The Future of Workplace Productivity and Employee Experience


For the last several years, organizations of all types have posited a question that continues to grow in importance—how do you maximize an employee’s potential to be successful throughout the duration of their employment? The significance of understanding and valuing the overall employee experience, also known as EX, is quickly becoming a top priority for all businesses—and still gaining speed. According to ForbesOpens in a new tab., 2018 is “The Year of the Employee” noting:

“Many businesses currently operate in sectors where a war for talent rages.  Whether it’s retail, high-tech, or jobs whose need for highly specialized skills is not matched by adequate compensation such as nursing and airline pilots, it’s getting harder for many employers to attract and retain talent.”

Discovering and preserving top talent is one of the most difficult tasks for hiring managers, too; with the article continuing,

“The skills shortage is an ever-present challenge.”  Offering superior EX can give employers a competitive advantage in attracting recruits to them and then engaging them in ways that encourage them to stay with their organizations.”

And it’s not just about attracting the best and brightest, but investing in their success through the entire process; making them feel like an important part of the organization even after they’ve moved on to a new opportunity, as the value of their advocacy extends long beyond their employment.

Like a loyal customer, their devotion is most advantageous to the lasting success of a business—and the caliber of the prospective hires of the future. Through the omnipresence of information available through technology, we’ve all seen ‘DON’T APPLY HERE!’ headlines on Glassdoor.comOpens in a new tab. or the like, and astute job searchers take heed.

As the evolution of the overall employee experience continues to flourish, there’s an opportunity for resources to facilitate the shift—Open Sourced Workplace is a seamless solution. A community dedicated to educating and empowering all workplace professionals from every type of business, Open Sourced Workplace leads the charge for promoting the long-term efficiency, productivity and overall happiness of all employees.

Open Sourced Workplace allows connection; the freedom to access necessary, niche advice in a forward-thinking forum setting. By tackling the issues that have long-term implications on the future of the workplace, professionals can leverage the communities’ experience and collective knowledge to create impactful change for any institution, no matter its specialization or size.

The brainchild of Steve ToddOpens in a new tab., a seasoned international finance and real estate executive whose passion lies in workplace productivity and employee experience, Todd discovered through his own experiences, a significant need to maximize EX across the spectrum; increasing the proficiency through collaboration, aligned goals and shared expectations throughout an entire organization of conventionally disparate groups. He explains,

“Developing high-level solutions to meet office and employee experience goals is paramount for enhancing the workplace across diverse populations of organizations. The Open Sourced Workplace platform provides key observations and in-depth insight for every member to create the most productive workplace and maximize employee experience for everyone, no matter their function, location or who they work for.”

Verified members of the site have exclusive access to top-quality content, industry insight, expert analyses and shared ideas to strategize together how to maximize their workplace.  Along with evolving professional conversations on a variety of topics, the site will encourage members to share tips and resolve problems through member Q&A and similar topical short-form discussions.

Membership in professional social networks with group conversation capabilities, like LinkedIn, tends to get spammyOpens in a new tab.; with users, often times, inundated with erroneous information or calls to action instead of actionable advice. As such, Open Sourced Workplace is not a sales-oriented operation; instead, it offers incentive for contributing ideas through its community of members.

As the sharing economy continues grow and changeOpens in a new tab., it lends opportunities for active participation in organizations that create a more collaborative resolution to a larger issue.  The Open Sourced Workplace network encourages, and rewards, compounding conversations that create continued education over one-time pitches meant to sell services. Instead of having to hire a consultant to build your base contract, you can ask the community for guidance and best practices; looking for advice on better on-boarding practices, survey the group. There’s something for everyone; the corporate professional or entrepreneur; real estate authority or IT specialist, whatever the industry, you’ll have the tools necessary to elevate your overall employee experience.

The necessity for everyday experts on the ground is imperative, too. “Industry experts provide timely insight, but often hold back from what they really want to say in traditional information sessions,” Todd explains. Continuing, “The current conversation falls short of the incredible opportunity that’s at hand going forward; we’re uniting top minds on our platform—providing the ability to bring high-level improvements and discussions to light for all workplace professionals.”

And the future is now, according to HR Technologist. Companies must become more competitive or they’ll miss the boat. Predicting the future of employee experience they noteOpens in a new tab.,

“While the employee experience is undoubtedly at a low point, a better future is coming. Software will become more personalized and mobile, workspaces will be conducive to both concentration and collaboration, and AI will empower employees to be exponentially more productive. The companies that thrive in the future will be those that are currently investing in these initiatives. If your company isn’t, there is no better time to start than today.”

Interesting, too, with a bottom-line benefit to keeping their employees happy, EX affects much more than just the workforce; it also has valuable impact on customers. According to HBR,

“Temkin Group [reportedOpens in a new tab.] a correlation between employee engagement and success in customer experienceOpens in a new tab.. In its 2016 Employee Engagement Benchmark Study, the firm showed that companies that excel at customer experience have one-and-a-half times as many engaged employees as customer experience laggards do. Gallup has foundOpens in a new tab. that a staggering 87% of employees worldwide are not engaged, but companies with highly engaged workforces outperform their peers by 147% in earnings per share.”

Growing a repository of knowledge and creating a high-level ‘hive mind’ mentality from a vast variety of participants, Open Sourced Workplace incorporates many different viewpoints in a collective environment—making it a most useful resource for the real insider’s knowledge on EX.

By, identifying what’s imperative to making the overall office experience most beneficial and providing a collaborative opportunity through the expert community, professionals will easily discover how to connect employees to their employersOpens in a new tab. in the most meaningful way through this unique, forward-thinking approach to creating the most holistic employee/business relationship possible.

Kate McDermott is a digital strategy consultant and professional writer currently residing in central Pennsylvania. A long-time Manhattanite, Kate spent a decade successfully managing myriad growth initiatives as a recognized digital authority, brand builder and virtual voice for over a dozen top-tier companies. When she’s not aiding in architecting other entrepreneurs’ dreams, you can find her developing her passion project for the work-from-home community, These New WallsOpens in a new tab..

Steve Todd

Steve Todd, founder of Open Sourced Workplace and is a recognized thought leader in workplace strategy and the future of work. With a passion for work from anywhere, Steve has successfully implemented transformative strategies that enhance productivity and employee satisfaction. Through Open Sourced Workplace, he fosters collaboration among HR, facilities management, technology, and real estate professionals, providing valuable insights and resources. As a speaker and contributor to various publications, Steve remains dedicated to staying at the forefront of workplace innovation, helping organizations thrive in today's dynamic work environment.

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