A host of elements contribute to your workplace culture and creating a better experience for your team. While previously seen as a threat to creating more human-centred workplaces, technology adoption can actually be a positive influence on workplace culture. In this post we outline 3 ways that you can harness technology to create a thriving culture, attract and retain talent, and ultimately improve business outcomes.
Keep a finger on the pulse
You might be wondering what your team culture looks like to begin with, or perhaps you already have a gauge on the general vibe of your office. Either way, an entire field of culture technology has emerged to help businesses better understand what’s happening on the ground and can be used to proactively spot opportunities for practice improvement, or get a head start on potential red flags. Platforms such as Everperform, Culture Amp and Lattice are increasingly being used by businesses to review performance data, analyse employee engagement, and identify culture building insights & opportunities.
There are also plenty of simple technology solutions to help you keep a finger on the pulse. Distribute a short survey through Microsoft Forms, Typeform, or Survey Monkey to capture feedback on how your team feel the organisation is going, and ask for feedback on what they’d like to see more or less of.
While you may think you have a good understanding of how your workplace culture currently sits, technology now makes it easy to look beyond absence and turnover rates, so check in with your team annually to get their thoughts and feedback, their responses may surprise you.
Improve communication and collaboration
One of the most obvious areas to benefit from advancements in technology has been in how team members are communicating amongst themselves and with their clients. While it is clear that new communication technologies can blur the line between work/life balance, there is no denying that the flexibility this technology provides can have a positive impact on your workplace culture. Utilising platforms such as Microsoft Teams internally promotes enhanced collaboration, enabling team members to easily communicate and work on tasks from any location. Likewise, the gradual shift towards emails / portals / digital signing etc. has seen clients become more comfortable with alternative communication methods, utilising text or instant messaging services that strengthen the client/adviser relationship and make information gathering easier.
Create time, to create opportunities
A key challenge for many businesses is attracting and retaining quality team members. The accounting industry has responded positively to the surge in automation and technology designed to reduce the compliance burden and make time for value-adding activities. In fact, the new generation of advisers now expect workplaces to keep up-to-date with opportunities for technological transformation, provide modern tools that support streamlined workflow and collaboration, and offer ongoing training and process improvement opportunities.
Implementing technology that supports open communication and collaboration between team members and their clients, and providing automated solutions that give your team time to provide value-added business advisory services will not only improve talent retention, but also open opportunities for new business service streams such as data analytics, technology consulting, or other complementary offerings team members may recognise and pursue.
We now also know how important it is to have a nimble workforce that can work from any location and providing technology for flexible work arrangements is almost seen as a pre-requisite for talent acquisition.
How well does your technology support positive team experiences? Use our simple checklist below to identify opportunities for improvement.
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Are you utilising an online communication or collaboration platform internally? | ||
| Do all of your team members have access to technology to enable them to work remotely? | ||
| Are your compliance platforms and processes fairly automated? | ||
| Do you offer clients and team members multiple communication options? | ||
| Do you regularly review or assess team engagement using online surveys or another technology platform? |
At Business Fitness we’re focused on making it easier for your team to deliver stand out client experiences by providing solutions that make processing more interactive, engagement more intuitive, and communication more responsive so that you focus your time and energy on what’s most important – growing your practice, supporting your clients, and creating a place people love to work. Through our document management software, integrated templates and workpapers, intelligent reporting, and insightful benchmarking tools, our intuitive solutions give firms everything they need to reach their full potential. Creating better client and team member experiences along the way. Click here to book an online demonstration with one of our team, or find out more about our full range of tools here. If you answered no to any of these questions, it might be time to review how you’re using and adopting technology to see if you can’t spot an opportunity to improve your productivity, culture, and broader business outcomes.