With the rapid advancements in technology over the past few decades, technology is fast becoming the backbone of any organisation in the modern workplace today. Technology has revolutionised almost all aspects of the working environment, from the conventional Information Technology (IT) department to the Human Resources (HR) department.
Technological innovations and improvements seem to be introduced on a weekly basis, perhaps a little too fast at times, before we can even understand its purposes and implications on our working environment. While these technological innovations may have been done with the best interest, some may argue that they, more often than not, have a negative effect on the organisation’s productivity. So here comes the big question: how do you build and sustain culture, while engaging the help of technology at the same time?
Transparency of Information
In the past, data in the workplace is a sacred piece of information. Only a select few will hold the key to the specific information. However, given the technology today, data is now readily available at anyone’s fingertips. One clear example of this would be in the HR department. Gone are the days whereby managers have to sieve through paperwork just to get the background information on a certain employee. Now, they simply need to go online and any employee’s information is readily available. Managers can make quicker decisions such as promotions, or employee appraisal rather than from hearsay. This creates a sense of transparency within the organisation, which is essential to sustain a positive company culture.
Performance Management
The annual performance appraisal process in some organisations is not very transparent and reflective of an employee’s performance. Given that the traditional performance appraisal is often done once, or twice (rarely!), a year, employees often receive very demoralizing surprises during these feedback sessions. With the aid of technology, an employee’s real-time performance can now be captured and measured. While the idea of someone “watching” you the entire time as you work might sound a little creepy, this can bring about positive impacts in the long run as managers can now point out areas for improvement on a more regular basis rather than bi-yearly. It gives employees the impression that the organisation strives to improve the well-being of their workers. Additionally, online feedback channels and chat sessions provide employees with the opportunity to interact with top management to clear any doubts or questions. This could help foster a closer and tight-knitted company culture.
The ultimate goal of any organisation should be to ensure a company culture whereby employees can feel motivated, challenged, engaged and at the same time, striving to contribute to the overall success of the organisation. As we slowly replace traditional approaches with technological innovations, we need to understand how to make use of these innovations and design it to encourage positive behaviours within the organisation. This is the key to fostering a great company culture.
