority of employees are not sitting in front of a PC, but are caring for people, making beds, working on a construction site or on an assembly line. The easiest way to reach them is via their private smartphones. An employee platform on which everyone from the boss to the apprentice can interact - that's the solution. Everyday company life can be brought to life via such a platform. The layout is appealing and intuitive, just like modern social media platforms. This makes exchange and communication very easy and promotes a sense of togetherness. In addition, such platforms also offer many functions that can be used to digitize processes and thus save a lot of time and resources. From checklists to writing duty rosters to filling out pay slips, a lot can be done with an app. It can be posted, liked, shared and praised. Information, goodies, training courses, job offers, surveys and events are just some of the content that can be shared via the platform and that is translated directly and automatically into the various native languages of the employees.

More and more admin processes - less and less desire

Many employees complain about the constant bureaucratization of their job. Everything has to be reported and documented - often there is not enough time left for the actual job - which is frustrating. Swapping shifts, vacation planning, recording working hours, filling out checklists or the expense sheet, creating briefings, and so on. If you want to spare your employees from these administrative oxen tours, you can find support in various admin tools. However, many of them have a focus and often can only do one or the other. Some collaboration tools offer the essentials and already have interfaces for the clean connection of other apps. It is important to keep in mind here as well: Simplicity is king. If admin tools are too complicated, they will not be used.

Recruiting - finding potential candidates at the "front door

Recruiting is complex and currently more difficult than ever for HR people and employers. But they could make life easier for themselves and actively involve their employees. After all, every employee has a large network of potential candidates. Why not make use of it? Jobs can be posted internally via a company collaboration platform, and with just one click, an employee can recommend the job to someone in her network or vice versa. Likewise, HR should incentivize and thus turn staff into headhunters. Win-win-win for all parties involved. Beekeeper has already integrated this feature into their collaboration platform.

Nowadays, no company can ignore digitization. Tools such as Beekeeper and similar apps enable companies to save time and reduce the workload of their employees. They also create a positive corporate culture, strengthen employee loyalty and even help to recommend new employees. These are all topics that are becoming increasingly important if companies want to retain their employees in the long term and be an attractive employer.