How Technology Can Help Us with What We All Need: Purpose, Progress, and Belonging
The parking and transportation industry may not be glamorous, but it is undeniably important. Often, the value we add goes unrecognized and underappreciated. It’s crucial that I don't project this lack of appreciation onto my employees, coworkers, leaders, and partners. Our industry struggles with employee job satisfaction and morale, and addressing these issues isn’t always straightforward. Unlike other industries, we may not have office spaces where employees can enjoy amenities like ping-pong tables, snack bars, or cold brew
coffee kegs.
My first office was a concrete box under the ramp of a parking garage, where I risked hitting my head if I stood up too quickly. For safety reasons, many enforcement offices have shatterproof glass walls between them and the people they assist. Moreover, in the new reality of remote work, many of us no longer work in traditional office environments. With these challenges in mind, how can I increase employee satisfaction, encourage team building, and foster connectivity?
Purpose
When employees have a sense of purpose, productivity improves. But what gives employees purpose, and how can I foster this sense within our work environment? Common strategies include:
- Establishing core values
- Giving employees freedom
- Encouraging continued learning
- Putting work into context
- Being open to feedback
- Leading by example
Technology can significantly enhance employee engagement and purpose by simplifying tasks, facilitating work-life balance, and providing remote work flexibility. Some technologies that can help include:
- Communication and collaboration platforms such as Slack, Trello, and Microsoft Teams help teams communicate and collaborate efficiently, especially for remote workers.
- Project management software such as Trello, Wrike, and Microsoft Project keep employees connected and engaged while working remotely.
- Document sharing technology, including Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft OneDrive, facilitate document sharing.
- Gamification, or making non-game activities feel like games, enhances learning experiences.
- Performance management software helps with setting goals and providing feedback.
Progress
Progress at work is vital for motivation, engagement, and productivity, especially in our industry, where our efforts are not always widely appreciated. Progress can mean different things to different people, from measurable outcomes like pay raises and promotions to lifestyle-oriented goals like enjoying work and feeling impactful. Top ways employees feel they have made progress include:
- Advancing their skills
- Personal growth and development
- Assuming additional responsibilities
- Better work–life balance
- Receiving a pay raise
Several technologies can help employees feel like they are progressing in their roles and careers. Effective tools include:
- Learning management systems: Platforms such as Coursera, Udemy for Business, and LinkedIn Learning offer a wide range of courses for skill development and personal growth.
- Goal setting and feedback tools: Workday, BambooHR, and 15Five help set clear goals, track progress, and provide feedback.
- Mentoring platforms: MentorcliQ and Chronus facilitate mentoring relationships.
- Employee feedback tools: Culture Amp and TINYpulse gather employee feedback and provide insights into engagement levels.
- Skill assessment tools: HackerRank and Skillsoft enable employees to assess their skills and track progress.
Belonging
A sense of belonging is essential for personal well-being and professional success. It's one of the five levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, along with such essentials as food, water, shelter, and safety. Without it, employees can feel lonely and depressed, diminishing their well-being and success.
Recognition is key to fostering belonging. While top-down recognition is important, peer recognition is crucial for morale and the feeling of belonging. I encourage employees to recognize each other, introduce an employee-of-the-month program, and incorporate team-building activities and office celebrations.
The following platforms can help foster a sense of belonging:
- Bonusly is an employee-recognition-and-rewards platform designed to foster a positive work culture by enabling employees to recognize and reward each other's contributions.
- Lattice provides tools for performance management, employee engagement, and recognition, helping to foster a strong workplace culture.
- Kazoo is an employee-experience platform that combines recognition, performance management, and surveys to boost engagement and a sense of belonging.
What Works for Me
I believe in practicing what I preach. Here’s just some of what I implemented with my team:
- Bonusly helps build belonging within our organization. I share statistics for each team in company meetings, making it a significant part of our culture.
- Used to track team projects and objectives, Asana also helps manage one-on-one meetings, ensuring transparency and collaboration in professional and personal goal tracking.
- TEAM Chat facilitates communication within the department and across the organization, breaking down silos and fostering support and information sharing.
By integrating these tools and practices, I aim to create a supportive, engaging, and fulfilling work environment in which every team member feels valued and motivated.
KATHERINE BEATY is executive vice president of customer experience for TEZ Technology. She can be reached at katherine@teztechnology.com.
