Predictions for 2015: Empower Your Employees with Content

2014 may have been the year of mobile technology, but what should we expect in 2015? While we’d like to think that hover boards or robotic dog walkers are in our near future (as predicted in Back to the Future II), Wired has put together a more realistic list of 2015 predictions. The theme of their predictions–“Power to the People”–alludes to a year that prioritizes talent and looks to empower people through technology. Because, as Wired points out, great technology has little use “without the human factor.”

When it comes to creating content for your employees, the need for great technology and great people especially rings true. Inkling’s cloud publishing platform, for example, allows users to focus on perfecting content, while the platform does the heavy lifting of configuring that content for each employee’s device. So, how can businesses pair technology and content to empower employees in 2015? Here’s how our recommendations match up with some of Wired‘s predictions.

1. “Power Begins in the Cloud”

Number one on Wired‘s list is cloud technology, which has become increasingly popular and will only become more so. For content production, cloud publishing is the latest and greatest new tool, allowing for increased collaboration and ease of publishing.

Not only is cloud publishing the modern approach, but investing in a cloud publishing solution comes with another advantage: an agile partner. Smaller and newer businesses, as both Wired and Inkling’s CEO, Matt MacInnis point out, have the advantage of moving quickly and adhering to shifts in customer needs. Or, as Wired puts it, “While a smaller business can turn like a responsive cigarette boat when needed, the larger, traditional enterprise must clumsily lumber toward the proverbial iceberg without the facility to quickly correct course.” In 2015, invest in a nimble company that is steered toward the future.

2. “Stepping Up With Education”

In the wake of increasingly expensive college tuitions, Wired predicts that we’ll see even more students taking control of their own education in 2015, whether through books, seminars, or crash courses. But more importantly, Wired advises these individuals to, “Become employed at whatever level you can by companies you really want to work for — and be mentored and apprenticed by those in whose footsteps you want to follow.”

For employers, on the flip side, this means that your training program will be an important differentiator for potential employees, especially millennials, and they’ll look for companies that prioritize learning and mentorship. Consider ways that you can support employees’ performance outside of traditional classrooms and training sessions, such as with mobile-first reference content that’s always on hand. Your employees will thank you for it through the quality of their work.

3. “A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Spreadsheets”

Lastly, Wired emphasizes the increasing importance of easy-to-understand information (i.e. use images instead of messy spreadsheets) vis-à-vis a long-held principle of UX design: “Users want to be able to perform tasks as simply as possible, and move on.”

So what does this mean for your employees? When given content that isn’t mobile-optimized (and requires constant panning, pinching, and zooming), they’ll likely give up and use Google instead. To make sure that your employees use your content, think of your employees as customers, and provide them a user-tested, mobile-approved experience. With easily accessible content, they’ll get the right information, when they need it.

Think we missed some important 2015 predictions relevant to content creation? Let us know in the comments below! To learn more about Inkling’s cloud publishing platform, Inkling Habitat, request a free demo from our sales team.