How to Roll Out Workplace Technology: Lessons from Hootsuite & GSoft

Your search is over! You’ve done your research and created a workplace tech stack that will better engage your teams and help boost productivity in and out of the office. Now what?

Finding the right workplace technology is relatively straightforward, but rolling it out to your teams? That’s a little harder. Implementation takes planning and time, but it’s worth it. If you don’t have buy-in from everybody, you won’t see much improvement in your day-to-day operations.

We’ve worked with thousands of clients to reimagine their workplace in a hybrid world. The biggest determinant of success is always employee buy-in. That’s why we put such a focus on change management when rolling out our workplace tools.

So, we decided to look at some of our customer success stories. Turns out, your tech is only as successful as the plans and processes you put in place.

Hootsuite: Clear Workplace Communication

Hootsuite had the challenge of implementing Robin across 3 global offices; 3 different countries, and 3 different teams, all with completely different needs. As a larger company with over 1,200 employees, they needed a change management strategy that would support everyone despite location or job title.

Their change management strategy involved 3 key steps:

1. Testing the product with designated staff members, also known as “Change Champions,” who volunteered to try Robin and provide feedback
2. Creating drip communication campaigns to share learning initiatives and training with executives who could in turn share with their teams
3. Working with Robin’s implementation specialists to keep the project on track

Once they put all 3 steps in action, they were able to inform, train, and engage their teams. The focus here was all about seeing what worked for people, adjusting what didn’t, and clearly communicating plans every step of the way.

GSoft: Cross-Functional Collaboration for Better Hybrid Experiences

For Gsoft, rolling out a new software meant all hands on deck.

Lucy Shih, GSoft’s workplace experience expert, established a team of people from the culture and organization team, legal team, procurement team, and IT team. From there they worked together to:

1. Add Robin training instructions to the employee handbook
2. Create a series of internal communications about their new hybrid work policy
3. Train the front desk staff to help walk-in visitors book desks

Together, Lucy and her team built the best possible plan with insights from each department. The collaborative approach meant they could confidently answer questions, make adjustments, and provide their people with a seamless experience.

3 Key Commonalities

Every company is different and no two implementation strategies are the same, but when we look at success stories it’s easy to see what they have in common.

Although Hootsuite and GSoft each incorporated company-specific details into their change management plans, 3 commonalities led to their success: Communication, Training, and Resources.

1. Engage Teams with Thoughtful Communication

People want to know what’s going on and they want to hear it from you; 56% of hybrid workers believe communication is more important than ever, and 27% wish their managers would improve their communication.

If you updated your office layout or added new snacks to the kitchen, you would let your teams know right? The same should go for implementing new software and tools. Ensure your teams are all on the same page by keeping them informed through every step of the process.

Both Hootsuite and GSoft found ways to communicate intentionally with their teams. Clear, concise, and intentional communication goes a long way. When you’re building out your change management strategy make sure to think about who you’re communicating with, how often, and through what channels.

2. Provide Intentional Training

Technology helps embellish workplace experience, but your people are the ones who drive it. If you want to optimize your workplace experience with technology then your teams need to become technology experts.

When you first roll out a new tool, go in with the assumption that everyone is starting from square one. Some people pick up new tools quickly and others will need some extra help along the way; starting with the basics ensures everyone gets the support they need, whether they’re tech novices or experts.

Hootsuite and Gsoft both used a type of drip communication campaign. They trained specific groups of people who in turn helped others use Robin. A drip-down campaign is a really simple way to make sure multiple experts can answer questions and assist when others get stuck.

Training is more than teaching people how to use a new tool. It’s an opportunity to field questions, listen to feedback, and make improvements.

3. Build Resources for The Future

Think of resources as your long-term training materials. Your teams should be able to easily locate materials for reference and your onboarding team should include these documents as a part of their onboarding process. Developing documents that are considered “living” (aka regularly updated) ensures your people have the most updated guidance to turn to, whether they’re just getting started or need a refresher.

Include frequently asked questions, user tips, and any other key items that may have surfaced during training. This may look like Hootsuite’s specific learning initiatives around new tech or like GSoft’s updated employee handbook. You can create training videos, one-pagers, or guides.

Whatever you do, make sure your resources are available to everyone and carve out time to review and update these policies as you go. As your processes improve and evolve, so should your resources.

Change Management: Step by Step

However you decide to implement change in your workplace, make sure you communicate intentionally, provide supportive training, and build out adaptable resources. Depending on your company size, your team's goals, and your timeline you may need to include a few more steps like collaborating with other departments or gathering feedback.

Don’t be afraid to try new things and make changes along the way. If you need some more inspiration, take a look at our case studies and see how other companies brought their implementation strategies to life.