Leverage interaction design to maximize employee engagement

Static workplaces are a thing of the past. Today’s workforce trends prioritize employee satisfaction and happiness — creating an enjoyable, interactive work environment is a top priority.

With more than 102 million working Americans in an office on a daily or part-time basis, elements of the physical workspace cannot be overlooked, as employee engagement and positive culture are always in balance. With the right interaction design, organizations can better focus on who they are and how they interact in the workspace for maximum collaboration and productivity.

While there are many physical workspace considerations, technology-driven design that sparks interaction drives success and impacts every industry at every level. Employers who want to collaborate meaningfully in the workplace need meaningful office elements to inspire and empower this mission. From tangibles to intangibles, here are some essential interaction design strategies to meet today’s workforce needs while driving speed into the future. future of work.

Activity-based workspaces

According to a recent survey, 43% of bored workers. Creating an activity-based workspace to foster engagement and innovation is an effective method to combat boredom and allow employees to be more flexible and autonomous. Essentially, activity-based work allows employees to choose their settings based on the specific task available.

For example, an office with a designated “quiet zone” provides a place for employees to recharge or brainstorm quietly. Shared office spaces have also been reimagined through the use of technology, such as with an interactive digital jukebox that brings employees together through song. Finally, the activity-based workplace offers multiple environmental elements, all in one office.

interactive screen

In today’s digital landscape, most workers are surrounded by screens, from smartphones to projectors in conference rooms, and this spans all industries.

For example, a restaurant employee uses a point of sale display to place an order; a banker who relies on a computer to deal with customers; and warehouse managers can use iPads to record and track inventory. Monitors are now the norm, but what if employers leveraged them to enhance productivity and promote workplace culture?

For a collaborative workspace, smart rooms with interactive displays are essential. With globally dispersed groups and corporations, conference rooms designed with interaction in mind are crucial.

Modern technology allows simple screen control from a mobile device and the options for group engagement are endless. From real-time polls, attention-grabbing graphics, HD video and virtual speakers that make them feel like they’re actually in the room, interactive displays are changing the way technology enhances levels Interactive.

Additionally, screens as an employee privilege have the power to unite, encourage and promote individual choice and diversity, which can improve workplace culture. Consider an interactive tool that plays all shared music from a single screen in the office. The opportunities to dance, laugh and chat are endless.

Employee happiness and engagement have a clear link. Based on Gallup, a high level of happiness enhances the benefits of an engaged employee, meaning that the two factors work in tandem, producing outcomes that promote success in the workplace. In fact, employees with high engagement and low happiness levels were 61% more likely to feel burned out “often” or “always.” When employers focus on both engagement and happiness, they are better able to retain happy employees. Research shows that engaged employees with high levels of happiness are 59% less likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months.

So, to get this desired blend, workspaces must be designed with both outcomes in mind — cohesion and happiness. An interactive design can promote happiness through quiet zones where employees can refresh. Simply having the choice to choose the best space to complete a certain task or recharge brings satisfaction and instills true value. Sitting at the same desk with the same people every day will tire even the most active employees. The options and variety are ideal for maximizing employee engagement.

Connectivity Enhancement Technology

Human connection in the workplace is now more important than ever. In reality, 72% workers reported feeling lonely monthly and 55% reported feeling lonely weekly. The question is, has technology made the workforce a lonelier place?

While technology tools support collaboration and distributed teams, it’s time to ensure that the digital age doesn’t isolate workers. With the right strategy, technology will strengthen human connections rather than diminish them. Individuals are looking for greater meaning at work, and 70% of employees say their sense of purpose depends heavily on their work, according to McKinsey’s analysis. To achieve this level of purpose in the workplace, human bonds must be formed, and technology is the perfect tool to leverage.

To truly thrive in the digital landscape, whether in hybrid environments or in the office, requires finding the perfect combination of technology and human touch. For example, instead of advocating for isolation headphones, encourage music sharing and collaborative playlists at work, and instead of hosting a brainstorming session via Slack or email, focus on conference room or at a local park. Technology must complement human interaction and it needs to be intentional to strike the right balance.

When promoting interaction in the workplace, it’s important to consider how to best leverage interaction design. With activity-based workspaces, interactive displays, wellness-first, and employee-oriented devices, employee engagement has a healthy environment to thrive in. Investing in these workplace factors is up to businesses to foster culture, productivity, and engagement.

Ross Honey is the president and chief executive officer of TouchTunes.