In today’s digital age, investing in the right technological tools is critical to the success of your property management organization. If you’re not finding ways to improve efficiency, keep employees connected and boost productivity, you’re going to get left behind. The problem is, not all technology is created equal and, as a result, the wrong setup can actually cause more harm than good. Could the tools you have in place actually be hindering the success of your firm, rather than helping it? Let’s take a look.
Constant connectivity can cause employee burnout
Technology has created the opportunity for people to connect anytime from anywhere. This is great in the property management industry, because it allows the flexibility for on-call service. The problem with this, however, is that too much connectivity can lead to employee burnout, which can result in costly turnover.
Enhanced technology can cause distractions
Those email notifications and comments on the company’s internal social network can be incredibly distracting, and those interruptions can lead to a serious decrease in productivity.
Technology can interfere with interpersonal relationships
With all the electronic communication tools we have today, from email and texting to video conferencing, employees can lose touch with the value of in-person, face-to-face interactions.
Related Post: 5 Easy Steps to Improve Your Property Management Team′s Morale
Inadequate tools can hinder performance
Sometimes it’s not actual technology but the quality of those tools that can cause problems for your organization. For example, if the systems and software you’ve provided are outdated, your employees may not be able to do their job as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Now, let’s take a look at a few ways you can counteract these problems to leverage technology for the optimum benefit of your organization:
- Invest in proper training, particularly in organization/time management skills
- Compensate appropriately (i.e. extra pay for being on call)
- Develop a good work-life balance (allow employees flexibility and ample time off)
- Establish periods of “non-connection” when employees can turn off their devices
- Upgrade technology and invest in quality property management software
- Facilitate open, honest and frequent communication
- Invite feedback on policies and implement changes as necessary
Used correctly, technology can be the catalyst that drives your organization forward to achieve ongoing success. If you’re not careful, however, it can actually have the opposite effect. If you’re not sure whether your company’s tools and tech are getting the job done, we encourage you to conduct a thorough analysis to identify areas that could use some attention and improvement. Your employees will be grateful and your bottom line will benefit as a result.
Get the full scoop on How to Build an Extraordinary Property Management Team. Download our FREE RESOURCE GUIDE.
