Once I had got past the use of the word ‘megatrend’ by Hay
(ugh!), I was bowled over by the complete lack of news here. Technology
changing the way we work? And offering new opportunities for engagement? Surely
not?!
It does not take Sherlock Holmes to see
that technology has been re-shaping things for many years. The way we work, the
hours we keep, the locations we work from have all become much more varied as a
result. The tools we use to engage employees now are, in some cases, very different
to those used five or ten years ago. And those tools will evolve again in the next
five-ten years. That’s life.
Organisations have coped with this to date, responding to trends
(note to Hay: not ‘megatrends’) and harnessing – or at least recognising – how evolving
technology can help. Some cope better
than others, and some use technology more effectively than others. All will continue
to be courted by new tools purporting to be the answer to their engagement
dreams (or nightmares) in the years ahead.
But we must remember the purpose such tools exist to serve. Because
however dazzling the range of current options, and the new opportunities that
will arise, the principles of engagement remain the same. Every organisation
must analyse the role engagement should play within business goals, and then
develop a framework to inspire, challenge and support diverse employees to play
their part. New technology will have a role. But the framework should harness
such tools, rather than being built around them. 