According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a record 4.4 million Americans quit their jobs in September 2021. And while no one determining factor fully explains the “Great Resignation,” economists and psychologists alike suggest that changing attitudes toward the role of work in the human experience – should it come before childcare? Is it worth viral exposure? – are a key driver.
But even as a push for human-centered approaches to employee experience takes hold in the new era of work, most HR departments are missing the opportunity to enhance safety and productivity for every employee by addressing physical security.
What’s at stake, and what’s to gain? Let’s review.
HXM to the rescue?
As companies vie to fill open positions, Human Resources (HR) departments have reached an inflection point thanks to a renewed focus on human experience management (HXM). HXM focuses on centering people and their experience throughout the career journey while delivering a more individualized employee experience through digital transformation technologies and tools.
Proponents of HXM also acknowledge that HR cannot thrive in its historical silo, instead encouraging collaboration with other departments – as well as incorporating employee input. But amidst all the visionary planning, one key player has yet to enter the chat: physical security.
Streamlining workplace access boosts – and secures – the employee experience
A human-centered experience is a secure one. From a security perspective, you need to make sure the wrong people can’t enter your facilities without locking the right people out. Access management also has an important role to play throughout an employee’s career.
From hire to retire, employees need to move seamlessly between digital and physical workspaces – especially as work schedules become increasingly hybrid. And their particular access needs shift over time according to new roles with new responsibilities. There’s also the onboarding and offboarding experiences to consider – what impression do you leave with new and retiring employees?
By aligning physical and digital workforce identities, you can automate access policies with one clear (and secure) view of all relevant data. Employees can move through their day, and their career, with less friction – and without compromising your company’s security posture.
… and you need physical security to fully promote health & safety
As a result of the unique challenges brought on by COVID-19, supporting and protecting employees has become a multidimensional task. New company policies and federal regulations require a more dynamic effort between HR, IT and physical security to handle new areas like:
- Credentialing and workplace access based on vaccination status
- Managing vaccine and health test-related data
- Contact tracing
Facility shutdowns and sanitizations All three departments need one view of workplace access based on one workforce identity for each employee – that can then be applied across both digital and physical workspaces.
The right approach to enforcing these policies is also an opportunity for personalization. By automating compliance, employees can remain in control of their individual experience through self-attestation with features like:
- Wellness surveys
- Mobile credentials
- QR codes
- Self-service kiosks
- Biometric access
- And more
Reimagine a secure employee experience with AlertEnterprise
A human-centered employee experience starts with a workplace where everyone feels confident and supported. Physical security will play a crucial role in complying with new COVID-inspired policies, while hybrid work necessitates a more dynamic approach to access management. We can help you elevate the employee experience through a cyber-physical approach to security. Let’s chat about how we can use your existing systems
