In today’s modern organizations, data is the key to unlocking higher productivity—and ultimately, greater profits. But when we talk about data in a corporate context, we usually are referring to things like website visits, sales, widgets produced, or external market conditions. But there’s another type of data that’s important for measuring company performance and productivity: Networking data.

Specifically, we’re referring to how employees within an organization connect to and help each other, and the impact that has on productivity.

Now, most large companies that track and analyze this type of data usually use basic survey methods, exploratory polls, and focus groups to poll their employees on topics such as job satisfaction. But that method has significant limitations, particularly in that they are highly retroactive and don’t provide useful real-time insights into what’s happening in the firm at any given moment. Today’s business environment moves fast, and by the time some of the data is collected, it’s possibly no longer relevant.

That’s where a tool like Zenvoy can come in handy. Our platform can collect employee data such as their current preferences, connections, filters, and more, to inform a “Networking Report Card” that can highlight vital workplace trends developing at that moment. This type of insight can help organizations create real-time workplace improvement programs that are far more responsive—and thus effective.

A great example of this is the current shift to working from home, something that’s new to a lot of workers. Using Zenvoy, companies can collect data on which employees are connecting with each other, what information they’re sharing, the areas they’re asking for help, etc. By collecting this data on a larger scale (i.e., across organizations with more than 1,000 employees), companies can get a better handle on who’s succeeding under these new working conditions and who needs help adjusting.

What’s more, the data can be segmented and analyzed based on a variety of data points such as gender, age, location, etc., giving firms an insight into not only who might need help but also how best to help them. These insights can also answer questions that pinpoint why employees might need help, such as, “Do employees have the right tools to do their jobs?” or “Do we have enough resources devoted to XYZ function?”

Another use: Pinpointing topics and skills that employees feel they need to improve. For example, employees might ask each other a lot of questions about how to use a particular function in a commonly used software package. By keying in on these types of needs, firms can quickly and agilely roll out training programs that suit employees’ needs.

These are just a few examples of how employee networking with Zenvoy can directly support workplace improvement programs, ultimately helping firms better serve their workers and boosting their productivity over time.

If you’d like to learn more about how Zenvoy can help your business, we’d love to give you a demo.