Small Talk Is Big Business: Your Reason To Invest In Employee Engagement Technology in 2025

Kita semua merindukan tempat kerja yang #OldNormal. Dan kita sangat merindukan 'obrolan ringan'. Artikel ini membahas pentingnya obrolan ringan dalam bisnis - bagaimana percakapan di tempat kerja ini sangat penting bagi keterlibatan karyawan dan tim - dan bagaimana berinvestasi dalam teknologi keterlibatan karyawan membantu Anda mengatasinya. Tentu saja tidak ada yang salah dengan #WFH. Ada sesuatu tentang kedekatan fisik dan momen yang sulit ditiru. 

Menurut Forbespada tahun 2023, 12,7% individu penuh waktu bekerja dari jarak jauh, dengan tambahan 28,2% yang mengadopsi pengaturan kerja hibrida. Angka yang meningkat ini menormalkan lingkungan kerja jarak jauh atau hibrida. Selain itu, artikel yang sama juga mengungkapkan bahwa 32,6 juta tenaga kerja di Amerika akan bekerja dari jarak jauh pada tahun 2025. 

Namun, sekilas, obrolan santai seputar sensasi Netflix terbaru, toko roti baru yang keren yang Anda temukan, atau pembantu rumah tangga yang melarikan diri mungkin tidak ada hubungannya dengan pekerjaan. Dan di situlah Anda akan salah. Interaksi spontan dan 'informal' sering kali merupakan 'alur kerja yang sebenarnya' dari sebuah organisasi. 

Jika hirarki dan matriks membantu menjaga jarak yang diperlukan, maka salam, tos, tepukan di punggung, anggukan, dan senggolan akan menjembataninya. Anda bisa menyebutnya 'basa-basi' jika Anda mau, namun hal ini bekerja di banyak tingkatan - beberapa di antaranya cukup besar. Mencairkan suasana dan membangun ikatan

Pengamatan Tentang Apa yang Dilewatkan oleh WFH: Alasan Untuk Mencari Teknologi Keterlibatan Karyawan

Following are the reasons why you need employee engagement technologies.

1. Can I have my water cooler Back? How critical it is to bring back workplace conversations.

If you could decode unsaid prayers, then you would understand the importance of small talk in business. Small talk may be number one on the Wish List of most peers, partners, and networks.

After all, you can’t schedule a ‘running-into-Minal-(or Neha)-at-the-café-en route-to-the-meeting-and-whisking-the-donut-away-like-a-hungry-hawk’ quite like the way you schedule a webinar or Google Meet Session, can you?

And as we settle into the rhythms of Zoom and Skype, those moments, where we used to refresh and unwind (over the latest updates and gossip - the rejuvenative powers of ‘good gossip’ is well documented by the way!) seem to be receding farther and farther into memory.

2. The sense of lonelines in hurting team engagement

The world of work is being re-set in never-before ways. The shift runs deep, beyond setting up personal workstations at home, to our psyche and nerves. The absence of ‘company’ to engage with in small talk is turning work cold and clinical, sucking the joy out of a vibrant and dynamic daily ritual we have grown used to.

And make no mistakes, it’s taking its toll. After the initial honeymoon period, #WorkingFromHome is starting to throw up nasty surprises like stress and depression (apart from physical discomfort and ailments). A sense of ‘separation and alone-ness’ is the most commonly cited culprit. Satya Nadella (Microsoft CEO) pointed remotely.

He said he himself missed the “‘two-minute chance to connect with the person sitting next to him in a physical meeting — something a virtual meet can never hope to achieve really…” Closer home, things aren’t too different. People are missing out on and realizing the importance of small talk in business.

Suresh Sharma

3. ‘Disconnection' comes with a Cost

The cost of a workplace that is disengaged can be high. As per a survey, 96% of employees will quit an organization for a salary hike of as little as 10%, an attitude which can be attributed to a company culture that gets workers ‘kicked’ about work.

We all know about the costs of high attrition, which involves - amongst other things - time and resources spent re-initiating and re-grooming new hires into the system.

Ada lebih banyak bukti. 78% eksekutif mengakui dalam sebuah latihan bahwa keterlibatan karyawan adalah kunci kesuksesan bisnis. Sebuah studi Gallup, pada bagiannya, mengatakan bahwa tenaga kerja yang terlibat dapat meningkatkan profitabilitas sebanyak 21%. Dalam jajak pendapat lainnya, para pemimpin SDM yang disurvei setuju bahwa pemeriksaan dan umpan balik yang berkelanjutan sangat penting untuk hasil yang sukses.

4. Why lose social capital build up painstakingly over the years?

The current disruption has robbed us all of a lot of things we once took for granted (some leading to broken-hearts) and that once defined our personality and lifestyle.

Don’t let your organization's culture be next on that victim-list. Sure, social distancing could be the norm going forward - just like the work-from-home model – but that doesn’t mean we have to live out of our private little islands. It is possible to reboot the little moments of community magic at the workplace with digital innovation.

5. Does your compay need a new water-cooler then?

Mungkin tidak, jika Anda bisa memanfaatkan teknologi untuk melakukannya. Teknologi keterlibatan karyawan yang tepat dapat membantu Anda menciptakan kembali 'chemistry yang hilang' di tempat kerja dengan menghidupkan kembali setiap interaksi kecil dan besar yang membuat tempat kerja menjadi 'keren'. Anda akan dapat melakukan beberapa hal dengan alat pelibatan tenaga kerja yang sangat modern.

So, what’s the fix?

Enter Empuls: Your new digital water cooler.

Empuls is an AI-powered, all-in-one employee engagement platform designed to revive the community magic of the traditional workplace while optimizing the modern digital one.

-> Bring back organic conversations

Empuls’ Social Intranet and Community Groups recreate virtual “coffee breaks” with features like:

• Open forums for small wins and team news
• Watercooler-style community groups based on hobbies or interests
• Reaction-based communication with GIFs, high-fives, and emojis
• Birthday, milestone, and holiday Wishboards that drive real-time celebration and connection​

-> Combat loneliness with meaningful check-ins

Empuls runs AI-powered eNPS, pulse, and lifecycle surveys so HR and managers can:

• Understand employee sentiment at every touchpoints.
• Identify silent disengagement before it turns into attrition
• Use actionable people analytics to drive improvements​

-> Revive recognition in real-time

With automated awards, smart nudges by “Em” (Empuls' AI bot), and a massive global rewards catalog, Empuls ensures:

• No win goes uncelebrated—whether it’s a team milestone or personal growth
• Employees feel seen, valued, and appreciated daily, not just during performance reviews​

-> Sweeten the deal with perks & benefits

The platform supports:

• Tax-saving benefits (meals, fuel, telecom)
• Flexible fringe benefits like remote work, family care, wellness, and upskilling
• Salary advance options and 6000+ brand discounts globally​​

6. Build efficiencies with laser-sharp precision

Open, honest, and frequent Feedback-Loops help ‘listen’ and integrate actionable insights into the workflow as they happen, improving efficiencies in ‘real-time.’ Feedback campaigns at every stage of the employee lifecycle help analyze and improve KPIs that matter.

You can also plug in one-on-one coaches and mentors for specific workers (basis their ‘performance report card’) to raise efficiencies selectively and optimize training efforts. Easy and instant distribution of internal HR communication, protocol revisions, and policy updates smoothen day-to-day activities.

7. Keep teams supercharged with delay-less appreciation and on-the-spot rewards

Micro and Macro ‘Moments of Success’ can be shared by peers and supervisors and celebrated with incentives ranging from warmly hand-written ‘Well Done!’ Notes to lavish achievement awards (and everything in between). Not just that!

Attractive perks, employee discount programs, and thoughtful benefits like health insurance and loans (for home, car, and kids’ education) can make workers feel appreciated and special.

8. Turn work into joy

‍Improve employee engagement with technology and tools like Empuls that make discussion (both one-on-one and in groups) natural and easy. Friendly and timely ‘pokes and nudges’ help planning and alignment, ensuring every item on the To-Do List is ticked at the end of the day.

Team Building features (like games and activities) tighten connection and culture. Sharing hierarchy charts encourages folks to recognize and say “Hello” to colleagues in other departments and functions, multiplying rapport and strengthening communities.

‍9. Take better leadership decisions

‍AnalisisData Besar memungkinkan Anda memantau, mengukur, dan menginterpretasikan kinerja secara intuitif dan terperinci. Kampanye umpan balik, di sisi lain, memungkinkan Anda untuk tetap mengetahui sentimen karyawan dan melacak denyut budaya setiap detiknya. Bersama-sama, keduanya memberikan visibilitas penting yang selama ini Anda lewatkan untuk membuat keputusan bisnis dan talenta yang lebih cerdas.

10. Upgrade the engagement, invest in change

Going on the defensive may be humankind’s natural reflex to crisis, but experts don’t agree that it is the wisest route. This applies to every function in the business, including Accounting and Costs.

Many organizations have taken the ‘easy way out’ by shrinking teams, reviewing capex and opex, and cutting corners (the third is often a function of the first two). Precedence, however, points in a different direction. Its message is powerfully clear:

Waktu henti, lebih dari apa pun, merupakan kesempatan berharga untuk mengintrospeksi dan memahami model bisnis, menata ulang SWOT, dan mengubah kemampuan di seluruh rantai.

Sejarah, bagaimanapun juga, berpihak pada mereka yang siap. Ketika mereka tidak dapat melaut, nelayan - kata mereka - memperbaiki jala mereka untuk musim berikutnya. Oleh karena itu, 'waktu dan ruang ekstra' yang kita miliki saat ini merupakan 'Wake Up Call' untuk berinvestasi secara strategis dalam teknologi, proses, dan pola pikir yang dapat membantu organisasi beradaptasi dengan perubahan dengan cara terbaik dan bersiap-siap menghadapi 'Realitas Baru' dengan keunggulan kompetitif yang telah diperbarui.

11. Repurpose savings into growth via people

Sejujurnya, pemisahan fisik belum menjadi 'buah persik dan krim' bagi moral dan budaya tim sejauh ini. Kabar baiknya, pembatasan pergerakan secara besar-besaran juga telah menghasilkan penghematan yang besar dari perjalanan perusahaan, sewa real estat, biaya overhead kantor dan infrastruktur, serta makanan dan camilan di hari kerja.

Gabungkan dua hal tersebut, dan Anda mungkin akan setuju bahwa hal ini menciptakan peluang yang sempurna untuk meningkatkan tempat kerja dengan berinvestasi dalam teknologi dan keterlibatan karyawan yang mendorong kemajuan bisnis di masa kini dan masa depan.

Meningkatkan teknologi dan keterlibatan karyawan merupakan salah satu langkah paling bijak yang dapat Anda lakukan saat ini. Lagi pula, sebagian dari tabungan Anda idealnya ditujukan untuk mendukung ekspansi yang sedang berlangsung dan pertumbuhan di masa depan, bukan? Dan tidak ada pendorong pertumbuhan yang lebih kuat daripada karyawan Anda sendiri. Anda boleh saja melewatkan watercooler, namun mereka berhak mendapatkan 'tempat kerja' mereka kembali!

Why Empuls is the employee engagement technology your workplace needs

In a work environment that’s increasingly remote and hybrid, companies need more than video calls and email threads to keep employees connected. Traditional ways of fostering culture and collaboration don’t translate well in digital settings. That’s where technology and employee engagement converge—Empuls helps you improve employee engagement with technology that actually works.

Here’s how Empuls compares to the traditional workplace and modern digital tools:

Final thoughts: Time to upgrade your engagement game?

You don’t need a new watercooler.
You need a smarter way to connect your teams.

✔️ If you checked off fewer than 4 boxes—your organization is missing out on the true potential of technology and employee engagement.
✔️ If you’re aiming to boost morale, retention, and productivity, it’s time to rethink your tools.

Empuls is the AI-powered employee engagement platform trusted by over 1000 organizations worldwide. It’s time to bring back culture, connection, and celebration—digitally.