By Nathan Lee, TLE Correspondent
We are making a rather heavy dent in the digital age now and there seems to be no sign of this progression slowing. Recently, we’ve been caught in a whirlwind of smart watches, fitness trackers, mobile payments, super drones and robots. These new and slightly disconcerting branches of technology are not purely restricted to our personal lives though. Turns out there is a plethora of technological advancements for the workplace too.
Technology today has a multitude of uses when it comes to improving a business. Capable of aiding recruitment, increasing staff retention and even creating a happier workforce, the technology available for companies should not be ignored.
However, much of the working world is yet to utilise these facilities to their full potential which could have adverse effects on businesses. As a company which is investing heavily in IT and successfully utilising the latest technology, CV-Library has some exclusive advice on how to make your business tech-savvy.
Mobile optimised sites
As a nation that’s constantly on the go, we are grateful for our mobiles and tablets. For CV-Library, the UK’s largest job board, around 40 per cent of our traffic comes from mobile devices due to our mobile-friendly site and app for candidates. This makes job hunting and recruitment an easier process for those that use our services.
However, plenty of companies’ websites are not compatible with mobile devices, leading to a loss in business. There may be a large chunk of traffic heading your way from mobiles, but if important pages such as “about us”, “products”, “FAQ” aren’t compatible, you may be losing valuable customers and weakening your brand awareness.
By optimising companies’ online platforms for mobiles and even updating site pages to look the part, businesses should expect a rise in site visits. Having a website that functions on a phone or tablet seems like such an obvious requirement that should have been ticked off the to-do list in 2010, but it’s a relatively easy fix, albeit a time consuming one. Businesses need to catch up if they want to stand a chance of surviving in our mobile world.
Sharing and collaboration software
It is all very well having a shared area on the computer drive at work, but that alone is not enough to ensure a competent file sharing system for the company. Many employees are often away from their desks and out of the office for one reason or another. At CV-Library, we are regularly on the move between buildings, to conferences, events and awards ceremonies, so having convenient and efficient access to files and documents is a necessity.
Collaboration and sharing software such as Google Drive and Dropbox are key for these situations. They enable file storing and synchronisation, document sharing and communal editing services. This software is ideal for businesses of all sizes as it is vital for employees to stay in the loop. Therefore, not only are employees more settled and prepared, but collaboration software enables a tighter staff network and employee efficiency when carrying out tasks.
Tech-savvy HR
No business is complete without a HR department, but it seems that they are the slowest to respond to technological change. In recent years there has been a big push for HR teams to jump on board with the big data trend to improve business and employee performance. However, the only way to initiate this is through new wave HR technology.
HR technology carries out complex data-ridden tasks with a click of a button. This software can give HR teams a hand with specific services such as recruitment screening, employee reimbursements and payrolls. With these time-consuming processes taken care of quickly, HR can refocus concentration on creative projects, ensuring a more motivated and productive team. With businesses growing in size and demands, it makes sense to use HR-related technology in order to use the precious hours in the day efficiently.
Performance management software
Performance appraisals are necessary for employees to understand their career development within a company and to voice their opinions on the matter. However, as more millennials enter the workplace, their demands for more regular evaluations are causing the annual appraisal system to alter. With the use of performance management software, this should be an easy request for businesses to instigate.
Performance management software is used to ensure employee and organisational goals are met around the company. By tracking the progress of operational and strategic aims, businesses can determine whether their productivity levels are on target. As a result, employees feel more comfortable about where they stand with their contribution to the company. This in turn may aid staff retention as employees can see their value and can also see their opportunity to grow. The benefits to performance management software are numerous, as a happy and valued employee leads to a stronger team, further success of the business and much, much more.
There is an abundance of software that has been developed specifically to help businesses thrive. Even though artificial intelligence and advanced robots are being developed for the workplace too, we aren’t quite ready to let human capital go just yet. Technology is the perfect assistant to improve efficiency and productivity about the workplace and businesses would be worse off trying to proceed without it.