Habital is Measuremen’s newest application to gather insights into the behaviour and preferences of employees within the workplace. This information can give organisations the data needed to create the best work environment for their employees. The application has been developed to engage people in thinking about their own behaviour and habits within the workplace. It also builds a community within the workplace to support change.
Productivity
As an increasing amount of new technologies are being adopted in the workplace, employees are feeling increasingly distracted. This is leading to a great deal of productivity loss, costing organisations lots of money and leading to employee dissatisfaction. As a consequence, it is causing employees to become frustrated and stressed. Technology is not the only type of distraction, there are still more simple types of distractions such as noise, scents, climate and social distractions which affect employees in their work environment. In situations such as these, moving to a different workspace would be excellent options to deal with the aforementioned distractions. This is where flex working and Activity-Based Working become advantageous to organisations.
Workplace Preferences
Nowadays as employees are seeking more autonomy within the workplace, for example in choosing how and where they work. According to Measuremen data, flex working and Activity-Based Working is on the rise. As could be expected, job autonomy is the main predictor of job satisfaction, according to Tilburg University student, Elise Chung. However, organisations must facilitate autonomy and offer workspaces that match the desires of the employees. For example, according to Measuremen data, only 1,6% of offices provide focus booths, while 50% of employees reported that if they were offered a distraction-free environment, they would be more productive, according to a Gallup study. Situations such as these show that there is a possible mismatch between preferences and the fulfilment of them. Without having sufficient data, managers do not know what their employees prefer. Even though the facilities offered to them are essential for their performance.
How can employee preferences be better aligned?
Here at Measuremen, we believe that the numbers tell the tale. Therefore, we have developed Habital, an application which gathers information on employees’ perceptions of their work environment. Prior to starting the study, the application asks employees to share some information about their personality, job characteristics, and preferences in the workplace. Then, during the study, through short questionnaires, the application asks questions about what employees are doing. Also, as how well they are able to perform their tasks in their current environment.
With data from these questions, conclusions can be made as to how a workplace can be modified or created based on the preferences of the employees. Additionally, the application helps engage employees in giving them a space to make them feel heard. They will know that managers care about their preferences and performance within the workplace. Moreover, and most importantly, this will lead employees to actively think about their own behaviour and habits within the workplace, making them more conscious of their own performance.
Why should I care about employee preferences?
In recent years, organisations have been struggling to attract and retain employees as the desires of younger generations are not matching what many organisations offer. Therefore, there has been a “War for Talent” which is being fuelled by elements such as changing demographics, talent shortage and change in workplace culture. As the workforce will experience dramatic changes over the coming years as millennials surpass baby boomers in the workplace. According to Deloitte, by 2025, millennials are expected to make up approximately 75% of the workforce globally. In the coming years, the change in the mix of demographics will bring a new working culture and set of expectations and desires.
A change in demographics, however, should not be the main reason why data on employee preferences is gathered. Employees are an organisation’s biggest investment and asset; their knowledge and productivity contribute to a huge percentage of output. Focusing on employee preferences, organisations are able to foster trust and respect within the workplace. Leading to improved employee productivity, engagement and more effective teamwork.
Essentially, employee preferences are becoming increasingly more important, with several changes in current working environments. Why not gather a better understanding of your employee’s preferences to offer them the best possible place to work? Get in touch for more information on our Habital application or other services to improve your workplace strategy!
You can also try a free version of the app by downloading it on your phone via the App Store or Play Store.
