Organizations constantly seek innovative ways to improve efficiency, streamline workflows, and enhance employee satisfaction. One emerging tool in this pursuit is workstyle analytics, a data-driven approach to understanding and optimizing how individuals and teams work. In this blog post, we explore what workstyle analytics entails, its benefits, and the critical capabilities needed to ensure organizations can use it to improve productivity.
What is Workstyle Analytics?
Workstyle analytics involves the systematic analysis of work patterns, technology usage and collaborative behaviors within an organization. By collecting and interpreting data on how employees perform their tasks, use technology to get their work done, communicate, and collaborate, organizations can gain insights into the dynamics of their workforce. These insights help leaders make informed decisions about resource allocation, process improvements, and digital workplace design.
The concept leverages tools that analyze work patterns, digital workflows (task-mining), collaboration platforms, employee surveys, and software usage data. The data, KPIs and analytics reveal key insights on productivity and engagement, such as:
- How employees execute specific tasks using digital workflows and applications to identify bottlenecks or inefficiencies in workflows. With granular insights on how ‘work gets done’ team leaders are able to identify and eliminate the friction points that limit productivity, be that technology, process, collaboration or employee skills.
- The frequency and quality of team collaboration and the preferred collaboration platforms and modes of communication (e.g., email, instant messaging, video calls). Workstyle analytics delivers insights about team dynamics, helps identify silos of communication, isolated employees and influencers or champions within a particular network.
- Work patterns and peak productivity hours for individuals or teams. Understanding work patterns enables organizations to allocate resources more effectively. For example, pinpointing overburdened teams allows for workload redistribution.
- Identifying employees at risk of burnout based on overwork and out of hours working trends enables proactive measures to support employee well-being. This leads to a healthier, more motivated workforce.
- The extent to which an employees work location impacts any of the previous items to ensure that hybrid work policies are data driven.
Workstyle Analytics vs Digital Employee Experience (DEX)
DEX tools are often associated with the desired outcomes described however, while there is a degree of overlap there is a significant difference in focus.
DEX tools are primarily focused on ensuring the optimal digital workplace to enable employee productivity. Ensuring the require tech stack is available and performant, eliminating the digital friction that impacts employee productivity and satisfaction. Time lost to interrupted digital services is significant, more than 4 hours a week. (Ref research) DEX tools are focused on providing the data and insights that tackle this, irrespective of location, taking an employee centric view on the need to streamline efficient digital services.
Think of Workstyle Analytics as the coach analyzing the team’s play style during a game – who passes, who scores, and who’s stuck on the bench. On the other hand, DEX is like upgrading the equipment – the trainers, balls, even the scoreboard – to make sure the team can perform their best.
In practice, the two often overlap, and companies might integrate both to create a holistic approach to productivity and engagement. For instance, insights from Workstyle Analytics can inform decisions to improve DEX, and better DEX can influence positive workstyle trends.
Choose the Right Tools: Critical Capabilities for Workstyle Analytics Software
When looking at technology options to support this approach there are two possible routes. In some cases, organizations may have some of the key capabilities covered with point solutions that address one specific element, for example, task mining. Often this tooling will be used for an associated requirement by another discipline or team. However, pulling together the combined insights and looking at the data and KPIs in the context of the organization, for this purpose, is best served by a solution that unifies the key capabilities to deliver the complete picture. The right KPIs and specific algorithms quickly translate granular data into actionable insights to accelerate the realization of your key objectives.
In reviewing the Workstyle analytics capabilities you should ensure you have access to the following key capabilities:
- Work patterns
- Hybrid patterns
- Task mining
- Experience Scoring
- Software usage analytics
- Survey / Sentiment Analysis
- Location & Group reporting / segmentation
- Productivity Analysis (or however we might want to term Web event KPI)
- Employee Well-being and engagement Insights
The Future of Workstyle Analytics
As technology evolves, workstyle analytics will become even more sophisticated. Artificial intelligence and machine learning will play a larger role in predicting work patterns and recommending tailored solutions. Additionally, Organizational Network Analysis will become an increasingly vital tool for mapping informal networks, identifying key influencers, and fostering greater collaboration and innovation.
The integration of workstyle analytics with other organizational systems, such as performance management and talent development, will create a holistic approach to workforce optimization. This will enable organizations to not only improve productivity but also foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.
Workstyle analytics represents a powerful tool for organizations seeking to enhance productivity and employee satisfaction. By understanding and optimizing work patterns, businesses can create environments that empower employees to perform at their best. While challenges exist, a thoughtful and ethical approach to implementing workstyle analytics can unlock significant benefits for both organizations and their workforce.
In an era where agility and efficiency are paramount, workstyle analytics is not just a tool for improvement—it is a competitive advantage. By embracing this data-driven approach, organizations can pave the way for a more productive, engaged, and successful future.
Learn how Acumen’s workstyle analytics capabilities can help to boost employee productivity by streamlining workflows and improving employees’ digital experiences here.
