If you’re reading this, we congratulate you for embarking on the process of researching your employee engagement software options. You clearly understand the benefits of engaged employees, the value a software like this will bring to your company, and the need to find the right tool. After all, this is a big decision that will have a lasting impact on your team’s performance and overall employee satisfaction. Prioritizing culture and community within your company is an extremely effective tactic to boost morale and increase your team’s productivity.
But perhaps we should rewind for a moment and get an understanding of the very basics of employee engagement software. After all, just because you’re researching it, it doesn’t mean you’re suddenly an expert.
What is Employee Engagement Software?
Employee engagement software is a tool used by companies to empower their staff (in whole or in teams) through giving and volunteering opportunities that connect them with the causes and issue areas they care most about.
To break it down even further, this is a platform where employees can interact with their employer and peers by participating in programs or activities intended to enhance the well-being and enrichment of the employee experience. These programs are often cause-focused, rallying your team to take various daily, weekly, or monthly actions that not only have employees interacting on a regular basis, but that result in positive real-world outcomes. For example, with an environmental focus, this could be a 20-minute company-wide walk, pledging to decrease plastic waste at home, taking courses on environmental education, or a volunteer day with a local environmental nonprofit.
Regardless of structure and content, every employee engagement software has one thing in common: employee satisfaction. If you’re struggling to maintain a connection with your employees, that’s a good sign it’s time to introduce employee engagement software.
The Benefits of Employee Engagement Software
Okay, so you think you might need engagement software, but what are the benefits really? Employee engagement software has actually been shown to give companies significant leverage in four main employee categories:
- Engagement. As the name suggests, the software is designed to increase engagement with compelling internal program experiences and learning opportunities. Employee engagement is the measure of respect employees feel for the work they do and their relationships with teammates and the employer.
- Retention. People often leave companies because they are unengaged or lack the ability to grow personally and professionally. By increasing engagement and connecting more regularly with employees, you’ll improve your overall retention rate.
- Onboarding. Getting up to speed is intimidating for any new hire joining an organization. Employee engagement helps to fast-track understanding and adoption of the company’s culture and values.
- Productivity. Engaged employees have been shown to outperform their counterparts and amplify positive business outcomes. An employee’s experience directly correlates with their performance.
What Should I Look For When Evaluating Employee Software Options?
When it comes to finding the employee software that best meets the needs of your business and staff, make sure you’re paying attention to the right details. You need to—
Compare Features
Conduct a side-by-side feature set comparison of the different options you are considering. It can be helpful to organize your initial research using an Excel spreadsheet or Google sheet. Features you may want to consider include details such as whether the tool provides “best practice” resources, admin programming templates and modules, coaching videos, and/or tool adoption tips for how to use the software.
Look at Reviews
Find out what other people are saying about the software. You can check out review sites and utilize your own personal network by asking friends, colleagues, or LinkedIn connections what tools they use at their companies or organizations.
Interview the Vendor
If the employee engagement software option has passed your initial critical assessment, it’s time to go ahead and set up a demo with the potential vendor. You’ll want to limit the first part of the conversation to feature walkthroughs and user experience functionality (the vendor may have some best practice recommendations based on other companies they’ve worked with in your industry). This will provide you with ample time to ask additional questions and better assess if the vendor is a good fit.
Some questions you might consider asking include:
- What types of companies and industries do you typically work with?
- It’s important that the vendor is compatible with your industry vertical and company size.
- It’s important that the vendor is compatible with your industry vertical and company size.
- How does your support team work with clients and where they are located? Can you walk me through the process?
- As is the case when working with any tech product, there will be scenarios where customer support is needed. You’ll want to ensure that the vendor’s support team can be contacted during your team’s working hours (pay attention to time zone!).
- As is the case when working with any tech product, there will be scenarios where customer support is needed. You’ll want to ensure that the vendor’s support team can be contacted during your team’s working hours (pay attention to time zone!).
- How do you store data?
- Security is important, and employee data is sensitive information. Choose a software partner who you’re confident will keep your data secure.
Have more questions about employee engagement software? Wondering if EarthShare’s Engagement Platform meets your needs? Reach out to us at regional@earthshare.org to schedule a demo, learn more about EarthShare’s business offerings, or simply to get a better understanding of how employee engagement software can change your business for the better!
