Article published 11-Oct-2021
How Technology Can Improve Employee Retention, Productivity, and Morale
Lengthy Commutes May Result In Unsafe Driving Conditions
One of many things making daily commuting difficult (for employees and employers alike) is the length. If the vehicles transporting your employees are not using real-time data to optimize their routes, the total commute time could be longer than it needs to be.
In addition, when thousands of vehicles are on the road for extended periods, they begin to clog up the roadways. These factors, among several others — can lead to increasingly unsafe road conditions for everyone.
With this in mind, ensuring the safety of employees on highly used roads should be a top priority for employers. The UAE is making good progress in increasing road safety and reducing acci-dents, injuries, and fatalities on our roads. However, further action needs to be taken to ensure all UAE commuters’ safety.
The Safety of Employees Can Impact Your Business
Why should the safety of your employees be a top concern? For one thing, there are also busi-ness ramifications to consider. For example, if an employee is regularly stuck in traffic — they will be chronically late and behind on their assigned tasks.
In the worst-case scenario, the continuous sense of urgency may lead the employee to get into an accident (and take an extended leave of absence). These types of avoidable personnel is-sues need to be resolved to prevent them from negatively impacting your business.
The Connection Between Commuting and Productivity
Moreover, when attempting to maximize productivity in the workplace, we tend to focus solely on what happens inside the building. But additional factors can affect productivity, such as employ-ees’ morning and evening commute and its role in various facets of your business.
For example, if workers suffer through a long commute — they may come into work tired and agitated. This begins to impact the business even further with employee frustrations.
To be clear, we are not talking about having a lousy commute every once in a while. Yet, for many workers, their daily journey into work is something they openly dread. A long commute requires them to wake up early and arrive home late. This daily routine zaps them of their energy and may be less productive overall during work hours.
How The Daily Commute Impacts Employee Retention
Your company’s current attitude could be that improving employee transportation is not your top concern. After all, you have a business to run, and it may seem reasonable to declare that any transportation method should be suitable.
However, companies who adopt this type of thinking may begin to see their top talent leave for another opportunity. Additionally, if the employee’s commute has become unbearable and im-pacts their quality of life, they may begin to look elsewhere for work.
With employee safety in mind, retention of your current employees is far more cost-effective than hiring new ones. The top talent in your company has worked hard to refine the skills that put them at the top of the list. Therefore, it is easier for them to find another job if they wish. If they find a company, such as one of your competitors, that can provide better employee transportation; they may leave.
How Technology Can Improve Your Employee Transportation Issues
Many businesses may feel more inclined to manage their employee transportation system to avoid employee turnover, loss in productivity, and decreased company morale. However, as someone involved with managing this process, it is vital you select the right technology-based solution to help you manage all of these moving parts.
The right vendor will be able to supply you with reliable vehicles driven by experienced drivers. The more experienced a driver is, the less likely there is to be an accident. Your transportation partner should also be committed to understanding your employee’s needs and supplying opti-mized routes to match them. Optimizing routes decreases overall travel time and delivers your employees safely, on time, and ready to work.
If there is an issue, the right vendor will have a system to address it quickly. This includes replac-ing a bus if it breaks down or changing a route to accommodate new employees. Lastly, any technology you invest in should be able to scale with you. For example, if your company begins to grow and rapidly hires new employees, the solution you choose should be able to develop new routes right away.
Conclusion
Your employee’s workday starts and ends long before they enter and exit your building. As a result, the daily commute has a significant impact on a worker’s attitude and productivity. By in-vesting in the right technology, you are ensuring their commuting experience is consistently a positive one. This upfront investment will continue to pay dividends by delivering safe, happy employees to work
