Empowering Employees to Learn, Connect, and Perform- SuccessConnect

by Trish McFarlane

I want you to think about something. What are the moments that matter to you at work? I’m certain a few came to mind immediately. If I asked your co-worker, I’m sure there may be some duplication, but there would also be variance. Why? Because we all have an individualized approach to our work, our life, and the moments that we hold most important. At the recent SuccessConnect event, I spent time thinking about the moments that matter to me as I listened to themes around purpose, experience, and expectations. It was an event that addressed ways we connect to other employees as well as how we empower ourselves and others through learning.

Empowering Employees to Learn

SuccessConnect is an event that continually brings forward some of the brightest minds from SAP SuccessFactors, industry leaders, and bold SAP SuccessFactors clients. The learning ranges from demos to tutorials to highly strategic sessions about changing the way we think about work, workplace and how people are at the center of all of it. It’s also a gift that keeps on giving since each session is recorded for replay following the event. I took the opportunity to watch much of the event live and followed up by watching several of the session replays. These are the well I draw from as I think about work today, strategic planning, and the future of work.

In 2020, my takeaway from SuccessConnect were themes of how to create individualized, frictionless, and delightful employee experiences. In 2021, this has evolved to themes shared at the most recent SuccessConnect:

Delivering Experiences that Serve Employees First

• Moments That Matter to Me- When SAP SuccessFactors began talking about moments that matter a few years ago, it was a good concept. It hinged around all the moments that happen in the workplace as we move through the employee life cycle. This year brings clarity on how those moments vary from employee to employee. This is the shift to moments that matter to me. It adds in that individualized approach to the way we think about each employee’s work.

As I listened to Stephanie Craig, Director of Solution Marketing and Nadja Kozlovacki, Global HXM Presales Hub Lead share insights, I realized it is also important to think about the connective tissue between the moments that matter. To best support employees, we must think beyond the organizational goals. We need to use a human-centered approach. This includes listening to employee needs, giving them tools to connect them, and supporting them in new, creative ways as the world around us changes.

• Connection at the heart of work– The past two years have seen change being ever present at work. With organizations continuing to have all, or a portion of, their workforce remote, disconnection has been a common feeling. When you think back to pre-pandemic times when most employees were physically together, purpose-driven collaboration came easier. Today, SAP SuccessFactors is bringing technology advances that support remote and hybrid workers connection to other employees. They are doing this with SAP SuccessFactors Work Zone as a one-stop-shop to connect employees from any device. They can use self-service, add new tools, view trending content, give feedback on how they are feeling, and more. It’s all about focusing on the employee and providing tools and information to support their needs.

Empowering Employees to Connect and Perform

• Individualized Approach- Much like with the Moments that Matter to Me, when it comes to learning, an individualized approach is ideal. In a session about internal mobility, Susan Thomas, a Director of Solution Marketing and Inigo Merino, a Solution Consultant, talked about the benefits of individualized learning, skills tied to the individual and the evolution of employee experience. The takeaway is that as the approach to work evolves, so does the need for increased personalization for employees. This empowers them to pave their own way in their career.
• Internal Mobility- Susan and Inigo shared the SAP SuccessFactors Opportunity Marketplace and how it can accelerate career development. By using a whole-self model, the marketplace is a way for employees to connect with each other and relevant content. This aids in aligning their learning with skills they need to move forward in their career development. Employees can use the capabilities library to determine which skills to focus on. SAP SuccessFactors Opportunity Marketplace also includes assignments employees can choose career role descriptions and mentoring and coaching opportunities.

Attracting talent in a hybrid work world is now the norm. As we continue to see shortages in key roles in our organizations, employing technologies and strategies that address the unique, individual needs of each employee is paramount. I encourage you to watch many of the SuccessConnect session replays here. You can also use them as free training tools for your team as you think through ways HR and the organization can best support your employees.