Canada’s most successful innovators have a history of turning dreams into reality. Soon, we’ll give three Canadian startups the opportunity to compete for a $100,000 USD investment from Salesforce Ventures to help them achieve their dreams.

Through a platform that includes Lightning and Heroku, Salesforce has already helped countless companies create some of the most innovative and valuable applications. We’ve also played an ongoing role in supporting entrepreneurs who are building outstanding companies around the world.

This spring, we’re continuing that effort in Canada by bringing Dreampitch: Toronto, a competition that can lead to a $100,000 USD investment from Salesforce Ventures, to World Tour Toronto. Dreampitch: Toronto is an exciting opportunity for local innovators to show off Canada’s rich base of entrepreneurial talent.

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Announcement follows Salesforce being named the #1 CRM provider in Canada by Gartner

Canadian companies, including Air Canada, Husky Energy, Loblaws, Manulife, Roots, TD Bank and TELUS, are using Salesforce to connect with their customers in new ways

Salesforce employees in Canada also commit to 45,000 volunteer hours in 2018

SAN FRANCISCO — Feb 8, 2017 — Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the global leader in CRM, plans to invest $2 billion over the next five years to fuel the growth of its Canadian business, the company announced ahead of a meeting with Prime Minister Trudeau today.

Prime Minister Trudeau will visit Salesforce for a roundtable with Salesforce Chairman and CEO Marc Benioff and other business leaders on the importance of diversity and equality, following conversations at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last month.

As part of this investment, Salesforce plans to increase its headcount, real estate footprint and data center capacity to support its rapidly-growing customer base in the country.

“Canada is one of the most exciting investment opportunities for Salesforce and we are thrilled to commit $2B over the next five years to fuel future growth,” said Marc Benioff, Chairman and CEO, Salesforce. “As the world’s fastest growing top 5 software company, we look forward to a great partnership and to expanding our employees, customers and innovation in Canada.”

Salesforce is the #1 CRM provider in Canada, with more than 1,300 local employees. The company is also the fastest growing among the three largest enterprise software vendors in the region according to Gartner Inc.’s latest worldwide All Software Markets market share report, based on 2016 total software revenue.

More than 6,000 Canadian companies—including Air Canada, Husky Energy, Loblaws, Manulife, Roots, TD Bank and TELUS —are using Salesforce to connect with their customers in new ways across sales, service, marketing, commerce and more.

Salesforce Ecosystem Fueling Canadian Economic Growth

Salesforce and its ecosystem of customers and partners in Canada will create more than 28,000 new direct jobs and $17 billion USD in new business revenue in Canada by 2022, according to research by IDC. Additionally, Canadians have earned more than 87,000 badges on Trailhead—Salesforce’s free, gamified online learning platform—acquiring the skills needed to succeed in today’s technology-driven economy and be a part of Salesforce’s flourishing ecosystem.

Salesforce’s Commitment to Giving Back in Canada

Salesforce employees in Canada are also committing to volunteer 45,000 hours in their local communities in 2018. Employees volunteered more than 36,000 hours in 2017 with local nonprofits. Salesforce.org has donated more than $1 million to local communities, and more than 800 Canadian nonprofits—including Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, MS Society of Canada, Furniture Bank and Npower Canada — use Salesforce for free or at a discount.

Additional Information

• Join Salesforce, alongside thousands of customer Trailblazers, at World Tour Toronto on May 3: https://www.salesforce.com/events/
• Like Salesforce Canada on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SalesforceCA/
• Follow @SalesforceCA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/salesforceca
• Read the Salesforce Canada blog: https://www.salesforce.com/ca/blog/

1 – Gartner, Market Share: All Software Markets, Worldwide, 2016, Mathew Cheung, et al, May 2017

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Salesforce recently announced our third annual commissioned study from IDC, on the “Salesforce Economy,” which quantifies how cloud computing is acting as a force multiplier in terms of job creation and business revenue. It’s based on the activity of customers, developers and other partners in the Salesforce ecosystem who are leading the way in transforming how they work with digital technologies.

On a global level, the IDC study predicts that the Salesforce Economy will create 3.3 million jobs by 2022. That’s impressive enough, but look at the Canada-specific results of the research and you get an even clearer picture of what moving to the cloud is bringing to businesses here:

The customers of Salesforce and its ecosystem will generate more than $17 billion in business revenue across Canada.

• Cloud computing reduces costs by automating many of the areas of sales, marketing service that were more manual and labour-intensive.
• Taking the software-as-a-service model also streamlines the process of getting technology and adjusting how an organization uses it based on its needs in real-time.
• The economic advantages not only boost productivity but allow companies to spend more time developing new products and services and bring them to market more quickly and effectively.

Those revenues, in turn, will create more than 28,000 direct jobs in Canada by 2022.

• As companies move to the cloud, they want skilled people in house to help drive success with tools such as customer relationship management and marketing automation.
• Besides their own staff, companies that use the cloud work with independent software vendors (ISVs), consulting firms and developers who bring in outside expertise about the best practices in using the tools.

Salesforce and its ecosystem will also drive more than 47,000 indirect jobs in Canada over the same period.

• Cloud computing doesn’t just lead to greater employment of technology professionals. Increased spending across the economy means organizations will also need to add a range of other hires in traditional areas such as sales, marketing, services, operations, finance and more.
• Financial services and manufacturing will see the greatest impacts globally, according to IDC. These sectors are closely followed by retail and communications/media. These also represent some of the biggest employers in the Canadian market today.

For every dollar Salesforce earns today, Canadian businesses in the Salesforce ecosystem will earn $4.03. That will jump to $5.87 by 2022.

• When companies turn to the cloud, they don’t just adopt products and services from Salesforce. They also bring on cloud-based tools to handle areas such as storage and security, as well as new hardware, bringing even more revenue to a variety of firms.
• The need to bring on training and other expertise adds to the economic impact the Salesforce ecosystem delivers across Canada.

On a worldwide level, the Salesforce ecosystem is nearly four times bigger than Salesforce itself in 2017, the IDC report says. Within five years, it will be five times bigger.

For Canadian companies who are still exploring cloud computing or are uncertain about it, the numbers show just how mature the technology has become since Salesforce first brought it the market. It also shows that the cloud is a rising tide that lifts all boats, from Salesforce customers to a huge array of consultants, developers and other software and hardware companies. The cloud is also driving demand for new skills, additional talent and the ability for businesses to focus on the areas that matter most.

Take the next step by diving deeper into the complete Salesforce Economy report and comparing the impact on Canada with other countries, industries and more. Also, check out this visual look at the topline results in our infographic below and learn more about the Salesforce Partner Program by visiting Trailhead.

Source: IDC White Paper sponsored by Salesforce, “The Salesforce Economy Forecast: 3.3 Million New Jobs, $859 Billion New Business Revenues to Be Created from 2016 to 2022,” October 2017.

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That’s actually an excellent question to pose, because the answers could be really exciting.

Of course, Canada’s milestone birthday is a wonderful moment to cheer everything that has made and continues to make this country great. It’s also an opportune moment to take stock — not only of our history and where we’ve come from, but where we’re going. The one thing we know for sure is that, while physical stamina and manual effort may have been key to overcoming Canada’s wilderness and forming early settlements, our future will be based on the quality of ideas we generate, and on which we execute.

Today, Canada ranks 15th on the Global Innovation Index. Rather than wring our hands, why not use the 150th as a catalyst for reimagining our ability to stimulate breakthrough thinking? The best news is that we already have the tools to make it possible, and you don’t have to be a fortune-teller to see that they’re only going to have greater impact from here on in:

1. The Cloud Will Benefit All Canadians

The past 150 years have largely been the story of Canadians building out and up — not just buildings, but expensive and complex IT infrastructure that requires significant upkeep. More recently, however, the arrival of cloud computing has meant startups can launch and begin competing almost overnight with some of the world’s largest companies. It has also meant that those large companies can trim their costs and be more agile like a startup as they pursue new business growth opportunities, focusing on what they do best rather than managing technology infrastructure.

As we look at the next 150 years, cloud-based tools such as Salesforce’s Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud and Service Cloud are poised to become the de facto choice for organizations that want to run sales, marketing and service in a way that’s more flexible and dynamic than anything that came before. This is the moment when Canadian firms should double down on the cloud.

2. Canadian Mobility Will Gain Momentum

In Canada’s earliest days, governments and businesses alike were laser-focused on trying to cross great distances. This included the creation of our first railways, as well as innovative inventions like the Ski-Doo that could overcome snowy terrain. Being able to move around our vast geography was critical to connecting us as a nation.

What connects us today goes beyond the ability to travel physically. It’s being able to reach anyone, anywhere with the mobile device of your choosing. Smartphones have revolutionized not only the way we talk but the way we buy, learn and organize our time.

Mobility will continue to define Canada’s next 150 years by allowing us to do more of the things we need and want, whether in Nunavut or St. John’s. Canadians will come to have greater expectations of what’s possible via their devices, while business professionals will be so busy that running their company via smartphone apps is a prerequisite for success.

3. Social Media Will Transform Canadian Sales, Service And Marketing

We laugh about our tendencies to say sorry, but we’re secretly proud of being considered so nice and polite by the rest of the world. Canadians have a well-deserved reputation for being open-minded, eager to welcome others and embrace new ideas from other cultures. Friendliness is part of our heritage, eh?

That same sensibility helps explain why Canadians were among the quickest to adopt social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, forming virtual relationships that would never have been possible for most of the past 150 years. Now they’re looking to Canada’s businesses — even small and medium-sized firms — to become part of their network. Our future will be one where we brainstorm about customers’ challenges and even begin troubleshooting issues via social platforms, and empower our internal teams to communicate in a similar way to increase the flow of ideas in every corner or our organizations.

4. Canada Will Find Answers Through Analytics

No one knew for sure that Canada would survive as a country. When Confederation took place in 1867 it was based on the risk that a loose group of provinces — with two different languages — could find common ground and expand to include others over time. There was no empirical data to guarantee success. We just took the chance.

The decisions we make today don’t necessarily have to take into account all of Canada’s 150 years, but analytics allows us to derive insight about what we’ve done in a business, what’s working and what’s not. Canada’s courageous, risk-taking spirit will endure as the sesquicentennial passes, but it’s a spirit that will be made much stronger by the strategic use of data to move forward with even greater confidence.

5. AI Will Empower Canada’s Future

The beaver, the maple leaf, hockey — some of our symbols are so well known they seem integral to our national identity. Though it may be more difficult to illustrate, artificial intelligence could soon be something we revere as quintessentially Canadian, too.

Just look at all the investments being made in research institutions and labs here to further the development of AI. Now think about the chance for local companies in Canada to be the first-movers of using AI such as Salesforce Einstein to take over tasks that free us up to be more productive, more creative, more innovative. Even if AI doesn’t make it onto a Canadian coin, it could be the tool that helps shape the kind of country we’ll become.

Canada’s 150th birthday is, without question, an incredible culmination of our achievements so far. In hindsight, though, we may see it as just the beginning of our next wave of growth.

The post 5 Innovation Predictions For Canada’s Next 150 Years appeared first on Salesforce.

While being charitable to save money may not be intuitive, over time these benefits will all improve your bottom line—in addition to your branding and your company culture.

Build Your Reputation in the Community

Sixty-five per cent of Fortune 500 companies offer gift-matching programs, representing serious funding opportunities for the nonprofit sector. Donations of money, skill, and time are all appreciated by nonprofits, and charities often show their thanks by publicly praising generous companies.

Many consumers consider corporate responsibility when making a purchase: 90 per cent would consider switching to your competitors in order to support a cause. Take advantage of your customers’ generous nature, and you could make it to the top of your customers’ favorite brands as well.

There’s a good chance your employees (and potential employees) will notice, too. That’s particularly true for millennials, 53 per cent of whom say having their passions and talents recognized is a great reason to stay at their current company.

Improve the Community

Companies that focus their donations on communities close to home can garner added benefits, as Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook discovered. Plans to move its headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area alarmed California residents, so Facebook made the decision to donate millions to improve local schools and infrastructure to ease tensions. And now, Facebook employees and other residents get to enjoy beautiful, new, company-funded bike paths on their way to work, plus cutting-edge schools for their children.

A lack of employee engagement costs companies hundreds of billions of dollars a year. Perks, like those that resulted from Facebook’s donation to improve its community, can help improve employee happiness, and therefore engagement. And guess what? Workplace giving is the most common component of employee engagement.

Build Connections and Networks

Networking: It’s how business is done. The hard part about networking is “running into” the right people with a valid excuse to strike up a conversation. Charity can help with that, too. If you’ve ever been to a charity event, you know that some of the business world’s elite can be found in the chair next to you or at a table across the room.

When choosing a cause, try to focus on those that speak directly to your customers or align with your business values. That’s what Maaco and Mienike did when they hosted the Cars and Stripes event.

Great Training Opportunity

Most CEOs would agree that properly training employees is key to a company’s success, but finding the resources to do so can be challenging. Costs include trainee wages, hiring trainers, and covering gaps in the schedule while employees are busy training. Corporate spending on training and employee development can reach $130 billion worldwide.

What if you could write off a big chunk of those training expenses? According to a Deloitte study, that’s exactly what many companies are doing. They’re sending their employees out to practice skills and learn new ones while volunteering at nonprofits. Not only will you save a bundle on hiring trainers, but you’ll also get to write off the hours that employees spend volunteering.

Personal Benefits

According to a study by UnitedHealth Group, people who volunteer feel better emotionally, physically, and mentally. Doesn’t a happier, healthier, less-stressed workforce sound like a worthwhile goal? CEOs, managers, and other leaders aren’t immune to these effects either, so focusing company resources on charity could benefit everyone, from the top down.

Learn how to digitally share the many other great things your company is doing with our eBook on the art of social selling.

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<p><strong>Click To Enlarge</strong><br /><br /> <a href=”https://www.salesforce.com/ca/blog/2017/01/benefits-of-focusing-on-philanthropy.html” _rte_href=”https://www.salesforce.com/ca/blog/2017/01/benefits-of-focusing-on-philanthropy.html” target=”_blank”> <img src=”https://www.salesforce.com/ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/10/charitable-work-001.jpg” _rte_src=”https://www.salesforce.com/ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2023/10/charitable-work-001.jpg” alt=”How Focusing on Philanthropy Can Benefit a Company” width=”600px” border=”0″ /> </a> </p> <p>Via <a href=”https://www.salesforce.com/ca/” _rte_href=”https://www.salesforce.com/ca/” target=”_blank”>Salesforce</a> </p>

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Salesforce’s 1-1-1 model is known as one of the global leaders in integrating philanthropy and business. This model of philanthropy is based on the commitment to giving back 1 per cent of your resources, technology, and time. Salesforce first introduced this concept by leveraging their technology and resources to help those in their community and around the world.

Salesforce makes this model work through their Employee Engagement Program. Through the program, employees receive seven days of paid time off a year to dedicate to volunteer work. After they’ve reached their seven days of volunteer time off, they have access to a $1,000 grant they can donate to a nonprofit of their choice.

This article details a specific example of Salesforce’s corporate philanthropy in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. “Salesforce has supported the rebuilding of the country by providing free licenses to any Haiti based organisation, and has been engaged in different ways, supporting governmental social programs, and initiatives of local non-profits organizations and businesses.”

4 Reasons Why Charitable Effort is Worth It for Your Company

In addition to helping those in our communities, there are several business-specific benefits to corporate giving no matter how large or small your organization may be:

Tax Deductions

As long as you’re working with a nonprofit that is approved by the CRA, there are many ways to earn tax deductions from giving to charity. These include cash donations, sponsoring charities and events, and donating products and services. You can find details on charitable giving directly on the CRA’s website.

Publicity and Networking Opportunities

Sharing your time and resources in support of a charity is a great way to do the right thing whilepromoting your company’s culture and values. Announcing your corporate philanthropy on platforms like social media can bring increased awareness to the cause, and asking charities to publicly name your involvement as a supporter can open up networking opportunities and build your brand’s reputation.

Enhance Customer Loyalty

Not only can you develop a new audience for your products and services, but by giving back, you may enhance the support and loyalty of the customers you already have. This especially works well if the organization you choose to support is within the same community as your target audience—customers are able to see the influence your company has on bettering their community directly.

Employee Benefits

Many companies offer benefits beyond vacation time and health insurance. Offering employees paid time off just to volunteer entices job seekers, especially Millennials who actively seek out companies that make a difference.

This Forbes study from the Case Foundation says, “55 per cent of employees [are] influenced to take their job after discussing cause work in the interview,” among other positive pro-volunteer stats. Additional research supports this idea, some of which you can read in the following articles:

• 5 Reasons Your Business Should Support a Charity
• How to Start a Volunteer Program
• How to Incorporate Charity Into Your Business Model

There are obvious benefits of corporate social responsibility. Salesforce and its 1-1- 1 model are leading the way, and research supports the advantages of a company culture that encourages volunteering and corporate giving.

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It’s important to remember that many people are in the same boat (and often feeling anxious themselves!). When it comes down to it, others in the room will be happy when you take the initiative to introduce yourself first. The following tips can help you make a valuable impression.

Make Eye Contact—Don’t Stare at Name Tags

The way you introduce yourself is key. According to best-selling author Brian Tracy, you have four seconds to shape someone’s initial impression of you, and thirty seconds before their impression is fully formed. If you’re nervous, the American Psychological Association recommends keeping your voice level and focusing on the fact that your career and accomplishments are why you are there.

One common mistake at conferences is looking at someone’s nametag first, instead of making eye contact. This habit implies that knowing someone’s occupation or place of work is more important than looking them in the eye when first saying hello. Give a firm handshake, maintain eye contact, and smile as you introduce yourself. This shows both confidence and openness.

Of course, if you think you recognize them, a glance at their nametag is fine, but maintaining strong eye contact throughout your introductions will leave a lasting impression.

Think of Your Elevator Pitch Ahead of Time

The “elevator pitch” is the part of the introduction when you explain what you do professionally. Focus on a few sentences (thirty seconds or less) that concisely outline your company and what you do. The best pitches speak specifically to how your business solves problems, instead of stating its services.

For example, saying, “I run a web design company,” is not nearly as compelling as, “I help small e-commerce businesses create effective user experiences that lead to more sales and conversions.”

According to sales expert Chris O’Leary, make sure your pitch follows the “9 C’s,” which include conciseness, clarity, credibility, and consistency.

Ask People About Themselves

It’s a fact: People love to talk about themselves. It’s likely part vanity, but more about being comfortable. After all, everyone is an expert on themselves.

When networking at an industry event, use this to your advantage: Ask a lot of questions. Make it easier to grow the conversation organically. Even if you’ve exhausted industry topics or questions, ask about the person’s travels to get to the event or what they enjoy doing outside of work. Family and trending books or articles the person may have read recently can also be easy topics to discuss.

Focus on What Makes You Feel Confident

No matter what industry event you’re going to, it’s important to consider your appearance. Like it or not, first impressions are also built on the way you look. Be sure to dress appropriately for the event.

No matter what the dress code is, choose an outfit and hairstyle that makes you feel your best. Being confident about your appearance will naturally improve your posture, which has been proven to have a positive impact on a strangers impression of you.

Making a habit of networking at industry events can help you become more confident, grow industry connections, and increase your business’ reach. Focus on why you’re there and how you can help others in the room, and you’ll be sure have tons of great conversations with like-minded people.

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We’ve opened up the virtual doors to the Salesforce Canada blog to industry leaders, speakers, published writers, and well-known faces in the business and marketing world. We asked them to write an article for you about sales, entrepreneurship, technology, inbound marketing, social media, leadership, and more, so we can bring you even more helpful tips, insights and best practices.

At the heart of Blogtober is also a philanthropic effort to raise money for patient care, cancer research, and a cure for breast cancer. You’ll see a link at the bottom of this post, as well as at the bottom of every one of our influencers’ posts, to donate directly to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF), a charity we picked in honour of Breast Action Awareness Month happening in October. Salesforce Canada will also donate to CBCF in honour of each influencer.

If you’re able to donate to the CBCF, please consider doing so here http://www.cbcf.org/ontario/GetInvolved/Donate/Pages/default.aspx

We hope you enjoy the articles from these influencers and thanks for your support.

Happy Blogtober!

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In High-Impact Firms: Accelerating Canadian Competitiveness, the BDC says small and medium-sized firms in the 100 to 500 employee range are contributing more than other organizations to Canada’s growth and even how we compare with other countries.

“They have enough resources to invest, innovate and export,” the study says, adding that key ingredients of high-impact firms include a strong desire to achieve and high-risk tolerance. “These spur an entrepreneur to unrelentingly pursue innovation and higher growth by investing and taking appropriate risks.”

For example, the BDC’s survey research of more than 1,000 firms found that entrepreneurs with higher risk tolerance had 10% greater revenue growth and 9% more international sales, and invested 5% more in innovation than moderately ambitious entrepreneurs.

On the other hand, there were four main challenges the BDC report identified that high-impact firms need to overcome if they are continue to succeed.

Challenge No. 1: Management Capabilities

Running a business isn’t just about having a set of products and services that meet a market need. The BDC says SMBs must also develop their ability to improve operations, plan strategically and boost sales. This is a complex mix of skills, but there are tools that can help ease the burden. For example, analytics that were once only within reach of large organizations are now available to Canadian companies of almost any size. Getting insight out of data can be an important step towards managing all the variables that can affect a business’s performance. And improving operations can become a lot more straightforward when you’re able to monitor much, if not all of it, via a smartphone app.

Challenge No. 2: New Markets

Canada may be large in terms of geographic size, but the number of potential customers beyond our borders will likely force many SMBs to think of expanding into the U.S. or internationally. That means, among other things, driving demand in places where there is little to no brand awareness of a company that launched here and nurturing prospects through the buying process. This is where marketing automation could offer a big payoff to firms that would otherwise lack the resources to create a one-to-one customer journey.

Challenge No. 3: Financing

Trust the BDC when it says that small and medium-sized businesses are often seen as a big risk for financial institutions that could lend them valuable capital to grow. There’s no magic bullet to obtaining financing or getting flexible terms on new projects and markets, but it helps when you’ve got a solid balance sheet with a strong sales pipeline. The better you’re able to cross-sell or grow within your current customer base (and cloud-based technology makes that a lot more doable), the more convincing a story you’ll be able to tell the banks.

Challenge No. 4: Labour

SMBs, like many other companies, will often point to their people as their greatest asset, but the BDC study suggests finding and keeping the right talent is becoming ever-difficult due to demographic shifts. This might mean employers will have to do more to ensure their teams feel cohesive and collaborative, whether during in-person meetings or via digital communities and social networking tools.

Everything in the BDC’s research suggests Canadian SMBs will continue to thrive.

When small and medium-sized businesses conquer these four things, it’ll be even more likely.

The post How Technology Can Help Canada’s ‘High Impact’ Firms Aim Even Higher appeared first on Salesforce.

It’s when employees don’t just show up for work, but when they demonstrate an innate understanding of an organization’s goals, a willingness to collaborate across functions and a drive to develop innovative solutions to key problems.

Unfortunately, human resource consulting firm Aon Hewitt’s latest research shows just how hard companies in Canada may need to work if they want employee engagement to improve. In its 2015 Trends in Global Employee Engagement Report, Aon Hewitt offers the results of surveying nine million employees at more than 1,000 companies in 164 countries, including Canada. The numbers aren’t encouraging:

• Only 62 per cent of employees around the world say they feel engaged, an improvement of just one percent from the same study last year. In the world’s largest markets it was completely unchanged.
• Employees’ net satisfaction with their work experience plummeted 28 percentage points in 2014. Staff feel they are less autonomous and that they are accomplishing less than before.
• Employees are less excited about future career opportunities with their employer as a way to boost their engagement. Positive perceptions surrounding this driver have fallen three points over the past year.

On the bright side, there are a growing number of ways Canadian companies can beat these employee engagement benchmarks, if they are willing to make it a priority.

Bring Data-Driven Decision-Making to Employee Engagement Challenges

Much like other complex problems in business today, many organizations are realizing that gathering and sifting through information about employee satisfaction can be closely related to customer satisfaction. Canadian Business magazine profiled how more companies are using regular surveys to track the pulse of workplace morale. There is now analytics software widely available to tackle these kinds of “big data” problems and more.

Use Social Tools To Create a New Dialogue on Employee Engagement

Although many companies will have special events throughout the year to communicate a corporate vision and educate staff on organizational values, those are no longer the only opportunity to do so. Enterprise social networking tools allow leaders to provide real-time feedback on business problems and projects that reinforce these messages. They also become much more of a two-way conversation than an executive speech delivered to a company at large. ITBusiness.ca recently discussed a report from the CMO Council and Executive Networks which suggested internal social networking is an overlooked area for many firms.

Unleash Information And Business Tools To Empower Disengaged Employees

A recent article on Entrepreneur.com suggested employees are more engaged when they see how what they’re doing contributes to operational success. Cloud-based tools such as CRM provide detailed data not only on customers but business wins, opportunities and other moments where individuals can make a major difference to a company’s goals. Meanwhile, Benefits Canada recently argued that mobile apps are another way to give employees the kind of information they want at any time, and on a device of their choosing. If you don’t have a cloud or mobile app strategy already, tying it to employee engagement might be a great way to move forward.

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