The Internet of Things or IoT is slowly making its way into the corporate world. Since this technology can integrate smart devices through the Internet, it can create new environmental ecosystems in the workplace, for both traditional and non-traditional workspaces.
The rising popularity of integrating IoT in workplace is brought about by the benefits this type of technology offers.
First, IoT can help improve the efficiency of workers. Employees can use voice-enabled smart assistants such as Siri, Alexa, Cortana, and other tools to do their simple jobs like replying to emails and creating schedules. Because of this, they can free up their time from repetitive tasks and focus on more complex work.
This also helps them become more productive and make better use of their time in the office.
Additionally, IoT enhances the coordination of operations in the workplace. It also facilitates better communication and collaboration among employees stationed in the office and those working remotely.
The use of IoT in workplace can improve the supply chain and make it easier and more efficient to manage.
Lastly, this smart technology helps protect devices used in the workplace from hacking and other threats. As such, it is a reliable additional cybersecurity tool.
Preparing Your Employees for the Use of IoT in Your Workplace
Although integrating IoT in various operations of your business can be beneficial to your employees and your company, there will be some who may be afraid of new technology in the workplace.
A provider of Advanced Microsoft Office training and other IT programs share below some tips for helping your employees become less resistant to change and more accepting of new technology in the workplace:
1. Help your employees see the whole picture.
Most employees fear the introduction of new technology since they don’t fully understand its importance for the company and the benefits they can get from it.
You can encourage them to be more receptive and get the most from the integration of IoT in your workplace by helping them understand all these things first.
Conduct group and individual talks or have a representative from your tech provider handle this. The goal of these meetings or discussions is to help the employees understand why you are investing in IoT and how it will benefit them in terms of productivity and upskilling.
Whether the integration of this technology is aimed at improving their customer service, workplace efficiency and productivity, or with protecting sensitive data, take the time to ensure they get the big picture and realize that it will help and not hinder them.
2. Customize the training programs.
Not all employees have and show the same level of interest in technology.
Moreover, everyone has different learning curves, which means some will be able to grasp the concept and use of IoT faster than others.
Your training programs should take into consideration these differences.
Because of this, be open to providing different types of training courses to your employees.
Assess your workers and identify the ones who can learn from online training sessions. For the others, allow the trainer to spend more time with them through group programs and hands-on applications to ensure they understand the concept and the different ways they can use IoT in their daily work.
You can also present the training options to your employees and ask them which they prefer. By letting them choose which program they are more comfortable with, they will be more receptive to learning as well.
In the following weeks, consider adding mentoring sessions. Encourage employees who are already comfortable with using the new tool to help their co-workers who need additional instruction.
This additional step will not only help everyone get on the same page but also encourage collaboration and build relationships among the employees.
3. Highlight wins, no matter how small they are.
Once more employees begin to use IoT frequently, draw attention to the positive changes and benefits it is giving your organization.
Whether it’s an employee using IoT for the first time or someone who used the tool to win a client, get the word out. By doing so, you help build a case for change and encourage further adoption of the new technology.
You give your team something to be happy about and proud of as well.
If you have a marketing team, consider asking them for help in promoting your employees’ wins internally and even externally, when appropriate.
4. Consider providing incentives.
Another way you can encourage your employees to use the new IoT tool more is to offer an incentive.
Rewarding good behavior you want to see is always more effective than penalizing a person for not demonstrating the conduct you are expecting. As such, instead of preparing a list of possible punishments for not using the tool, come up with ideas for enticing incentives.
If you want to make sure your reward will motivate your employees, speak with your HR team to come up with the right incentives, which can come in the form of cash incentives, time off from work, recognition, or training opportunities.
You can also try experimenting with gamification to create a bit of buzz around the new tech and make it a bit fun for your employees. Encourage them to earn points and give prizes to the most engaged and successful staff.
5. Provide follow-up or refresher training sessions.
Whether all your employees have quickly adapted to the new technology or some are still struggling with using it, schedule refresher or follow-up training programs for all of them.
If there are new features on your IoT tool, let your employees undergo training so they can learn how to use them.
Additionally, conduct regular surveys or speak with your employees to find out which part of the technology they are having difficulties with. Once you have the results, speak with the tech provider and ask them to provide refresher or additional training programs.
You can also have the employees who are already comfortable with using the tech handle the refresher training course. When this is conducted by their co-worker, they may feel more comfortable asking questions or advice.
As final tips, give your employees room for failure. Allow them to learn from their mistakes and put redundancies into place to overcome their challenges.
Lastly, be as motivating as you can be and lead by example. If your employees see that you are accepting of the new tech, they will be encouraged to follow suit.
AUTHOR BIO:
Jerrin Samuel is the Executive Director at Regional Educational Institute (REI) in Abu Dhabi. Since 1995, REI has been at the forefront of education by delivering quality corporate training courses in the UAE, helping many businesses and organizations achieve greater productivity and higher customer satisfaction levels.