Tech doesn’t have to make the workplace a less human place

Are you annoyed by the long chain of e-mail messages in your inbox each morning? Do you wish you could speak to your co-workers in person instead of over Skype? It's not just you. Many employees lament that new technologies have eradicated most of the face-to-face work of the business world. But Natalie Burg, writing for Unify, says that new tech does not have to make a workplace less people-friendly.

Using it right

As Burg writes, many employees bemoan the reality that little communication today happens in a face-to-face setting. Instead, conference calls and e-mail chains are the main ways that workers speak with one another. Employees log long hours working as part of a virtual team. Even though some workers might be dissatisfied with this, Burg writes that this dependence on tech doesn't need to be a negative thing...if companies use the tech in the proper way.

Evolving workplace

Burg writes of a better way, though. Companies could use communications technology to make their workers’ lives easier, not as a way to replace all face-to-face relationships. Consider employees who regularly work with peers located several time zones away. These employees are now able to communicate - through e-mail or instant messaging - with their fellow workers from the comfort of their own homes, without needing to stay late at the office for a phone conversation.

Creating happy, productive workers

Mobile technology is key to building a more content workforce, Burg writes. Employees want the capability to chat with their co-workers from the road any time of the day. They don’t want to be chained to their desks during the day. Mobile tech is an example of a way in which companies can use high-tech to create happier workers, not stressed out ones.