With Labor Day 2018 right around the corner on September 3rd, it’s easy to get caught up in thoughts of where you might go for the long weekend or the projects that need to be done around the house. But what you should really be thinking about on Labor Day is the happiness of your employees.
Labor Day was enacted as a tribute to the contributions made by the American worker, and what better way to celebrate your workers than by making changes that boost employee morale?
Celebrating your employees for Labor Day 2018 doesn’t have to involve throwing an employee appreciation party or offering a bonus day off, although that is a very nice thing to do. One of the many simple changes you can make that can boost employee morale and rev up your company’s efficiency long-term: adopting a paperless office!
How Can Going Paperless Help Your Employees?
Let’s face it, no one dreams of working in an environment that lags behind the times. Working for a technologically stagnant company can make employees feel as if they’re being dragged backward instead of being propelled forwards‒and who wants that? No one wants to do a monotonous job that could just as easily be done with RPA services.
Switching to a paperless office may seem like a strange way to improve the lives of your employees, but using document scanning and automation to streamline paper-based tasks allows your employees to better utilize their skills and focus on more meaningful work, making them feel valued and fulfilled.
According to Forbes, finding value and fulfillment in the workplace is becoming increasingly important to employees across the board. If they can find that fulfillment within your company, they’re much more likely to stick around.
Future-proofing makes employees feel secure
Going paperless will help your office stay on the cutting edge and show your employees that they’re part of a future-oriented workplace. Knowing your company will be around for the long haul gives employees peace of mind around how they fit into the future of your company.
According to Sandler Training, fostering a future-oriented or forward-thinking work environment is a great way to retain talented team members, especially if you employ a large number of millennials. A stagnant work environment dependent on paper-based processes can slow employees down and squelch their creativity. Keeping up with modern trends that would be part of a paperless process can energize employees and allow them to do their best work.
Going paperless makes remote work more accessible
The idea of working remotely has gained popularity in recent years, and it’s clear that the trend isn’t going to die down anytime soon. According to a 2017 Gallup study, nearly 50% of Americans reported working remotely at least some of the time.
Being able to access important documents within a secure electronic document management system allows employees to work remotely without having to lug around paper files or delay tasks until they’re back in the office.
Not only is remote work convenient for employees who work on the road or in the field, it can also help expand your talent pool. When remote work is an option, you can recruit talented individuals from across the globe without requiring that they relocate or commute.
The eco-friendliness of a paperless office is appealing
Did you know that 45% of the paper printed in offices ends up trashed by the end of the day? For many employees, the wastefulness associated with paper process can create a lot of guilt. Adopting paperless business processes allows employees to focus on doing great work without worrying so much about their carbon footprint.
Here are some additional statistics from Greener Ideal around how environmental sustainability in the office impacts employee engagement:
- 51% of employees won’t work for a company that doesn’t have strong social or environmental commitments
- 96% of Generation Y employees are concerned about the environment and expect their employers to take steps towards becoming more sustainable
- 74% of employees say their job is more fulfilling when they are provided with opportunities to make a positive impact on social and environmental issues–and 70% would be more loyal to a company that helps them contribute to important issues
- One out of every four employees would look for a new job if they discovered their employer had a bad record with environmental issues
- Only 27% of U.S. workers are very satisfied with their employer’s efforts to help the environment
Valuing Your Employees
Showing appreciation and valuing your employees on Labor Day‒and every day‒is a vital part of a flourishing business. Allow your employees to really shine: give them the tools and resources they need to do their best work, acknowledge the meaningful contributions they are making and watch them, and your company, grow.