It is common in the workplace to see employees dealing with loads of paperwork, running from one meeting to another, and getting frustrated because of ineffective communication processes.
However, because of the advent of new technologies, businesses continue to innovate and reshape their workplace–from changing their ways of communication to introducing new methods of keeping their business secured.
Here are six ways technology has reshaped the workplace:
- Increases Collaboration
Technology has changed the way people communicate in the modern workplace. It has helped connect people anywhere and at any time and improved the way organizations collaborate. Because of the many modern tools available, the communication process has greatly improved and has helped employees, co-workers, and managers to connect with each other easily.
For example, when soliciting group inputs on a written document, traditionally, a printed document is photocopied, stapled, and passed around for the group to give their comments. These days, getting inputs can be done electronically. You can send emails with attached documents to your team so that they can give comments or directly revise the documents themselves.
Other powerful collaboration tools that companies are using now include cloud-based document storage such as Google Docs and SharePoint. This allows anyone with the right URL to access, comment, edit, update, or otherwise contribute to an electronic document. You can also modify the people who have access privileges to your document storage to ensure that only relevant team members have access to it. For example, specific users can view but not edit, or they can comment only but not alter the document in any way.
With these new collaboration tools, employees can now connect and communicate no matter where they are; thereby, encouraging teamwork, mutual understanding, and bonding among employees. The increased levels of engagement will help boost your company’s productivity and efficiency as well.
Collaboration tools have also been instrumental in helping leaders and managers to communicate with their employees. These have also enabled companies to keep their clients updated on their project performance and progress.
- Removes Geographical Barriers
According to a Forbes article, technology has been instrumental in removing geographical barriers. remote working, teleconferencing and other online collaboration tools have allowed teams to work together regardless of everyone’s locations.
For example, although virtual meetings and virtual conferencing are not new to most workplaces, employees used to gather around a speakerphone in the middle of the conference room table. However, when the pandemic began to drive people out of their workplaces to observe social distancing, off-site locations for virtual meetings and video conferencing became necessary. It is now common to see people working at home or anywhere outside the office yet still able to participate in the day-to-day affairs of the business through virtual meetings.
Since an interconnected workplace is not limited to one location, it is made possible by technology such as virtual conferencing, internet connectivity, and other online collaboration tools. With technological innovations in the workplace, organizations can build stronger, more diverse teams that can efficiently deliver results.
- Increases Team Morale
Boosting team morale and driving employee engagement are critical in building a motivated and productive workforce. With more companies adopting an interconnected workplace, virtual team building activities are great ways to help build relationships, improve communications, and boost morale.
Effective internal communications plays a huge part in ensuring that employees are aware of the company’s priorities and strategies and how they can contribute to the company’s success. Regularly getting employee feedback helps organizations in building two-way conversation with employees so that everyone is aligned on what they need to do.
Thanks to modern technology, getting feedback has become easier with the availability of online or email surveys which can be provided by companies like Contact Monkey.
Contact Monkey offers several survey options that can fit with your organization’s communications style. You can gather employee feedback through surveys with star ratings, emoji reactions, like buttons, etc.
- Improves Efficiency
Technology helps in keeping the business organized. It has reshaped the workplace by making business processes integrated and more streamlined. Managing a large project involving many different people and different skills is a complex task that can easily go wrong if things are not organized.
For example, technology has allowed time management to become easier with the help of modern time management tools. These tools have helped in optimizing employees’ daily work routine and has enabled them to focus on the most important tasks at hand. Proper time management and prioritization help increase employees’ efficiency so that they can meet deadlines and direct their efforts towards more critical projects.
As technological advancements have reduced the amount of time and effort spent on daily activities, employees now spend more time on creative tasks and developing new ideas. Also, systems like Project Management Software helps in building, delegating, reviewing, and assessing a task. This helps in managing a large project involving many different people and different skills–a complex task that can easily go wrong.
Since employers and managers can easily supervise workplace activities that help in keeping everything on track, it improves the company’s overall productivity and efficiency.
- Helps in Cost Management
Innovative technology has also helped companies become fiscally healthy as these innovations prove to be more cost-effective. Every workplace has some chore tasks that need dedicated people to handle it, and this keeps the costs high.
You can reduce costs by installing software as service (SaaS) tools that eliminate the manual handling of a task by automating wherever possible and focusing on the integration of different tasks. Automated processes also give more accurate results and help keep every record according to the date and time indicated, making it easier to retrieve information for any business purpose.
- Keeps the Business Secure
Technology plays a vital part in keeping the business secured. By using innovative technology and implementing security software and algorithms, companies can make sure that sensitive information is accessible to the right people and is protected from malicious hacking attempts.
Maximize the advantages of having advanced security software to reduce the threat of data thefts and leaks so that your sensitive company information stays safe and secure.
Conclusion
Workplaces will continue to evolve as we adapt to the many changes that can happen in the future. With technological solutions paving the way for new ways of collaborating and driving efficiency in organizations, it is essential that you adapt to changes and embrace new technology so that your company stays up to date while remaining productive and profitable as well.