Flexibility in the workplace has given employees many different options. Remote options have given them control on where and when they work. BYOD allows them to use the equipment they are most familiar with. Yet too much flexibility can have its drawbacks.
Do you know how many apps you have stored on your phone? It’s unlikely that you use all of them regularly. In fact, most people download an app that they will only use once before forgetting that it even exists. We are more likely to be using only a few apps on a daily basis. However, with the split between work and personal apps, this attention is divided even more.
Consolidating features to one app means you are more likely to spend most of your time using that specific app. Switching from app to app can be a hassle, and in the workplace, there is little time available to wait for things to load properly or for tasks to be completed.
An employee portal can benefit a lot from a little consolidation. Company documents, newsletter updates and task management can all be presented in a single location. This is why you should implement a one stop shop for all your employee needs.
Functionality on Multiple Devices
Business tools are stretched across different locations. You may check your HR tool on a desktop computer. For messaging, you use your mobile device. And the office may even have dashboards displayed across digital signage.
Things get trickier even if everything is compatible with a single device. After all, most office suites are usually designed for a desktop experience. But what happens if one of your platforms has everything you need except for a single critical function? Now you’re switching between different programs on one screen.
Consolidating all of the necessary features into one app ensures that each feature will function equally well on multiple devices, regardless of how your employees engage with them.
Low Costs
Another common problem is subscription fees. SaaS fatigue sets in, especially for tools that either have a single niche use, or aren’t used at all.
As an employer, you’re probably paying multiple subscription fees for the different software programs your company needs to function as a business. These fees can add up and even increase over time as more programs develop and add new features. Nobody wants to pay more for features they won’t even use.
This is why finding an employee portal that keeps everything in one place will help cut down on subscription costs, or contain everything into one lump sum fee. In this way, using and paying for only one portal is not only more feasible, but also more profitable. It even makes it easier to keep track of just how much you’re spending on any subscription fees you have, making business accounting go much more smoothly. This is a good move for any business.
Higher Engagement Levels
People are more likely to engage in something that meets more than one of their needs. For example, if you ask a person which social media app they prefer, they are likely to give one answer. Or they may not use social media at all because “there are just too many apps”.
Those who avoid using several social media apps to avoid the clutter and hassle are also the same type of employee who would prefer to use just one app for their work needs. Opening and using multiple apps takes time and requires a level of attention that may not be feasible for the workplace. It also can leave room for frustration, something that only hinders communication and makes relationships with employees much more difficult than it should be.
Requiring employees to use more than one program not only requires them to be more engaged, it presents additional learning curves to consider. If someone is used to logging in to a certain app every day to clock in, and suddenly they need to learn a new one, they are less likely to engage with the app in general, let alone correctly.
When the user error rate increases, the user engagement decreases. This can be easily avoided by making every task available in one place, a single app that can account for all employee needs.
This is why app consolidation for employee portals is the way to go. As we see an increase in app usage in general, especially in the workplace, keeping up with the latest practices becomes essential in order to have a successful business. Implementing one singular program as an employee portal can help your business in numerous ways, and is the best way to start fueling your company for growth in the future.
