Technology has always played a role in employee experience, but today, it is inseparable, shaping how we work, interact, and recruit.
With office closures and workforces working from home, COVID-19 brought an end to the traditional 9-5, office-based way of working. In response to the pandemic, in 2020, we witnessed an unprecedented acceleration in the digitalization of workplaces, where organizations and employees were forced to adapt to using digital tools and cloud-based solutions almost overnight.
From online meeting solutions and chat and messenger apps to productivity and task management apps, today, to do their jobs, employees require the same level of technology that they use in their private lives. And it begins with recruitment; with remote working and greater flexibility around when, where, and how we work, digital tools have become an integral part of recruitment and onboarding processes.
Creating Satisfaction and Living Up to Expectations
Despite the disruptions and changes to both our work lives, for leading organizations, recruitment still continues.
We surveyed over 5,000 employees from different industries and age groups throughout Europe about recruitment, employee benefits, and employee experience. Among the questions, we asked participants how satisfied they were with the introduction they received from their current employer; 73% of participants who were onboarded using digital tools say they were satisfied with the process compared to 56% who were onboarded without digital tools.
What’s more, 81% of employees who were onboarded using digital tools say their employer lives up to the expectations set in the job advert or during the recruitment process compared to 56%.
Why Digitalize Recruitment?
Today, it's vital for organizations to stay ahead – the competition for talent is too great, and it's highly likely that competitors are already using digital tools as part of their recruitment processes.
Using technology to improve certain HR and recruitment functions enhances the employee experience. Furthermore, by digitizing large sections of the onboarding process, HR can spend more time on strategic matters and focus on supporting managers with any role-specific onboarding processes.
Additionally, digitalizing large sections of the onboarding process seamlessly introduces and educates new hires about their employer, the company culture, company mission, and values.
Digitalization equals greater efficiency. A study conducted by Unit4 revealed that, on average, office workers spend 552 hours – the equivalent to 69 days – a year completing administrative or repetitive tasks. Just imagine how this time and energy could be reallocated? While you’re here, don’t miss our post on why automation and digitalization is not about replacing people. 
A Modern, Digital Employee Experience
Today, the vast majority of organizations use an employee benefits platform of some sort to enable their employees to access information about their employment, read messages, view their payslips, or enroll in benefits. After hiring a new employee, employees are given access to their own personalized employee platform, where they can begin their digital onboarding process.
The digital onboarding tools inside the employee platform allow employers to guide new hires through the next stage of the employee lifecycle. Digital onboarding tools include guided video tutorials, e-learning tools, and digital handbooks, which, of course, can be accessed while working remotely.
What’s more, organizations using Benify’s global benefits and total rewards platform can enable new hires to access the platform’s digital onboarding tools on their smartphones through the Benify app. With the app, employees can complete their onboarding anywhere, anytime, from the palm of their hand.
Getting Up to Speed Quickly
By implementing a digital preboarding process where employees can learn about the organization before starting their first day, new hires can get settled in their new role quicker.
In the case of Benify’s platform, once a new employee has logged in to their benefits platform, they are introduced to the company’s values, culture, and company story through both videos and reading materials. Employees are then provided with a checklist of tasks they need to complete as part of their onboarding process. Once they've completed one task, they simply check the box and move onto the next task. This way, employers can be sure that new hires don’t miss anything.
Before the use of digital recruitment tools to onboard employees, understandably, an employee's introduction could inevitably vary a lot. Digital onboarding creates greater consistency, ensuring that every employee receives the same quality introduction and solid foundation.
While there are still many questions about the future of work, including to what extent employees will continue working from home versus working in the office even when things “normalize”, the future of recruitment will most certainly become more and more digitalized. Is your organization equipped for the future?
In 2021, Benify won a silver award for its digital onboarding tools under the category of Best New Hire Onboarding Program at the 2021 Brandon Hall Group Excellence in Talent Acquisition Awards. Read the press release here.
Learn more about digital preboarding, onboarding, and offboarding by downloading our tip sheet.
