The tech industry never stands still, and the dynamic nature of tech culture largely stems from how rapidly the industry evolves. The workplace environment is critical to the success of any tech company or startup. How you shape and foster your tech company culture and shared values will directly impact everything from employee satisfaction to innovation and productivity.
Read on to learn about the trends and tech culture solutions driving today’s most profitable and successful tech companies.
6 Culture trends shaping the tech industry
The tech industry landscape is ever-evolving. Keeping up with the latest trends that may impact your workplace culture and environment can be exhausting, but it’s essential if you’re concerned that your tech culture is toxic. The following list covers the top six industry trends expected to continue making waves in the coming year.
1. Remote and hybrid work models
The global pandemic demanded that most industries move toward remote and hybrid work models. Since then, some tech companies have continued to allow employees to work from home or use hybrid schedules where time is split between home and office.
The remote trend has more to offer than convenience — it’s backed by research, too. In multiple studies, productivity levels increased when employees had more autonomy over their environment. One study with more than 800,000 participants over 2 years found that working from home does increase team member productivity. Another found that work-from-home employees might be up to 47% more productive than when working in an office environment.
As an additional bonus, flexible work arrangements can reduce stress levels, enhance tech worker job satisfaction, and improve employee well-being — a win-win for tech companies. Finally, it’s important to note that tech professionals want the option to work remotely. In one survey, nearly 75% of respondents from the tech sector said being able to work remotely is either “very” or “extremely” important to them.
2. Emphasis on employee well-being
Today’s tech firms should prioritize mental health resources designed to support and promote employee well-being. Especially in the tech world, where stress is common and demands can be taxing, providing mental health benefits to every team member can help sustain performance and reduce the risk of employee burnout in tech (which is rampant in the industry). Some research suggests tech workers experience the highest burnout rate across all industries.
Investing in employee wellness ideas and programs can offer significant ROI — not only is there financial reward through reduced healthcare costs and lower absentee rates, but focusing on mental well-being as a part of your organizational culture can improve engagement, enhance workplace morale, drive productivity, and reduce tech turnover rates.
How to stay on top of the trend
Offering a mental health component as part of your comprehensive benefits package can be a real differentiator that helps you attract top talent. Online platforms like Talkspace make getting mental health support simple, convenient, and affordable for tech professionals.
3. Increasing diversity and inclusion efforts
Like nearly all industries, the tech sector is attempting to create shared values and atmospheres that embrace diversity. The companies that have openly adopted tech worker diversity and inclusivity policies are seeing compelling benefits. For example, firms that make efforts toward gender diversity in executive teams are 15% more likely to have higher than average profitability, according to research.
Actively recruiting under-represented groups can help effectively broaden talent pools, and mentorship programs can play a pivotal role in increasing minority employee retention rates.
How to stay on top of the trend
Start by offering comprehensive bias training to elevate your company’s push toward inclusivity. Educating leadership on unconscious bias prepares them to recognize and address inappropriate or discriminatory behaviors. It’s also essential to assess and revise internal policies and workplace culture surrounding promotion and hiring criteria to ensure they’re structured objectively and eliminate any room for discrimination.
Your efforts will go a long way toward providing an equitable tech culture atmosphere that celebrates diversity and inclusivity.
4. The rise of AI and automation in the workplace
You can’t go a day without hearing about AI right now. Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing how we work while bringing equal challenges and opportunities.
Denying it’s happening is futile — technology will continue to advance and reshape job roles and needs. New efficiencies will mandate discussions about the future of your workplace.
Rather than avoiding the inevitable, you’d be much better off if you welcomed the idea that AI is here to stay. Artificial intelligence is poised to displace millions of jobs, but it also has the potential to generate new ones. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023, 23% of jobs will be different within 5 years, and while 83 million jobs may be eradicated as a result of AI, 69 million others will likely be created.
The transition toward an AI-accepting world will require substantial effort from tech and other industries. Your best bet is to prepare — be willing to invest in training programs designed to address the upscaling that will inevitably be needed.
How to stay on top of the trend
Promote technology adoption and train employees to thrive with AI. Leverage the possibilities — an improved bottom line, enhanced growth rates, and streamlined operations can all open the door to expanding resources in ways you never dreamed of.
5. Growing importance of ethical tech and sustainability
The tech industry is at a crossroads, facing demands for innovation, ethical considerations, and sustainable practices. Current research shows that some tech sectors, like information and communications, might be responsible for anywhere between 1.8% and 3.9% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. Simply put, investing in ethical, sustainable technology is critical. It’s how you’ll meet future compliance requirements and establish your place in a growing marketplace that prioritizes corporate responsibility.
It’s important to point out that this goes far beyond the tech industry’s environmental impact on the world. We’re seeing growing consumer concerns about things like data privacy, equitable access, fair labor practices, and additional issues.
In short, sustainability in the tech space means more than just eco-friendly offices or carbon footprint reduction. You can ramp up efforts through product lifecycle management, recycling programs, and offering parts for repair rather than demanding new product purchases.
Creating sustainability strategies and using transparency shows a willingness to take accountability — something that can bolster consumer confidence in your brand.
How to stay on top of the trend
You can demonstrate your commitment to ethics and sustainability by creating and filling a role for a Chief Ethics Officer. This role can spearhead ethically sound initiatives to ensure they align with broader social values.
You can also create an environmental responsibility page on your corporate website to explain how you plan to reduce waste and support robust sustainability strategies across your organization.
6. Shift towards decentralized work and flat hierarchies
Decentralized work environments and flat organizational structures can support agile decision-making processes. They promote greater autonomy across your workforce and allow for a more responsive approach to innovation. New structures can foster environments that empower tech employees to take initiative and risk without worrying about the constraints of more traditional office hierarchies.
Collaboration tools like Slack and Zoom have become instrumental in maintaining connectivity across remote working teams. This decentralized approach can enhance employee well-being and allow workforces to meet performance benchmarks and demands you’ve set easily.
Flat hierarchy structures do away with the layers of management that have historically put barriers between executive teams and those “on the floor.” They help streamline communication and create more productive opportunities across all company levels.
How to stay on top of the trend
Adopt and implement project management software that makes daily workflows accessible and seamless without an overreliance on middle management. Use digital platforms that offer real-time data sharing to empower informed decision-making.
Evolve with modern mental health benefits
The tech sector is known to be a fast-paced, high-demand environment. As the need for prioritizing mental health becomes more pressing, the organizations that are quick to adapt and provide modern mental health benefits will see the most significant rewards.
Integrating technology-based solutions like Talkspace allows employees to access professional therapy services when and how they need them. Addressing the mental health needs of your organization shows you care about your employees and are willing to do what it takes to help them.
Of all the trends we expect to see in tech work culture in the coming years, taking mental health from taboo to front and center might be the most vital shift we’ve experienced in decades.
Learn more about how Talkspace can help improve your tech company culture with online therapy for tech employees.
Sources:
- Kazi, Chandni, and Claire Hastwell. “Remote Work Productivity Study Finds Surprising Reality: 2-Year Analysis.” Great Place To Work, February 10, 2021. https://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/blog/remote-work-productivity-study-finds-surprising-reality-2-year-study.
- Business Wire. “Prodoscore Research from March/April 2020: Productivity Has Increased, Led by Remote Workers,” May 19, 2020. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200519005295/en/.
- Kennette, Lynne N., and Phoebe S. Lin. “Healthier at Home.” Association for Psychological Science - APS, June 28, 2021. https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/remote-benefits.
- Dice Insights. “How Do Tech Pros Actually Feel about Remote Work?” Dice, October 25, 2023. https://www.dice.com/career-advice/how-do-tech-pros-actually-feel-about-remote-work.
- Savenko, Valeria. “The Power of Employee Wellbeing in Tech: Boosting Success Beyond Limits.” LinkedIn, September 15, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/power-employee-wellbeing-tech-boosting-success-beyond-valeria/?trk=public_post.
- Hunt, Dame Vivian, Lareina Yee, Sara Prince, and Sundiatu Dixon-Fyle. “Delivering through Diversity.” McKinsey & Company. McKinsey & Company, January 18, 2018. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/delivering-through-diversity.
- Zahidi, Saadia. “See How the Future of Jobs Is Changing in the Age of Ai.” World Economic Forum, March 3, 2023. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/05/future-of-jobs-in-the-age-of-ai-sustainability-and-deglobalization/.
- Freitag, Charlotte, Mike Berners-Lee, Kelly Widdicks, Bran Knowles, Gordon S. Blair, and Adrian Friday. “The Real Climate and Transformative Impact of ICT: A Critique of Estimates, Trends, and Regulations.” Patterns 2, no. 9 (2021): 100340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.patter.2021.100340. Accessed January 2, 2024.