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

Kita semua terlepas tempat kerja #OldNormal. Dan kita terlepas 'ceramah kecil' yang paling penting. Artikel ini membincangkan kepentingan perbincangan kecil dalam perniagaan - bagaimana perbualan tempat kerja ini penting untuk penglibatan pekerja dan pasukan - dan bagaimana melabur dalam teknologi penglibatan pekerja membantu anda mengatasinya. Tidak ada yang tidak kena dengan #WFH, tentu saja. Ada sesuatu tentang jarak fizikal, dalam masa yang sukar untuk ditiru. 

Menurut Forbes, sehingga 2023, 12.7% individu sepenuh masa beroperasi dari jauh, dengan tambahan 28.2% mengguna pakai pengaturan kerja hibrid. Jumlah yang semakin meningkat menormalkan persekitaran kerja jauh atau hibrid. Di samping itu, artikel yang sama telah mendedahkan bahawa 32.6 juta tenaga kerja Amerika akan bekerja dari jauh menjelang 2025. 

Walau bagaimanapun, pada pandangan pertama, banter kasual di sekitar sensasi Netflix terkini, kedai roti baru yang menarik yang anda temui, atau bantuan domestik yang absconding nampaknya tidak ada kaitan dengan kerja. Dan di situlah anda akan salah. Interaksi spontan, 'tidak rasmi' selalunya merupakan 'aliran kerja sebenar' organisasi. 

Sekiranya hierarki dan matriks membantu mengekalkan jarak yang diperlukan, salam, lima tinggi, pats-on-the-backs, nod, dan bogel merapatkannya, boleh dikatakan. Anda boleh memanggil mereka 'ceramah kecil' jika anda mahu, tetapi ia berfungsi di banyak peringkat - ada yang cukup besar. Ia memecahkan ais dan membina ikatan

Pemerhatian Terhadap Apa yang WFH Terlepas: Sebab Untuk Mencari Teknologi Penglibatan Pekerja

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.

Terdapat lebih banyak bukti. 78% eksekutif berpendapat dalam latihan bahawa penglibatan pekerja adalah kunci kejayaan perniagaan. Kajian Gallup , di pihaknya, memberitahu kita bahawa tenaga kerja yang terlibat dapat meningkatkan keuntungan sebanyak 21%. Dalam tinjauan lain, pemimpin HR yang ditinjau bersetuju bahawa daftar masuk dan maklum balas berterusan adalah penting untuk hasil yang berjaya.

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 boleh mendapatkan teknologi untuk melakukan silap mata. Teknologi penglibatan pekerja yang betul dapat membantu anda mencipta semula 'kimia yang hilang' di tempat kerja dengan menghidupkan semula setiap interaksi kecil dan besar yang menjadikan tempat kerja 'sejuk.' Anda akan dapat melakukan beberapa perkara dengan alat penglibatan tenaga kerja ultra-moden.

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

Big Data Analytics membolehkan anda memantau, mengukur dan mentafsir prestasi secara intuitif dan berbutir. Kempen maklum balas, di pihak mereka, membolehkan anda kekal di atas sentimen pekerja dan menjejaki nadi budaya setiap saat. Bersama-sama, mereka memberikan keterlihatan penting yang anda telah hilang untuk membuat bakat dan keputusan perniagaan yang lebih bijak.

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 adalah, lebih daripada apa-apa, peluang berharga untuk introspeksi dan menilai model perniagaan, membayangkan semula SWOT dan mengubah keupayaan di seluruh rantaian.

Sejarah, bagaimanapun, nikmat yang disediakan. Apabila mereka tidak boleh pergi ke laut, nelayan - mereka berkata - memperbaiki jaring mereka untuk musim depan. 'Masa dan ruang tambahan' yang kita ada pada masa ini adalah, oleh itu, 'Wake Up Call' untuk melabur secara strategik dalam teknologi, proses, dan pemikiran yang dapat membantu penyesuaian teratur untuk berubah dengan cara yang terbaik dan bersiap sedia untuk 'Realiti Baru' dengan kelebihan daya saing yang dirombak.

11. Repurpose savings into growth via people

Terus terang, pemisahan fizikal bukanlah 'pic and cream' untuk semangat dan budaya pasukan setakat ini. Berita baiknya ialah sekatan pergerakan secara borong juga telah menghasilkan penjimatan yang besar daripada perjalanan korporat, sewa hartanah, pejabat dan infrastruktur overhed, dan makanan & makanan ringan hari kerja.

Letakkan dua dan dua bersama-sama, dan anda mungkin akan bersetuju bahawa ini mewujudkan peluang yang sempurna untuk menaik taraf tempat kerja dengan melabur dalam teknologi dan penglibatan pekerja yang mendorong perniagaan ke hadapan pada masa kini dan masa depan.

Meratakan teknologi dan penglibatan pekerja adalah salah satu langkah paling bijak yang boleh anda buat dalam masa semasa. Lagipun, sebahagian daripada simpanan anda idealnya bertujuan untuk menyokong pengembangan berterusan dan pertumbuhan masa depan, bukan? Dan tidak ada pemacu pertumbuhan yang lebih kuat daripada orang anda sendiri. Anda boleh melangkau watercooler, tetapi mereka berhak untuk mendapatkan kembali 'tempat kerja' mereka!

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.