At the moment I work as a cabin crew member. Within my work we utilize several digital tools that will be discussed shortly next.
- Microsoft 365: There are several products in use of the Microsoft 365 family, all of which utilized as communication channels. Via Outlook and Teams, we contact and chat with our colleagues and receive updates, as well as, through the the latter attend online meetings and share files and documents. Yammer is an open discussion forum and collaboration space, where employees from different departments exchange opinions and observations, as well as, links to the company news are posted there, as Yammer is being checked more often than our intranet.
- PowerBI: is a platform where employees can check reports of our organization’s data and different insights in convenient visual form.
- Workday: a software that we use for human resource (HR) matters. All the employee data is stored and edited there, therefore, via Workday employees can access different kind of personal documents (such as, employment contracts and professional confidentiality agreements), clarify payroll related subjects and apply for leave of absence. It also serves as a career development tool, as employees have a CV there, as well as feedback from colleagues and managers (kind of like an internal LinkedIn-profile). Open positions are listed there, one can internally apply for a job and follow the process of a recruitment.
- Workspace ONE Content: is an app that we have on our work phones, where our work related manuals and guidebooks are stored with all kinds of essential information. The app can be accessed even offline.
In addition to all the above-mentioned tools, we have numerous digital in-house apps that have been created specifically for our work. Those apps serve as, for example, duty time management tools, sources of customer information and sales devices.
The purpose of this assignment was to find five new digital tools that could be applied to one’s daily work. I will admit that sometimes it feels a bit overwhelming to be able to keep up even with all the current apps, but I guess there is still room for improvement.
- LinkedIn: I have had a LinkedIn-profile for years, but I never truly learned to engage with it. It is however an excellent platform to broaden own global professional network and attend online trainings, webinars and workshops.
- Open Badges: is a platform where one can be issued with digital credentials which acknowledge individual’s knowledge, skills, competences and achievements. The above-mentioned can be earned at a workplace, through a hobby, volunteering or studies. Open Badges could be shared online and in social media platforms, which would complement individual’s online CV and enhance professional networking.
- SafetyCulture (iAuditor): this application could be used in our work to further enhance the communication and collaboration between different departments, when filing reports related to technical malfunctions; and various data could be available in more user-friendly format than now, ensuring the safety aspects.
- Slack: When I was going through peer students’ blogs, I noticed that quite many are using this app in their work. Slack is used for instant messaging, where one can collaborate with colleagues either one-on-one or in groups and channels. There is a possibility to share files within it and keep in touch with both voice and video calls. Many peer students were praising Slack’s functions, hence it got me thinking that at my work place, we could maybe substitute our current communication channels with Slack.
- Todoist: I absolutely love creating various lists in my free time, as I feel that it helps me not to forget important things. Todoist is an interactive digital tool that could be used in our work as a checklist (our current checklist are mainly in a paper format) in many operational situations and it might be even possible to integrate it with our professional work apps that are already in use.
Pros and cons of social media
Social media is a term for services, platforms, online communities and apps available in digital environment where people, organizations and brands can communicate, collaborate, interact as well as, produce and share content. The majority of social media tools are easy to use and free of charge; and users are provided with an opportunity to gravitate towards knowledge and groups of people that might not have been otherwise attainable. For some people it is a chance to express own opinions, share own thoughts and views and, this way, influence others. Use of social media has become a part of everyday life and it belongs not only to leisure time but also to working life. Opinions about social media tend to be divisive.
Personally, I use social media on a daily basis, mainly to keep in touch with my friends and family, as well as, as a search engine to stay well informed about current news; to find information about product innovations; and to discover novel music, events and entertainment. Occasionally, I use social media as an e-learning platform as well. My company has utilized various social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, LinkedIn) to market new products, services and destinations; to increase own brand visibility and awareness; to communicate and engage with current and potential customers; to announce and promote sales campaigns; as well as, to share our brand messages and story. All the content produced in the above-mentioned channels is distinct, as different target groups are being reached.
I believe that especially during the pandemic, social media has helped people to stay in touch and enabled collaboration between colleagues working remotely, enhancing a flow of information and mutual support. However, it can also increase workload, as some might experience a pressure of staying connected and available all the time if the line between working time and leisure time becomes more obscure. For some, especially teens, social media may create a strain to succeed if one constantly compares oneself to others, builds up unrealistic goals and an imaginary sense of reality; hence, becomes eventually dissatisfied with own life. In addition, cyberbullying appears quite frequently all over the Internet, as “facelessness” and a possibility to act anonymously might lower the threshold for it. Therefore, at the worst, excess use of social media can lead even to mental health problems.
Nowadays, identity thefts and various scams and frauds are increasing continuously. Moreover, social media can be intentionally used as a channel for negative influencing. As it is so widespread, a distribution of false information is very common and easy. Disinformation intends to lead astray and draw attention to something (news with clickbait headlines), to cause confusion and even to harm others. Thus, it is highly crucial to improve digital literacy and emphasize constantly that behaviour should be responsible also in digital environment; without compromising on online privacy and security.
Self reflection
This assignment gave me an opportunity to learn about new digital platforms that I would not have necessarily discovered otherwise. Altogether, the implementation of this course was completely different to others I have completed; and it was fun to utilize digital learning platform and learn from peer students. Maybe some day I will even become inspired to start my own blog. Thank you for reading! 😊