In today’s workplace, technology isn’t just a tool; it’s a force that’s reshaping how work happens. Traditional printed standard operating procedures and in-person training have been replaced by digital tools and virtual workshops.
From training new employees in the metaverse, to optimizing processes with intelligent software, to using AR and VR for safety training, there’s no doubt that technology-driven workflows are making work more accessible, efficient, and safe. It’s easier than ever to predict challenges and prevent them rather than take a reactive approach to what happens on the job.
Remote work tools allow companies to source talent from around the world rather than only in their own cities. The increased freedom and flexibility have increased employee satisfaction and productivity.
Let’s take a look at some of the technology solutions making the biggest impact on how work is done, and how you can implement them in your organization.
Increasing Efficiency and Safety in Your Organization
Doing things more efficiently at work is a clear win for leaders at every level in the company. The more efficient processes are, the fewer people are necessary to complete them, and the less time you need as well. That means you can save time and money.
It’s also important to improve efficiency and safety to combat the issue of understaffing or sudden spikes in work. The more efficient the organization is, the less likely it is that your team will need to work long hours. Long hours and required overtime can impact employees’ physical health and overall well-being, including their oral health.
A safer work environment also helps reduce costs related to worker’s compensation, lost work hours, and delayed production. Using technology to increase efficiency and safety is a clear win for everyone involved.
Improve Efficiency With Remote Onboarding in the Metaverse
How do you get all of your new hires together and teach them key information when they live all over the country — or all over the world?
Accenture found an answer — instead of putting people through hours of draining video meetings, they created a company metaverse so that employees received a virtual reality training experience that made them feel as though they were together with their colleagues.
Employees create their own avatars, helping everyone feel included even if they have physical or mental differences from others. The group training environment was extremely effective and saved Accenture tens of thousands of dollars compared to transporting everyone to the office.
Best of all, employees who underwent training in this virtual environment retained information 33% better than those who did traditional training, which made onboarding more efficient and effective.
Using AR and VR For Safety Training
Safety training is essential in all workplaces, both for new employees and experienced ones. A study of worker’s compensation claims found that 34% of injuries happen during the first year, which means inexperience and lack of training are big factors.
Training on how to safely manage daily work is especially important for manufacturing and construction businesses, which are high-hazard industries with a lot of employee injuries. Unfortunately, it can be hard to train people without creating dangerous situations or resorting to less-effective lectures.
However, that has changed with the introduction of VR safety training. This technology allows employees to safely explore a virtual worksite and identify hazards, practice specific work processes, and more. As a result, employees stay engaged during safety training, retain more of what they learn, and aren’t exposed to hazards. At the same time, the organization is able to save money on training setups, ensure accessibility for all employees, and meet safety standards more easily.
Keep Your Organization Safe from Cyber Thieves
Safety isn’t just about physical safety — cybersecurity is also essential. The losses have been skyrocketing: In 2022 cybercrime caused $10.3 billion in financial damages, compared to $6.9 billion the year before and $4.2 billion in 2020.
Protecting your organization from cybercrime requires a two-pronged approach. First, the company needs to implement high-quality cybersecurity protocols and technology. Second, leaders in the organization must fight against security fatigue, which is the tendency for employees to not take cybersecurity seriously.
One way to improve cyber safety in your organization is to use a password manager so employees don’t have to consistently change them, which can lead to lax, easy-to-break passwords. It’s also important for IT to keep all systems updated, including website plugins and themes. Using VPNs, especially for remote workers, can help protect company data, and training can help reinforce security protocols.
Overcoming security fatigue is challenging, but leaders can set a good example by following cybersecurity practices carefully and talking about cybercrime as if it will happen in your company. It’s also helpful to automate as much cybersecurity as possible, to avoid both human error and the human tendency to procrastinate.
Using Technology to Overcome Optimism Bias
Optimism bias happens when employees or leaders in your organization assume that “bad things won’t happen here.” They see problems like severe injuries, cyberattacks, employee disengagement, and more as things that happen in other places, but not at your company.
Predictably, that leads to risky behavior, a lack of training, and other problems that negatively impact the safety and efficiency of the workplace. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to combat optimism bias and improve safety.
For example, highly visible signage, including digital signs, can emphasize safety protocols and indicate areas where there’s likely to be a lot of traffic, like break areas, bathrooms, and more. It’s important to post multiple warnings and reminders because repetition helps cement information in long-term memory.
Messaging should be consistent throughout the facility, and ongoing training should reinforce the messaging and emphasize the importance of safety procedures.
Improve Safety and Efficiency with Technology
Tech solutions can dramatically reduce the time and money it takes to offer effective new hire and safety training, improve cybersecurity, and help your organization overcome optimism bias and security fatigue.
The business environment is changing quickly, but you can change just as quickly by taking advantage of the latest technology. Whether it’s VR, digital signs, or the latest cybersecurity automation, your organization can’t afford to miss out on these easy ways to be safer and more efficient.
