WHY EMPLOYERS MAY NEED DIGITAL ADOPTION TO MANAGE MIGRANT EMPLOYEES

26th February 2021

Technological advances have required step-shifts in the skills needed by businesses throughout history. Like the steam-powered factories of the First Industrial Revolution, the mass manufacturing tools and techniques of the Second Industrial Revolution, and the internet-based technology of the Third Industrial Revolution, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is transforming the nature of work as we know it, currently guided by the integration of modern digital, biological and physical technologies.

The use of digital technologies and channels has spread to all areas of our society, including labour migration management and the provision of services to migrant workers. Migrant workers themselves use apps and digital spaces for women and men to find jobs, interact with their families and move cash back home.

What Is Digital Adoption?

Digital adoption is the process by which an individual obtains the ability to completely master modern technology and execute digital processes for particular purposes effectively.

Digital adoption is a catalyst for change and learning that enables people to a) understand the value of digital tools, b) embrace and use these resources to achieve their goals and c) exploit each technology to drive innovation and process optimization to the fullest.

People need to understand both the functionality and benefits of digital processes to achieve true digital adoption, be fully incorporated into the most advanced features of software applications, and understand the role of digital processes and the reasons behind the transition.

Digital talent platforms improve matching between workers and jobs

Digital talent networks can enhance the compatibility of employees and jobs, to create accountability and productivity in labour markets, and to potentially increase GDP. They can improve labour participation and working hours; research from around the globe shows that if they did, certain individuals would work more hours.

Online talent platforms can also speed up the recruiting process with their efficient search capabilities and advanced screening algorithms, and reduce the time individuals spend searching between jobs, reducing unemployment. They may fix some geographical mismatches by aggregating data on candidates and job openings across entire countries or regions, and allow matches that would not otherwise have occurred.

Finally, online talent networks help place the right individuals in the right positions, thus growing their productivity and work satisfaction. They can attract people, especially in emerging economies, who are engaged in informal work into formal jobs. Both of these effects could boost per worker's production, raising global GDP.

Bridging the digital divide

Infrastructure, accessible devices and data plans, and digital literacy disparities need to be bridged to ensure equitable access to resources that help accomplish fair migration. Data on migrant workers is collected and exchanged by management platforms and digital services either directly, through participant profiles, job contracts and application forms, or indirectly, through user data and location data collected by the platforms. If such platforms are created and operated by private entities or by state actors, the control of the collection, use and dissemination of such data is essential to protecting the privacy and protection of users. Technology offers many ways to facilitate secure and equal migration of labour. However, digitalization also entails risks and threats that need to be carefully controlled and handled.

Remote onboarding and training – faster and simpler

Onboarding workers is not an easy process when you're working remotely, let alone in the workplace. It can lead to employee dissatisfaction over a length of time if you do not do it carefully. Processes and software are two critical things which come into play during remote onboarding and training of new employees. For these things, workers need proper preparation.

Digital Adoption Platforms (DAP) have begun to be used by HR managers and product trainers to help their workers do the job effectively by giving them on-screen walkthroughs inside the application. The availability of digital workflows easily makes their workers professional. You can create any number of walkthroughs to make things easier and safer for your employees. The Digital Adoption Program allows you to train your workers on board and at a faster pace.

Streamlining remittance

Fintech developments and cross-border payment technologies have had a significant effect on 164 million migrant workers globally. Today, 800 million people globally are believed to be directly helped by remittances from loved ones overseas. For migrant workers, the opportunity to send money home is important, but not always convenient. Migrant workers face problems that go beyond language barriers and acclimatizing to new environments. Many of these employees have little knowledge of handling their money using technology.

Fintech innovations have not only overcome many of these problems, but they have also created opportunities for migrant workers' financial inclusion and empowerment.

However, it can be daunting to transition from a cash-based economy to a digital one. As a consequence, the challenge of building a product that will appeal to customers around the world is faced by fintech firms. It should not be addressed with a one-size-fits-all mindset to innovate and find new ways to be of value to varied, special users. Fintech businesses need to be versatile and ready from the outset to iterate, adapt and shape products for a variety of cultures, societies, and types of use.

International workers provide their host countries with crucial labour-power and serve as essential financial lifelines for families back home. The pandemic has made it more difficult to live and work, affecting everything from how workers perform their everyday lives to how they can access and send remittances. Safe digital tools could help solution providers win long-term customers and provide customers who may not have realized there was an easy way to provide much-needed ease and well-designed offers. Introducing and normalizing e-wallets into the norm of remittance would do wonders for countries with multinational workers like Malaysia. There are even Global Wallets to help workers send money back home.

EVOLET is a digital wallet app for migrant workers.

Learn more at https://evolet.io/