Digital workplace services & the evolving employee experience

Chapters:

• The digital workplace
• Digital workplace services
• Transformation and engagement
• The bigger picture: An ecosystem of tools
• Conclusion: Beyond enablement, towards experience

The digital workplace

The digital workplace is the modern equivalent of the traditional office. Where employees once gathered in central hubs to collaborate, the rise of remote and hybrid work, along with shifting employee expectations, has made the digital workplace the new norm. 

Driven by digital tools and platforms, the digital workplace enables employees to work, collaborate, and communicate from anywhere, maximizing technology to support productivity, efficiency, and flexibility.

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Digital workplace services

Digital workplace services are the tools and systems organizations have in place to enable remote and hybrid working. 

Key components for any digital workplace will include:

• Communication tools: Email, chat platforms (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Slack), video conferencing (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet).

• Collaboration platforms: Document sharing and editing tools (e.g., Google Workspace, Microsoft 365), project management software (e.g., Asana, Trello).

• Cloud computing: Access to files and systems through the cloud (e.g., Dropbox, OneDrive, AWS).

• Mobility: Ability to work from any location on various devices (laptops, smartphones, tablets).

• Security infrastructure: Cybersecurity measures such as VPNs, single sign-on (SSO), and data protection policies.

These tools support basic digital enablement, providing people with the means to log in, communicate, and complete tasks. In a hybrid or remote environment, they're non-negotiable.

The digital workplace transformation and engagement

Employee engagement used to be about coffee breaks and team socials, but when organizations transform to fully digital operations, it reshapes how we interact and engage with one another. It doesn't automatically improve or harm engagement, but we need to give it some thought.

Positives for engagement

• Autonomy and flexibility: remote and hybrid approaches give people more control over how, when, and where they work. For many, this can boost motivation and wellbeing.

• Focus time and fewer distractions: without the constant noise of an open office, some of us find we can focus more deeply, leading to a greater sense of accomplishment.

• Access and inclusivity: digital tools can create a consistent experience. When implemented thoughtfully, everyone should have access to relevant information and opportunities, regardless of their location.

Potential side effects for engagement

Every effective solution can come with unintended consequences. Before developing a digital HR strategy for transformation, it's essential to understand what to look out for and how changes may impact employee engagement along the way.

• Isolation and disconnection: Without the natural exchanges that occur in an office environment, people can start to feel isolated or emotionally disconnected.

• Digital fatigue: I doubt many of us are strangers to video call fatigue, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, but digital fatigue is more than this. It's back-to-back calls, endless notifications from email and instant messaging, and the pressure to be 'always on' can lead more to burnout than engagement.

• Manager blind spots: As a manager myself, I can attest that it's harder to sense how people are feeling when you don't see them every day. It's easy to say you're fine on instant message, and almost impossible to read body language and sentiment.

• Culture dilution: Without intentional connection and communication, people can lose their sense of belonging to something bigger.

What drives engagement in a digital-first world?

Connection

Humans thrive on social connection. In a physical office, this happens naturally, but in a digital environment, it needs to be intentional.

That might look like:

• Reinforcing goals and values so employees understand their purpose in your organization.
• Creating space for social interaction, like virtual coffee breaks or Friday evening quizzes.
• Helping employees see their impact with regular feedback and visible progress on meaningful goals.

Clarity 

When you're not physically present, it's harder to seek the clarity often needed.

Clarity in a digital environment might look like:

• Clearer goals that align individual effort with team and business priorities.
• Well-communicated expectations so people know what success looks like in a remote or hybrid setting.
• Access to the right support, whether it's guidance from a manager or self-service tools that make work easier.

Choice

One of the biggest benefits of digital work is the freedom it offers.

Engaged employees are often those who feel trusted to work in ways that suit them.

• Flexible schedules that respect personal rhythms and responsibilities.
• Autonomy in tools so people can choose what helps them be most productive.
• A culture that values outcomes over hours, focusing on results rather than the 9-5.

Care 

In digital environments, it's easy for people to feel like cogs in a machine.

It's important to show that you care.

• Recognition that feels timely and personal - think work anniversaries, personal or team achievements, etc.
• Support for wellbeing - not just mental health resources but manageable workloads and space to offload or unwind.
• Opportunities for learning and growth, especially those that feel relevant and empowering.

The impact on employee experience

If we consider all of the above, it's easy to see that digital workplace services mainly focus on access and enablement, ensuring the mechanics of work are in place.

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They don't address the more emotional or personalized elements of the employee experience, such as how supported someone feels during a transition or how easily they can get help in moments of need; however, while digital workplace services aren't built specifically for employee experience, they do play a minor supporting role:

• Faster onboarding: When laptops, phones, and accounts are provisioned and delivered ahead of day one, employees can hit the ground running. They don't spend their first few days waiting for equipment or struggling with access issues. This creates a smoother and less frustrating start, leaving a positive first impression.
  
  
• Flexibility: With tools accessible in the cloud and secure access in place, employees can work from virtually anywhere, whether it's home, the office, or while travelling. This not only supports hybrid working but also enables a better work-life balance, which in turn contributes to wellbeing and retention.

The bigger picture: an ecosystem of tools

While the digital workplace transformation starts with enablement, providing employees with access to basics like email, video calls, and file sharing, the employee experience digital transformation is much wider.

It begins with the employee.

It's shaped by how easily they can get things done, how supported they feel, and how connected they are to their work and each other.

Instead of thinking of tools in isolation, organizations are beginning to view the digital workplace as an ecosystem—a connected landscape of human resources tools, digital services, intranets, HR virtual assistants, HR service delivery, employee engagement, and survey tools.

A single tool can help someone complete a task. But an ecosystem can support an entire journey, whether it's onboarding, accessing benefits, managing development, or seeking feedback.

The more connected these touchpoints are, the more seamless and satisfying the employee experience becomes.

This is where employee experience solutions, such as Applaud, can fit into the digital workplace.

Features like knowledge management surface relevant support information, helping employees self-serve without needing to search through outdated documents.

Virtual HR assistants and AI-powered support can provide instant answers to everyday questions, reducing the reliance on HR for routine queries and saving time on both sides.

When a more personal touch is needed, case management ensures that queries are tracked, assigned, and resolved efficiently, connecting people to the right support without anything being missed.

Employee journeys guide individuals through key milestones, such as onboarding, parental leave, or internal moves, while gently prompting managers to check in, schedule welcome meetings, or organize team introductions.

These small, thoughtful actions make a big difference in helping people feel supported and connected.

At the centre of it all, a modern HR portal can act as a single point of entry, unifying systems, signposting services, and simplifying access with quick links and integrated tools. And because it's cloud-based, the experience stays consistent whether someone's at home, in the office, or on the move.

Conclusion: Beyond enablement, towards experience

The digital workplace has come a long way from simply replicating the office online. While basic tools are the foundation for keeping things running, they're just the starting point.

Real digital transformation begins when we design these environments with people in mind, connecting tools, journeys, and services in ways that feel intuitive, human, and supportive.

By treating the digital workplace as an ecosystem, we can move beyond enablement to create experiences that truly support employees throughout their day-to-day and across the moments that matter most. It's not just about making work possible; it's about how employees feel about work.

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About the Author

Heather Firth is a Principal Technical Communications Specialist at Applaud with over 14 years of experience in technical writing and documentation. Passionate about transforming complexity into clarity, she focuses on creating content that empowers users and reflects a deep understanding of both software and people.