It is mental health awareness month. In particular, this year is more critical than ever to focus on mental health in the workplace. In the following article, I share my thoughts on how as business leaders, we can try to optimize our workplace information technology infrastructure not for productivity, but for the benefit of our employees.
Interlaced’s People Focused Philosophy on IT Managed Services
At Interlaced we pride ourselves on being a People-Focused IT MSP. We often say that behind every keyboard is a human being with hopes, dreams, and aspirations. The reality is that for many of those humans, IT infrastructure can be a source of frustration if not done right. Our North Star (People-Focused IT) makes sure that we do not lose sight of the technical experience of our end-users and teammates.
“Historically, business has been preoccupied with efficiency, while sacrificing human relationships. On some level, this perspective may have worked in the past, but times have changed. What we know is the current state of the body influences behaviors, feelings, and thinking. Therefore, it is important to understand how physiological factors are interrelated with the relational and psychological.”
-Dr. Robin Massey, Organizational Psychologist as quoted in a in a recent blog post on OneLogin.com
How can workplace IT impact employees’ well-being?
There are many ways that workplace IT infrastructure can contribute to a rise in frustration, stress levels and even anxiety. Forbes lists the Top Five IT frustrations as complexity, fragmentation, efficiency, digital distractions, and being told “no” by their employers.
Furthermore, the rapid shift to remote work has exacerbated the dependency on technology for collaboration, productivity, and for maintaining healthy bonds with coworkers. In a recent OneLogin survey, 77% of respondents reported that their work-related stress increased due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The deepening dependence on technology coupled with the risk of social isolation is a trend that all business leaders need to address in their workplace.
Technology is not inherently bad…
Additionally, many companies are thriving since the spring of 2020 as a result of their focus on mental and emotional well-being in the workplace. Here are a few of Interlaced’s favorites:
- BluNovus – Mental Health Concierge Service & On-Demand, Educational Mental Health Content Library ensures that employees and their loved ones are able to quickly find the right mental health resources.
- Bonusly – Bonusly’s reward platform helps employees share their appreciation for their colleagues. Additionally, this recognition helps form deep bonds between teammates.
- OneLogin – OneLogin’s integrated Identity Access Management platform helps employees do their work with fewer interruptions. Additionally, OneLogin has championed initiatives helping to reduce stress levels in the tech industry, specifically among CISO and Systems Administrator professionals.
- Addigy – CEO, Jason Dettbarn, recently put out a challenge to the leaders in the IT industry to “Support Your People” – that included championing remote connections, offering flexible schedules, and adapting teams for new normal (not 9-to-5).
If you have IT pains and frustrations in your workplace, you are not alone.
Many times, companies will struggle with poor support and inadequate IT infrastructure design. Quite often, they do not know what “good” IT infrastructure support looks like. For us, good IT infrastructure support requires three things. First, the technicians should deeply care about the business and the employees they serve. Second, IT programs should be designed around business goals. Lastly, user experience should never be sacrificed for efficiency alone.
To learn more about Interlaced’s “People-Focused IT” Philosophy, and how we can help stomp out IT frustrations for your employees, contact us today at business@interlaced.io or by visiting https://interlaced.io/contact/.
