How High-Tech Should your Office Be?
Your office is tapped into Facebook and Twitter. You have a great network and high-speed Internet. Everyone has a laptop or tablet (or both) that they can bring to company meetings.
In your mind, you think, “we’re pretty tech savvy!” But then you see articles online talking about new startups and their game rooms, cutting-edge smartphones, and all the cool gadgets that seem to make their company better. You think, “maybe we need to do more.”
Having a ‘high-tech’ office these days is becoming more and more common, but you don’t need to have iPads and Segways all over your office to be a successful company. Today, we’re going to discuss a few areas you should consider investing in technology, and a few areas you don’t necessarily need to. Have a look:
Invest in tech-savvy people. Having a tech-savvy office isn’t just about the number of cool gadgets you have for people to play with. In fact, none of those things really matter if you don’t have enough people who can actually use them proficiently. Investing in people who understand technology and can use it to maximize productivity and efficiency is an important first step to bringing your company up to speed.
Be more eco-friendly. With all of the tablets, laptops and smartphones, who needs to print anything off anymore? One area you can definitely “tech out” is the amount of paper and printing you need done in your office. Not only does is it better for the environment, but it can save you a lot of money as well.
A ‘techy’ common area. An indoor or outdoor common area with great Internet access, plenty of outlets, and other fun gadgets can be a great way to branch into a more open office feel, or allow your employees to get a little sunshine while they work. That said, it isn’t really necessary. Sure, it can bring out the more creative side of your employees and is conducive to team-building, but before you go ahead and knock out those cubicles for a new common area, we suggest focusing on your culture first.
Encouraging employees to use their phones (on the clock). Some companies are now allowing their employees to check their phones throughout the day for a little me-time. Most people would scoff at the idea, while others argue that it helps break up the monotony of work and de-stress your employees. We’ll leave those opinions up to you, but if you are considering the latter, just keep in mind that it is always a good idea to have some sort of policy in place that monitors how (and how much) they are spending their free time.
What do you think? Let us know by connecting with us on Facebook or Twitter. We’d love to hear from you!
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