What is the best employee engagement platform? It’s a good question. A question that you’ll no doubt get a million different answers to, depending on who you ask. Whilst there are a number of obvious things to consider when looking for an engagement app for your company (is it scalable? Can it demonstrate ROI?.) it’s important that you take a step back and consider things at a much more granular level. Essentially, what will work best for you.
At Oak Engage, we know a thing or two about employee engagement and employee engagement platforms, it’s our bread and butter after all. That’s why we’ve decided to put this comprehensive guide together for you to understand exactly what you should and shouldn’t be looking out for depending on the size of your business, your objectives and more.
If you’re in a rush, we’ve broken down what to expect throughout the blog. Here's what to expect in a nutshell.
- Why are employee engagement platforms important
- What to look out for?
- Navigating the buying process
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Why are employee engagement platforms important?
Employee engagement apps are important for multiple reasons. The primary reason (as you might have guessed) is their affinity to improve employee engagement. When choosing an employee engagement platform, businesses like Miller Homes and Havebury Housing chose Oak Engage for our groundbreaking employee engagement capabilities.
Employee engagement platforms are a necessary medium for helping workforces communicate with their teams, offering a multitude of handy tools and mechanisms designed to get employees more interested and aligned with corporate communications. Without them, a businesses ability to truly connect with their employees is severely reduced.
Actionable change driven by data
Employee engagement platforms with analytics and reporting features empower organisations to collect valuable data on employee engagement levels, satisfaction, and overall sentiment. These insights become a powerful tool for management, enabling them to uncover trends, pinpoint areas for improvement, and identify potential issues. Armed with this data-driven knowledge, they can make informed decisions to elevate the employee experience and promptly address any concerns that arise, fostering a workplace environment that is responsive, proactive, and aligned with the needs of their employees. Employee engagement apps provide an effective medium for internal communications teams to monitor performance and make amendments based on real life data. Want to know why your messages aren’t hitting the mark? Use an employee engagement app to determine which element of your messaging isn’t working and make the necessary adjustments to supercharge your campaign.
Rewards & recognition
Acknowledgement, praise and positive reinforcement are guaranteed methods of increasing employee engagement throughout your organisation. Whilst these things are undeniably possible without the external help of something like an employee engagement app - technology helps bridge the gap between visibility, real-time celebration and documentation/longevity. Recognition in-person is great - but it’s short lived, overshadowed and sometimes lost in translation. Having your employees on the receiving end of more enduring, frequent and explicit recognition, you’ll be more able to.
Employee experience
It’s a necessary and totally vital element of workplace culture that is often overlooked and or severely undervalued. How your employees perceive their workplace and how they interact with other employees and systems has a profound impact on their ability to remain engaged. Employee engagement is intrinsically linked to a company’s ability to engage their employees. If an employee operates within an immersive, positive workspace in which they’re able to do their job better, develop meaningful relationships and access the tools they need, they’re going to feel much more inclined to hang around.
What to look out for when choosing best employee engagement platform
1. Vendor reputation & support
Take the time to research and assess the reputation and track record of the app vendor. It's worth reading customer reviews, testimonials, and case studies to get a sense of how satisfied their customers are. Make sure the vendor offers reliable customer support that includes access to helpful documentation, training resources, and responsive assistance. It's important to choose a vendor who will be there to support you every step of the way. If the app vendor does not provide reliable customer support, organisations may face challenges in resolving issues. Inadequate documentation, limited training resources, or unresponsive support channels can result in frustration and hinder the successful implementation and usage of the app.
Oak Engage: We have a strong reputation for providing excellent customer support - just check our G2 page! The vendor offers responsive assistance, comprehensive documentation, and training resources to ensure a smooth implementation and usage experience for their customers. Positive customer reviews and testimonials demonstrate their commitment to supporting organisations every step of the way.
2. Scalability & customisation
Take into account the app's ability to scale as your business grows. Ensure that it can handle an expanding user base and adjust to changing demands. Evaluate the employee engagement platform's customisation capabilities, so it can align with your brand, company culture, and specific business requirements. It’s important that you look for an app that can grow and adapt alongside your organisation's unique needs. An app that cannot scale or be customised to align with your organisation's growth and unique needs may become inadequate as your business evolves. The inability to accommodate a growing number of users, adapt to changing requirements, or reflect your branding and culture can limit the app's long-term effectiveness.
Oak Engage: We're designed to scale alongside businesses as they grow. The app can accommodate an increasing number of users and adapt to evolving requirements. Furthermore, Oak Engage offers customisation options, allowing organisations to align the app with their branding, culture, and unique business needs.
3. Cost & ROI
Take a close look at the pricing of the app, considering factors like upfront costs, licensing fees, implementation expenses, and ongoing support charges. Does it operate within tiers? Have a think about the potential return on investment (ROI) by considering how the app can contribute to improved employee engagement, productivity, and retention. Make sure the app's value matches your budget and aligns with the benefits you expect to gain. It's essential to choose an app that offers a good balance between cost and the positive impact it can have on your business. Without robust analytics and reporting features, organisations will struggle to measure the impact of their employee engagement initiatives and determine the return on investment. The lack of data-driven insights can make it challenging to identify areas for improvement or make informed decisions to optimise employee engagement strategies.
Oak Engage: We can help you generate effective ROI through combating disengagement and boosting employee productivity. We allow you to use integrated analytics to track the metrics that matter to you and improve every element of communication within your business. Oak operates on a tiered pricing system designed to cater to every size of business, whilst also taking into account the specific requirements of each and every business.
4. Future updates & development
Ask about the vendor’s commitment to app updates and ongoing development. A proactive vendor that releases regular updates and introduces new features based on customer feedback indicates a long-term commitment to improving the app's functionality - which in turn makes employee engagement a more sustainable and fruitful venture. If the app vendor does not demonstrate a commitment to ongoing updates and development, organisations may be left with outdated functionality and missed opportunities for improvement. The app may fail to keep up with evolving employee engagement trends or address emerging needs within the organisation.
Oak Engage: We consistently update and maintain our product and release new features to make sure that the employee experience is continually being improved and enhanced. If you’d like to hear more about our latest releases, sign up to our newsletter.
5. Data & analytics
Look for built-in analytics and reporting features that provide insights into employee engagement levels, satisfaction, and overall sentiment. The app should offer data-driven insights to help you identify trends, areas for improvement, and make informed decisions to enhance the employee experience
Oak Engage: We offer robust analytics and reporting features. We provide valuable insights into employee engagement levels, satisfaction, and sentiment. These data-driven insights enable organisations to identify trends, areas for improvement, and make informed decisions to enhance the overall employee experience.
6. Integration capabilities
Avoid apps that cannot integrate with your existing systems, such as HRIS or communication tools. Seamless integration is crucial for streamlined workflows and data consistency across platforms.
Oak Engage: Oak integrates with many existing systems and communication tools. Seamless integration ensures smooth data flow, eliminates data silos, and enables streamlined workflows and communication across platforms.
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Navigating the buying process
As far as the buying process goes, every vendor is different. Regardless of who you go to, the various steps and processes involved will likely depend on the nature of your business and requirements. At Oak Engage, we like to keep our buying process as simple and straightforward as possible, making sure that everyone is on the same page at all times. We value excellent communication and transparency, traits that make our buying process head and shoulders above the rest. For a general guideline though, we’ve compiled what you can generally expect across the board from a majority of vendors.
First contact: Start by reaching out to the vendor you're interested in through their website, email, or other communication channels they have. Let them know you're interested in buying from them and kick off the process.
Figuring out what you need: The vendor will want to know more about your requirements, like the problems you're facing, the size of your company, and any integration needs you have. It's important to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with their solution.
Product demo: The vendor might offer a demo of their employee engagement platform to show you its features, how it looks, and what it can do. This will help you understand how the app works and if it matches what you're looking for
Customisation and integration: If necessary, the vendor may talk about customising the app to fit your organisation's specific needs. Not all vendors can do this, though, so they might have some limits. They'll also discuss how the app can work with your existing systems to make things run smoothly.
Talking money: Now it's time to get into pricing. The vendor will give you info about their prices, different licensing options, and any extra costs related to the app. They might have different packages based on the number of users or features you need.
Keeping things secure: The vendor should be transparent about how they protect your data and if they comply with relevant rules. They'll address any worries you have about the security and privacy of your employee data.
Getting things up and running: The vendor should explain how they'll help you implement the app. This includes moving your data, providing training, and meeting any technical requirements. They should also let you know about their support services, like customer support availability and updates to the app.
Negotiating and contracts: Once you have all the info you need, it's time to negotiate the contract. Make sure you carefully read the terms and conditions and ask questions if anything is unclear. Once you're happy, you can seal the deal.
Getting onboarded: After signing the contract, the vendor should guide you through the onboarding process. They might offer training sessions or resources to help your employees and administrators get the hang of the app.
Remember, the buying process with Oak Engage may differ to the examples above. If you want more info about our process specifically, feel free to get in touch.
