How Is Technology Changing Company Culture?

Categories: Advice for HR Professionals


Many businesses believe that employee benefits and higher pay are key to attracting and top talent. What they fail to understand is that the majority of modern employees are now shifting their interest
towards corporate missions, values, and culture. They expect employers to be honest, transparent and, above all, to appreciate them as individuals.  

The latest tech advancements can benefit your company culture on so many levels. In today’s hyperconnected era, technology brings people together, bridging the gap of time and distance.

Here is how technology is changing your company culture.

Building Employee-Oriented HR Teams

In 2017, IBM interviewed 6,000 executives, 66% of whom said that cognitive computing can improve the HR sector. Unfortunately, the implementation of artificial intelligence among small and mid-sized businesses is still low. Namely, 36% of companies say they’re too small for AI, while 28% of them claim their senior leadership doesn’t approve the use of AI. 

Still, AI can boost your human resources:

  • AI tools can be used in the employee onboarding process, providing them with useful insights, such as the names and contact information of the people they will work with.
  • AI chatbots can improve candidate screening and boost job application rates. 
  • Automated tools can streamline many HR tasks, such as payroll and tax filings. Getting rid of tons of paperwork, HR teams can focus on employees’ questions and problems.
  • AI tools can even analyze employees’ behaviors and turn this data into actionable steps managers should take. For example, Veriato created a tool that monitors employees’ internet browsing activities, emails, etc. and then analyzes this data to boost employee happiness.
Improving Employee Productivity

Today’s businesses face poor employee engagement and productivity. And, one of the major factors impacting their staff’s satisfaction is the lack of communication. Your employees expect you to equip them with the right tools and enable seamless communication. 

Cloud infrastructures

The majority of businesses have moved at least some operations to the cloud. It’s not surprising at all, given that the cloud is more flexible, scalable, affordable and, most importantly, easier to manage. 

There are different types of cloud platforms that can meet your specific business needs. For example, public clouds are more affordable, but riskier. On the other hand, private clouds provide the utmost performance, as you will be the only one using the server.

Migrating to the cloud is critical for your company’s culture, too. It lets your employees communicate faster and share data in real-time, irrespective of their location. Above all, when handled properly, cloud software secures your sensitive business data.

Collaboration tools 

Cloud-based platforms like Basecamp, Slack, Trello, or Asana are also critical for increasing workplace productivity. You can create multiple projects, create endless lists and tasks, and manage them effortlessly. While this means easier collaboration and interaction for employees, for project managers, these tools enable easier project assessment and employee productivity tracking.

Video conferencing 

Video conferencing tools like Skype for Business, Join.me, or Cisco WebEx increase workplace flexibility. You can significantly reduce travel costs, optimize employee attendance, increase productivity, and create more structured meetings. These tools give people the opportunity to come together and talk face-to-face, irrespective of their locations and time zones.

Fast Internet Connections Increase Internal and External Communications

MonsterCloud recently did a comprehensive survey and found that 60% of employees consider slow internet connection speeds or Wi-Fi extremely frustrating. To avoid that, employers need to track the latest trends in the telecommunications sector and adopt them fast. 

In Australia, for example, one such trend is the NBN, or the National Broadband Network. It’s Australia’s largest infrastructure project ever, rolled out by the Federal Government. Its main goal is to replace the dated phone and internet connections with more reliable NBN plans. Reaching the speed of 100Mbps, the NBN far more powerful than its counterparts, such as ADSL2. 

With faster internet connection speeds, your employees will be able to communicate faster, as well as provide customers with better support. No matter if you’re a B2B business using video conferencing to interact with clients or a B2C business communicating with customers via social networks and email, faster connections will boost your response times and maximize user experiences.

Attracting Global Talent and Boosting Workplace Diversity

The tools mentioned above will also enable remote work, letting you shift from traditional office setups, dive into the global talent pool, and create quality and diverse teams.

Greater workplace inclusion and diversity will also boost your company’s growth and bottom line. According to FastCompany, companies that heavily invest in employee diversity outperform ones with poor diversity and inclusion programs by up to 58%. 

The previous section discusses the tools you need to enable remote working and diverse teams. Now it’s time to focus on the tools you should use to attract global employees. For starters, build a user-friendly and optimized website. It should have a strong “Company Culture” section, where you would explain your goals and unique values. Dedicate a page to your team, where you would share their stories, photos, and testimonials.

Social networks, especially LinkedIn, can also help you attract global talent. LinkedIn will help you grow your employer brand and share valuable content to get noticed by the right people. You want top talent to perceive you as an industry leader and choose you over your competitors.

Personalizing and Automating Employee Rewards

Your employees want to be valued for their dedication, loyalty, and hard work. Surveys say that 84% of highly engaged workers were recognized for their contribution, compared to only 25% of actively disengaged ones. The good thing is that your employees are eager to recognize their coworkers, when provided with the right tools. In that case, 44% of them would provide peer recognition regularly.

Fortunately, with sophisticated employee recognition software, enhancing employee loyalty and satisfaction has never been easier. Some of these tools are:

  • Bonusly – a peer-to-peer employee recognition platform
  • Kazoo combines employee incentives with their engagement and performance
  • Appreiz – engages employees through social recognition
  • Snappy makes employee rewards fun. Namely, you choose incentives that match your budget range and your employees choose what they want to get.
  • Kudos – a tool designed to encourage peer-to-peer recognition 
Over to You

Technology is changing the way we do business. From artificial intelligence employee analytics to faster internet connections and cloud platforms, tech innovations allow people to collaborate no matter their location. This idea is powered by three key points of innovation – sophisticated tools, personalization, and employee-centered company values.

How do you use technology to boost company culture?