Thursday,March 25, 2021 / 5:56AM / Ayomide Oguntoye for WebTV /Header Image Credit: WebTV

Despite the toll it has had oncompanies, the Covid-19 pandemic has also been responsiblefor innovations in how people work and relate to one another.

Mr. Babatunde Fajemirokun, theManaging Director/CEO of Aiico Insurance made this point as a keynote speakerat the Employee Engagement and Experience Conference organized by the FinancialInstitutions Training Centre (FITC). 

He observed that engaging andenabling human capital was one of the top three concerns that keep CEOs awakeat night. He described employee experience as a situation where companies andtheir people work together to create personalized, authentic experiences thatignite passion for improved company performance. 

Highlighting some of thechallenges that has inhibited effective engagement in the work place, he saidthat the new normal has posed the challenge of managing remote workers, leadingto increased mental and wellness concerns, a perceived widened gap betweenmanagement and employees,  limited learning and development opportunitiesfor staff. 

Another challenge he mentionedwas the economic and social instability which he explained has increased theincidence of insecurity in the workplace, the rising cost of living, thedepreciating value of the local currency, and the deficiency in socialinfrastructure. He also mentioned that the global competition for talentespecially in developed countries was a major challenge in the effectiveengagement of the workforce.  

He added that research hasshown that engaged employees' impact is enormous, but the percentage of thedisengaged has posed a significant challenge.  

According to Fajemirokun, theWorld Gallup Poll reported that only 15% of employees were engaged globally.

To improve employee engagement,Fajemirokun proposed that a good way to start would be to design an effectiveexperience-based interface based on the employee's lifecycle, leveraging onseven (7) key components. 

The first was to enableleadership. He said that executive management and leadership must set the toneat the top by creating an enabling culture and provide direction to employees.He also mentioned communication as a component stating that effectivecommunication could serve as a building block for creating a holistic workenvironment. 

The work environment and the HRtechnology were other components mentioned. According to Fajemirokun, aconducive and enabling environment was a major factor in the employeeexperience. Leveraging on technology to improve experience across employeelifecycles has been reported to be integral to driving sustainable engagement.  

Additional  componentsmentioned were Recognition, Health and Wellness, and Learning and Development.  

Chizor Malize,  ChiefExecutive Officer FITC, delivering her opening address said that it wasimportant to understand  how to effectively manage the balance betweenemployee experience and adopt innovations to ensure a viable future fororganizations. 

The conference also featuredpanel sessions with seasoned experts, that discussed the following topics:

1. The Future of Work: Achieving Employee Engagement andExperience 
2. Building an Agile Workforce in a Digital Environment 
3. Employee Engagement; Strategies for Business Growth 
4. Implementing Employee Assistance Programmes in the NewWorkplace