Creating an authentic corporate culture is one of the hardest tasks for a manager. Competitive pressure is intense in practically every industry. Companies grow and change pretty fast and the employees move on quickly. In these circumstances, it is important to determine what your company stands for and how it treats its clients and employees.
Technology can help you in numerous ways. Since most of the workflow today is digital, using the right technology can provide the backbone of your business. By choosing the right tools, you can create an environment from which both your employees and your clients can benefit.
Using Technology to Create a Positive Company Culture
Communication
A business should be a place where ideas and opinions flow freely and everyone is being heard. There was a time when communication in a company went from the top down in form of memos and statements. Those days are long behind us. Everyone involved in a project or a task should be able to contribute and give their input.
Lines of communication should stretch horizontally as well as vertically. What was once called just office chatter can now be much more. It is a way to boost morale and create a sense of community within a company.
All of this should be on your mind when choosing apps and tools your employees use to communicate. They should basically emulate the experience of an office as closely as possible on your computer or a smartphone.
Human Resources
Dealing with human resources goes far beyond collecting resumes and reading cover letters. It is also about pretty much everything that keeps your employee safe and satisfied, including the medical, vision, dental, and all other benefits.
This process is sometimes quite tedious and therefore prone to human error. Using an employee management software to keep track of your payroll gets rid of this problem for you and lets you focus on the bigger picture while the software deals with the details.
Competitive corporate culture can only be created and maintained if everyone feels safe and carefree regarding these important administrative tasks.
Information Access
For a long time, the office space was not a very democratic environment. Sensitive information (or any information in general) has been kept in the hands of the privileged few. Those could be people at the top or just those who are directly involved in a particular project or a task. In everyday life, things are much different.
Information from all over the world is available to anyone with a smartphone. This kind of transparent approach should be implemented in the workplace too. Cloud-based sharing technology allows everyone in the office to have the same data instantaneously.
This will create a sense of trust and collaboration because everyone involved is treated equally and as a part of the team.
Rewarding the Effort and Giving Recognition
Most people do not quit their job because they are not satisfied with their salary. Lack of job recognition is the most cited reason for quitting. People want to feel validated for their work. The problem is that they actually are but the corporate structure does not allow for this sort of recognition to be expressed publicly.
Once again, technology may be the answer. Social platforms allow every employee to be familiarized with the work of their coworkers and to provide positive feedback in real-time. This sort of appreciation creates a positive and engaging environment. Most importantly, the recognition comes from peers as well superiors, which creates a sense of camaraderie.
Performance Enablement
Having instant data about your employees’ efforts and the recognition they are getting for it makes it easier for you to understand their expertise and abilities.
This makes the review process more transparent and easily manageable. Once you know (and can prove) what your employees are good at, you can help them grow and expand their potential.
It is important to understand that corporate culture is more than just office rules- it is a set of values on which your company runs. Using the right technology can help you emphasize and implement those values for maximizing employee satisfaction and achieving success.