How can CRE leaders use digital tools to collect and analyze employee feedback?
In the era of remote and hybrid work, corporate real estate (CRE) leaders face new challenges and opportunities to engage with their employees and optimize their workplace strategies. Digital tools can help them collect and analyze employee feedback, preferences, and behaviors, and use the insights to improve their decision-making and communication. Here are some ways that CRE leaders can leverage digital tools to facilitate employee feedback and communication channels.
Survey tools are a simple and effective way to gather employee feedback on various aspects of the workplace, such as satisfaction, productivity, well-being, collaboration, and preferences. Survey tools can be integrated with email, chat, or intranet platforms, and can be customized to suit different purposes and audiences. For example, CRE leaders can use survey tools to measure the impact of workplace changes, assess the demand for different types of spaces and amenities, or solicit ideas and suggestions from employees. Survey tools can also provide analytics and reports to help CRE leaders identify trends, patterns, and gaps in employee feedback.
Sensor technology can help CRE leaders collect and analyze data on how employees use the physical space, such as occupancy, utilization, movement, and environmental conditions. Sensor technology can be embedded in furniture, equipment, or devices, or installed in ceilings, walls, or floors. Sensor technology can provide real-time and historical data that can help CRE leaders optimize space planning, design, and management, as well as enhance employee experience and well-being. For example, sensor technology can help CRE leaders monitor and adjust temperature, lighting, and air quality, or provide employees with information on availability, location, and booking of spaces.
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Before implementing a sensor strategy, have clarity on exactly what data you want to receive and the environment(s) in which you need to measure it. Without clarity on what exactly you want to measure, you can run the risk of gathering lots of data that doesn't answer the questions you actually have. If you want to know how many of your desks are being used, it's little use to measure how many people enter the building. Likewise the type of technology you choose, whether it's hard wired or battery operated. Battery operated sensors may be faster to deploy in existing spaces, however the lifetime cost of large scale battery replacement efforts may outweigh the cost and reliability of hardwiring during renovation or construction programs.
Collaboration platforms are essential for enabling communication and teamwork among employees, especially in remote and hybrid work models. Collaboration platforms can include video conferencing, chat, file sharing, project management, and social networking features, and can be accessed from various devices and locations. Collaboration platforms can help CRE leaders foster a sense of connection, culture, and engagement among employees, as well as support learning and innovation. For example, collaboration platforms can help CRE leaders share updates, news, and best practices, solicit feedback and input, recognize and reward achievements, or facilitate mentoring and coaching.
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Working in tight partnership with your IT organization is key to success, as in having clarity with who owns the experience your employees have with the use of these technologies. Avoid scenarios where CRE owns the budget and lifecycles of hardware components but IT owns and supports the software. This leads to poor end user experiences and lack of problem ownership when issues occur.
Data visualization tools can help CRE leaders present and communicate the data and insights they collect and analyze from employee feedback and sensor technology. Data visualization tools can help CRE leaders create interactive dashboards, charts, graphs, maps, and stories that can illustrate and explain complex and diverse data in a clear and compelling way. Data visualization tools can help CRE leaders communicate their goals, strategies, and actions to their stakeholders, such as senior management, business units, or employees, as well as demonstrate the value and impact of their work. For example, data visualization tools can help CRE leaders showcase the benefits of workplace changes, compare the performance of different locations or scenarios, or highlight the opportunities and challenges they face.
Feedback loops are a crucial part of using digital tools to collect and analyze employee feedback. Feedback loops are the processes and mechanisms that allow CRE leaders to close the gap between the data they collect and the actions they take, as well as to measure the outcomes and impacts of their actions. Feedback loops can help CRE leaders ensure that their decisions are informed by data, that their actions are aligned with employee needs and expectations, and that their results are evaluated and improved. For example, feedback loops can help CRE leaders test and validate their assumptions, monitor and adjust their plans, or solicit and incorporate feedback from employees.
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Just a couple of comments on the format and the process suggested. It's a great experiment but think it needs a little more introduction relative to who/what generated this initial template pre-comments (I'm sure it didn't spawn itself), will there be any analysis of responses via AI to synthesize the comments into each section, will there be an overall AI evaluated final product here? Also, think it would be useful for respondents to suggest a favorite technology in each of the sections and a rationale for the selection? Good luck LinkedIn in advancing this kind of collaboration across the platform. Thank you.
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