“Employee surveys are an important personnel policy tool for supporting operational improvement processes,” says Dr. Stephan Sandrock, head of the ifaa’s work and performance department (ifaa – Institute for Applied Occupational Ergonomics). He offers us tips on how to make digitization really work in a company.
© ifaa / Sandrock
Dr. Sandrock, digitization requires companies to rethink their approach. How can employees accept changes better?
One challenge for digital change in companies that should not be underestimated is the insistence on existing structures and the different attitudes towards new technologies. To help employees better embrace change, it is very important to make them aware of the benefits they have in their day-to-day work and to continue to involve employees directly in change.
Transparent communication and an approach that demonstrates the benefits for employees are essential for the success of change processes. It is also necessary to have a low-threshold qualification that meets the needs of all employees so that they can use new technologies in their daily work. For this purpose, it makes sense to carry out requirements and qualification analyses in order to derive tailor-made measures.
The ifaa supports companies in the planning and implementation of employee surveys. What can they achieve with them?
Employee surveys can trigger positive impulses, which can also provide the company with economic advantages. An employee knows the weak points in his or her working environment and organization best.
By using well-planned surveys, companies can gain an insight, for example, into the working atmosphere, the mood and also the image of the company from the employees’ point of view and generate solutions for improvements in the follow-up processes.
EuroCIS trade fair presents the latest technologies for the retail trade. However, the human factor still plays a major role. How can technological progress and people work best together?
People and technology work best together when various factors are taken into account during procurement. It makes sense for a company to first think about which processes are available and which of them need to be digitized at all. It is also helpful to involve the affected employees at an early stage, because they should also work with the new technologies. In general, this increases acceptance. This also includes testing different technical solutions before they are introduced across the board.
Interview: Natascha Mörs; EuroShop.mag
