Our advancement as a society has always been driven by survival. With this basic need in mind, man has improved or produced technology to make things easier for us. This is why we could say that technology is heavily intertwined with how we live day by day.
Because of this, our culture also evolves with and around the technology that is available to us. We’ve even created new rules to govern how we should live by in this very connected world. In today’s article, we’re going to talk about the modern rules of the tech industry. After reading this piece, maybe you could apply some of these into your own life.
Defining the Tech Industry
This rapid advancement in technology also gave rise to the tech industry. But with everyone having access to technology nowadays, it isn’t very easy to define what the tech industry is.
When you think of the tech industry, you might think of a place where people rely on their computers, software, and apps to get their jobs done. Nowadays, that might be any place in any industry. Before we go into further details about its modern rules, we’ll first define what the tech industry is.
According to an article published in Tech Nation, a company is part of the industry if:
- Tech is their product (software or hardware) like developing a TV app
- Is selling technology as a service like Uber and Airbnb
- The tech they created is taken away; the company will not survive
- Tech-driven
- Oriented by technology’s culture and values
With these many definitions, it can’t be black and white. Add in the ever-increasing accessibility of technology to the general public, the fine line between tech and non-tech companies are getting even blurred.
Company Culture in the Tech Industry
But whether you count yourself as a member of the tech industry or not, we could all agree that the tech industry’s culture is among the best company cultures there is. Why is this important, you may ask?
Well, for one, we spend almost half or more than half of our lives in a week at work. Because of this, our work culture affects other areas of our life. Not only does it affect our productivity, but it also affects us health-wise – emotionally, mentally, and physically. As you might have read in other articles, toxic work cultures affect the organization and its members. We often see stressed-out employees experiencing anxiety and panic attacks, are getting sick more often, and even quitting their jobs. A healthy work culture drives up productivity because employees’ needs are also fulfilled.
According to Powderkeg, here are the types of the company culture that you’ll find in the tech industry:
Purpose Culture
Everyone is united around a cause. This means that not only leaders but even those in with lower positions are united in reaching a similar goal. The Purpose Culture drives productivity because members are compassionate and open-minded.
Caring Culture
As humans, personal connections are part of our basic needs as social beings. Because we spend about more than half of our time at work, socializing and building relationships at work becomes essential. When employees feel that they are connected and cared for at work, they become loyal to the organization and do well for it.
Order Culture
While tech companies encourage independence, employees still have to abide by rules and regulations. The Order Culture trains and produces methodical people who are united and follow these rules and standards.
Safety Culture
The continuing process of discovery and innovation in the industry makes people realize that anything’s a hit or miss. The Safety Culture in work makes people become conscious of the risks involved in decisions and encourages them to plan ahead.
Authority Culture
Innovation is one of the key features of the tech industry. But when everyone can be as innovative and creative as you, the competition intensifies. The Authority Culture creates a strongly competitive environment at work and drives employees to advance for personal gain.
Results Culture
Even if you’re not in the tech industry, everyone loves results. The Results Culture in a company is a merit-based culture that rewards people for the delivery of results and achieving goals
Enjoyment Culture
Who says you can’t have fun at work? The Enjoyment Culture engages employees because of the light-hearted and stimulating environment in the workplace. We usually see companies like Google with this kind of culture, and it’s no wonder why people want to work for them.
Learning Culture
Innovation and continuous learning are at the heart of the tech industry. The Learning Culture gives importance to employees’ curiosity and new ideas.
The Rules to Abide By
While there are no hard and fast rules that work for all workplaces, we can learn a thing or two from the tech industry. Here are some rules that you might find useful even if you’re in a different industry:
Use A Proxy Server
Nowadays, we rely on the Internet for almost everything we do at work. However, the accessibility of an Internet connection also opens your company to some risks. Aside from accessing sites that are not used for work, an open connection also exposes you to threats like hackers and viruses. These are just some of the reasons why tech companies use proxy servers for their networks.
You might think those proxy servers are solely used to circumvent restrictions on the Internet. But that’s just one of the many functions it serves. By applying a proxy server for your company’s Internet connection, you can:
- Improve network security
- Prevent server crashes from uncontrolled traffic
- Perform sensitive tasks online
- Optimize Internet bandwidth resulting in faster speeds
- Control Internet usage to increase productivity
Collaborate to Innovate
In the tech industry, collaboration and innovation go hand in hand. Without these two values working together, it is impossible to deliver results and achieve goals.
Always remember that regardless of what industry you’re in, everyone is working as an organization and not individually. Yes, there are tasks that you do separately, but ultimately, everything that everyone does is to reach an organizational goal. This is the reason why there should be a culture of collaboration among co-workers, regardless of rank.
But collaboration isn’t just about having sharing apps installed or putting your files on a company cloud storage for everyone to access.
To encourage collaboration among co-workers, the culture of openness must be present among co-workers. This makes everyone feel that their ideas are heard and valued. Another way to encourage collaboration is by letting everyone work on problems in teams instead of individually. This way, people analyze and attack the problem from different perspectives.
Be People-Centered
One thing everyone praises about tech companies is that aside from giving us the next big thing in technology, it also takes care of its people. Now that people have become more conscious of their mental, emotional, and physical health, it is time for companies to take care of their people.
While it is important to deliver promised results, these will mean nothing if people are unhappy in your workplace. Always remember that when people feel that they are taken care of, they become loyal to the company. Loyal employees often deliver and even go the extra mile in every task they do.
Author Bio:
Jovia is a freelance writer who writes about different topics such as computer software, mobile application, financial information, among other things. She has been engaged in writing how-to guides and informative articles directed for various kinds of readers. During her spare time, she loves to read fiction books and watch movies or TV series.
