When we come across the concept of ‘company culture’ we may think of picnics and trust-building exercises, or maybe, due to more recent corporate wellness trends, we can think of on-site gyms and nap stations. Perhaps the concept of culture rings truer to some with the ideas of volunteering events and community involvement, or with the benefits that are shaping more forward-thinking company cultures today (such as off-site work and maternity leave for dads). Still, hardly anyone thinks of information technology (IT) as a part of company culture, while it is one of the most crucial elements in business operations today.
Corporate culture refers to the core beliefs and behaviors that determine how your company’s management and personnel will handle external business interactions, and should be clearly defined. This set of shared values develops organically over time from the cumulative traits of the people the company hires, and will have a strong influence on the people within the organization by providing guidelines on a variety of aspects. The items addressed through a company’s culture can vary from large-scope situations, such as how to manage hot-button items on social media or how to interact with competitors, to everyday tasks like how to dress or the encouragement of healthy habits among employees. Then, why should the safe use of information technology be neglected in our company culture? Studies have shown that technology in the workplace produces a sizeable amount of stress among workers for a variety of reasons. Therefore, we should be concerned with inviting employees to embrace all the moving parts of the business operations, to promote inclusion and learning.
Company culture directly impacts how we perform our jobs, so the core beliefs of your company should be present at every stage. For example, at EAS we work very hard to communicate to our clients that our security systems (including their data protection mechanisms) should be reliable and efficient, and our employees hold these values close to their heart not only by delivering high-grade products but by being high-grade employees themselves. More specifically, if your company is concerned with the integrity of your information systems or wants to decisively instill in your personnel the importance of protecting your data assets, it’s crucial to consider your IT needs when developing your company culture. Here are the three most important values that will make you want to make IT part of your company culture:
- Knowledge – Have you ever heard of “Hire attitude, train skill”? Well, this is paramount for companies who want to reduce turnover by placing emphasis on a positive mindset and work ethic (over high credentials) during the hiring process. Promoting a student mentality among employees (of all levels) and dedicating sufficient time and effort to the creation of effective didactic materials (regarding IT and otherwise) will be a positive addition to your company’s culture. Moreover, the creation of learning opportunities for employees will significantly reduce stress levels, increase productivity and enhance consumer interaction.
- Protection– An employee who has a clear protocol on how to use, safeguard and transmit company information is an employee who will consistently seek the best interest of the end consumer, as well as the company’s. What can you do to set forth the core value of protection among your personnel when it comes to IT protocol? The best thing to do is to put mechanisms in place so that employees can rest easy with the data they’re working with. For example, at EAS we offer our clients DRaaS and Data Backup solutions so that each business can confidently tell their clients that data privacy will be upheld, and help employees feel assured that it will be so.
- Accountability – Companies must make it a priority to transmit their sense of accountability to their clients, but also to their employees. This, in turn, should be reflected in how they manage the business’ data. When handling client data, your company should be able to confidently say: “If something brakes, we will fix it. We stand behind what we do and that extends strongly onto our employees.” That’s why it behooves companies of all sizes – especially those in insurance, healthcare, banking, legal or other areas where very sensitive information is handled – to invest in data security systems that can afford them accountability and thoroughly train employees on how they work to benefit all parties. By promoting inclusion and technology learning as an integral part of your company culture, employees will feel accountable and deeply invested in the operation.
The benefits of including these core values in your company culture are vast, and your personnel will feel included and fulfilled in each of their roles. This holistic approach will, in turn, help you develop a far-reaching, stronger set of values for your staff while adding new security layers that are increasingly necessary. It’s a win-win-win!
Are you ready for peace of mind for your business data? Contact us today to get started with Cloud Backup or Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) by Infrascale and protect one of your business’ most valuable (and vulnerable) assets.
