Mark Seemann is a UK tech pioneer and telecommunications trailblazer who is now CEO of StaffCircle, a firm providing a work platform that improves internal communication and feedback for employees.
StaffCircle digitises sentiment, awards, communication, training, ideas, tasks, holidays, and directory and delivers it to staff via the smartphone in their pocket. This reduces staff attrition and creates greater employee engagement, empowerment, and productivity.
In an interview with CXM, Mark discusses the future of employee engagement, and why that future is the here and now…
Tell us about StaffCircle and what the company does
StaffCircle is an Internal Communications and Performance Management Platform. It is designed for organisations needing to have two-way communications and feedback with their office-based employees and also their non-desk-based digitally disconnected workforce.
As the relevance of the Customer Experience concept rises, how important is Employee Experience in this new era?
It’s crucial! Engaged employees deliver a better service and ultimately, happier customers. Employee Experience spans a number of areas, and one of them is Digital Experience which is why we created StaffCircle – to help companies open up the feedback loop between business leaders and the entire workforce.
What are some common failings of firms when it comes to employee engagement?
Most non-desk employees aren’t digitally connected to their companies. One-way communication prevails usually through email or paper.
Companies lack the systems and capability to deliver a consistent Employee Experience across both desk and non-desk-based employees because current systems are not designed for the modern smartphone-centric workforce. This disconnect can cause disengaged employees and information silos.
What are some simple steps organisations can take towards improving employee engagement?
Listen to your employees using surveys or internal workshops. Companies need to create faster feedback loops, opening up a digital information flow with their employees at scale. Take a look at the new technology now available, such as StaffCircle, to see how companies can engage digitally with employees with a Company Information Feed, One2Ones, Learning, Appraisals, and Polls.
What is the future of the relationship between firms and employees as technology and other factors continue to make an impact on that relationship?
Organisations need to engage in structured two-way communications rather than one-way unstructured comms (eg: email or paper).
Organisations need to listen to their employees using digital tools enabling faster feedback and greater information flow. Millennials use advanced digital technology (smartphone apps) at home and on the go; it’s time organisations mobilised their technology stack and opened it up to all of their employees.