TECHNOLOGY IN THE WORKPLACE
The world is getting more and more sophisticated every day. The micro-computers, smartphones, personal digital assistants and other productivity boosting technological gadgets there are today are still continually being improved. There’s no doubt whatsoever that these tools are a boon to the workplace.
But anything good has a bad side to it. The deeper the world gets into business technology comes the realization that technology can be a double-edged sword. There’s an upside and a downside to technology in the workplace.
The website www.moneytalksnews.com cites how to focus on the positives and lessen the negatives about the use of technology at work:
In business, people use the Internet and learn to need it. It saves costs for business by lowering postage expenses, and enables specifying target market segments and delivering the right message to the right prospect at just the right time.
The Internet has cut research time down to almost nothing. To know the population of Ulan Bator, one would just Google it. The answer is there in seconds, not hours or days looking in books from library shelves. Answers are delivered right to the researcher.
The Internet puts more control in the hands of small business by providing the same sales platform that large businesses use. Search engines are rigorously revised to eliminate search bias, so a small business website may show up above a national company that spends millions on advertising. Small business has a level playing field.
The Internet has changed the way people do just about everything, from push advertising to smartphone users to cloud storage for easy online collaboration. But the Internet is also a distraction. Employees log on to their Facebook pages many times during the workday when they should be working. At any given hour, how many workers are playing computer games on the office computer?
Money Talks News has reported on the downside of workplace technology – and there are some “falling-off-thecliff” downsides. Technology becomes a distraction in the workplace when quality of work is compromised; morale suffers because other employees have to cover for co-workers trying to reach the next level of their favorite computerbased games; intra-office communication suffers because instead of talking to each other, coworkers send texts or email; work assignments are delivered late and deadlines are missed; personal and workplace activity are co-mingled, with employees using their own smartphones to conduct company business – a practice that is actually encouraged and referred to as BYOD – bring your own device – because employees are most familiar with their own smartphones, and these are always within arm’s reach. In addition, security of company data is lessened as more access points are added. Opening a single infected email can spread a virus across the office network; files may be corrupted and critical data stolen.
Fortunately, certain things can be done to contain the negatives of technology in the workplace. First is to clearly state company policy about personal use of tech equipment in the workplace. The policy can then be put in writing and made part of the employees’ manual.
Employees may also be given regular breaks to check personal emails and glance at the nanny cam at home. Employees want to use their personal tech gadgets, so they might as well be given the time to do that at scheduled times throughout the day.
Employees shall also be trained on basic routine security, like if one doesn’t know who sent an email, it should not be opened. If possible, a key logger software shall be installed across the office network and the employees inform accordingly. The objective isn’t to “catch” an employee goofing off, it’s to protect the integrity of the business systems and maintain the highest levels of productivity.
Distraction sites are better blocked on the office network. If it’s uncertain how to prevent employee access to Facebook, an IT expert shall be hired to lock out employees from any site that distracts them from work.
Company gadgets shall be limited to business uses only, and employees encouraged to keep personal and workplace communications separate. Office security shall be upgraded regularly, as well as hardware and software, in order to get more from company equipment.
It’s up to the company to define the desired employee behavior in the workplace. Many of today’s technologies are tempting to engage in – and employees must be reined in to focus on their jobs. With fewer distractions at work, employees are expected to deliver good productivity.