How Has Technology Reshaped the Modern Workplace?

Technology has entirely reshaped organizations by making their business processes highly integrated and more streamlined. Work from home is something we have all been through in the past couple of years. If someone asks you what made people work from home, you might say Covid-19. However, technology allows people to earn a livelihood from the comfort of their own home, and Covid-19 just became a catalyst in this process. After managing their staff efficiently and effectively in this pandemic, many businesses plan to shift to remote jobs permanently. Especially Small businesses need technology like nothing else to streamline their business tasks efficiently.

Today employees are more productive and can work from anywhere around the world. Businesses rely heavily on technology, from how the employees communicate to the very end of completing a task. There are both positive and a few negative impacts of this overdependence on technology in the modern workplace. Let’s look into these aspects of how technology has reshaped the current workplace.

Organization of the Data

The biggest challenge that the companies used to face was – organization of data. There are different types of data in a business: data of the employees, transactional data, master data, reference data, reporting data, and metadata. A company was always burdened with the difficult but core tasks of making this data accessible and secure at the same time.

With cloud storage, this task has been simplified, and the companies fully control their confidential data. Businesses can recruit skilled employees or hire IT Support companies to maintain and monitor their data, computer networks, and systems. These smart services made it easier for businesses to delegate, examine, and review tasks, making them more efficient, productive, and well-organized.

Secured Data

The shift to technology was made centuries ago, including the workspace. However, it was in these modern eras that businesses have started adapting to these technological advancements. The companies are now equipped with systems that are securing their critical information. Cyberspace is not free from criminal activities. However, with the state-of-the-art technological solutions hacking and other similar security breaches have significantly lessened over time. These security measures have helped the employees in developing trust in their organizations. It has also made it easier for employees to trust an organization, which can be based anywhere in the world when applying for a remote job.

Remote Working

One of the most significant tasks that the modern workplace has achieved is the idea of remote working. Now you do not have to live where you work. It has enabled the companies to have a diverse workforce with employees from all over the world. Today businesses do not need to worry about the living expenses or cost of transportation while hiring an employee based out of station or even the country. All the recruiters need to care about is whether the person is the right fit for the job or not. It has also helped the employees as now they are not restricted to looking for jobs in their locality. This marvel of modern-day technology has alone helped countless new parents and the vulnerable population like the disabled to have a job while maintaining their lifestyle choices.

That said, technology companies have also adjusted to this shift to respond to the demand from new remote workers and even the thousands of parents who are now opting to homeschool their kids as they work from home. Anyone considering joining the trend can easily find quality and affordable computers, laptops, monitors, and computer accessories to set up their own work offices right at home.

Increased Connectivity

With employees working from all over the country and sometimes even across borders, it is essential to establish a pathway for communication. There is a need for a proper communication channel from employee to employee and employee and the higher authorities. With communication apps such as Skype, WhatsApp, etc., it has become easier for employees and employers to remain in touch and feel a part of the team. Similarly, social networking sites such as Facebook have made it possible to remain with colleagues even outside the work environment. These developments in the field of technology have made the workspace cooperative, incorporated, and more considerate.

Safeguarding the Rights of the Employees

With remote working, employers have a diverse pool of talent to choose from, but so do the employees. Now employees do not need to work for just the sake of earning. Still, they get to calculate which company offers the best incentives as well as learning opportunities. It has led to the companies putting thought and resources into ensuring that their employees are happy and maintain their skilled labor. In this way, technology has also helped in safeguarding labor rights.

Always On Call

Although, the positive impacts technology has had on our lives cannot be denied, especially when it comes to the modern work environment. However, it can also not be claimed that technology has no harm. The people are now more involved in their work and often work overtime because of lack of a proper working schedule. They even have to compromise their weekends and sometimes work when they are sick to meet deadlines. With no differentiation between office and home, it may feel as if you are always in the office. The smartphones that we own, constantly reminding us of the deadlines to meet and the pick-up projects, can make you feel as if you are always on call.

With the continuation of these practices, it is not surprising to say that productivity will start to decrease in a couple of months, if not days. The employees are bound to experience burnout due to lack of sleep and overworking. The severity of these conditions can even lead to the employees reporting symptoms of depression and stress. As employees never get time to relax and rest, the physical and mental health of the employee is compromised, and they will have to choose between their health and earning a livelihood.

Conclusion

Technology on its own is neither good nor bad. It is just a tool that humans have invented. Therefore it is our responsibility to use it for the welfare of our kind. Many accomplishments in human history would not have been achieved if it were not for technology. Technology has redefined our workspace, yet many more aspects of technological advancement need to be incorporated into our workplace.