The worker-manager relationship disrupted: Finally!

Yes - the world of work, workforce, and the workplace has changed dramatically, disrupted by technology, shifting business and work models, and monumental social, economic, political, demographic, health, and safety issues. And while the rise of the individual, worker experience, and the need for hyper-personalization are not new challenges, they have not been solved at scale by much more than talk. I do not hear enough talk or walk on the future of management or HOW we help managers support their workers' success in these new models of work.

I have studied this topic deeply in my former role as a researcher. People are acutely aware of the problem, but like most big challenges, few are ready to address it. Workers leaving jobs—and their managers—is not new news. And a critical driver for an impactful employee experience lies in the employee and manager relationship. Gallup states that managers are responsible for at least 70% of the variance in their employees’ engagement.

So, how do we help make an employee’s experience and relationship a positive one? And dare I ask, one that unlocks their potential, performance, and impact? Who among us in the workforce doesn’t want those results? Having a good employee experience is key for not only removing work stressors but for belonging, well-being, inclusion, culture, and contribution. In a recent Fortune/Deloitte CEO survey, 71% said labor/skills shortage was the biggest external issue they expected to influence or disrupt their business strategy within the next 12 months. Talent has never been a bigger priority. And with the relationship between workers and their managers fundamentally and permanently disrupted by the pandemic—it should force solutions that we all have a stake in driving.

I deeply and fundamentally believe the disrupted relationship will need to be solved by the employee and the manager—with a little help and support from their friends in HR, IT, and the C-Suite. Technology has never been more craved AND trusted to make work better. A recent worker study on productivity and experience even showed that 81% of respondents perceive technology as more of a friend than a threat. But tools and data don’t solve problems—people do—with technology and insights in hand. It is time to absorb these disruptions and capitalize on them, focusing on the outcomes.

One of our newest products to help strengthen employee and manager relationship building is Oracle Touchpoints, a part of Oracle ME—the only complete, natively built employee experience platform. I am most excited about Oracle ME because you can give employees an active role in getting the support they need from their managers. At the same time, you can also empower managers to connect employee feedback and sentiment with the right, personalized actions—and encourage meaningful day-to-day interactions.

Oracle Touchpoints gives employees one place to organize, access, and act on their topics and schedules for past and upcoming manager one-on-ones, pulse survey trends, and nudges for suggested actions. By taking an active and personalized role in working FOR their employees, managers can continuously capture, track, and act on employee feedback and sentiment (either indicators or trends) to build trust, foster inclusion, and better support worker well-being and success through listening AND acting. Insights and intention are key for both worker and manager—and a shining example of HR and technology coming together to help facilitate great outcomes for the workforce and the organization.

Learn more about Oracle Touchpoints and watch the replay of our Employee Experience virtual summit.

Disclaimer: The preceding is intended to outline our general product direction. It is intended for information purposes only and may not be incorporated into any contract. It is not a commitment to deliver any material, code, or functionality and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions. The development, release, timing, and pricing of any features or functionality described for Oracle’s products may change and remains at the sole discretion of Oracle Corporation.

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