Local authority leaders need to understand ‘what makes an awesome employee experience' in their council when they are transforming services, The MJ Future Forum North has heard.

Speaking today at the event in Manchester, transformation director public service UK&I at Oracle Leatham Green said he puts forward ‘three keywords when it comes to getting things done'.

‘I want it to be quick, easy and intuitive, just as it is outside of work.'

An approach focused on the reasons why councils want to transform services will help them unlock the full potential of cloud technology, and transformation was often ‘taking too long', he told delegates.

He continued: ‘If you've got a better clarity and focus on why are you doing what you're doing and what you want to be achieving, this helps bring forward this timeline'.

Automating transactional tasks that can be delivered through technology was the only approach ‘that will start to move [us] into that space of innovation and creativity', he said.

‘And this can be achieved, creating that safe space, building confidence and excitement and having a really clear ambition. This is where the "why" question comes into play. This is our ambition for place.'

According to Green, understanding ‘what really matters to your employees' is crucial. ‘That's different from what matters to your HR teams or your finance teams.

‘Employees are now reimagining their world of work, a place where personalisation drives empowerment. This is what they're experiencing their everyday lives.'

Green continued: ‘So why is it that we're not experiencing that when we come through into the workplace? And it could be that in your council this is already happening, which is great. But in the main, this is not something we're spending enough time focusing on and understanding. We're reimagining the recruitment process to make that quick and slick and easy for people to to apply for.'

He said finance leads needed to ‘understand the pound value that's attached to these moments that matter, these processes which are so fundamental to your employees and making sure that they work easily and quickly'.

‘Because the converse of that is actually a high cost if they go off course. And having this balance between process, people and technology is so fundamentally important, because they need to be in sync to create this kind of positive experience.'