Moving to the Cloud: 4 Types of Tech to Increase Recruiting and Retention

Is the outdated sound of a fax machine often heard in your offices? Have you been putting off moving to the cloud? Are your employees tied to their desks because they can't access information remotely? Do your employees spend hours sending emails because you don't have the latest collaboration tools?

You probably know that your outdated technology puts you at a disadvantage with customers, but technology also plays a role in employee recruitment and retention. It's not just about wanting the latest tools for the "shiny object" factor — that technology affects every aspect of work life.

Let's say you have to choose between two job offers at similar companies. One office has outdated technology that makes each task take longer, requiring you to work more hours and have a lower performance level. At the other job, the company has the latest in mobility, automation, and collaboration tools that allow you to serve your customers better and have work-life balance, all without having to burn the midnight oil. It's an easy choice.

According to a study by Kronos and Future Workplace, 87 percent of employers cited improving retention as a top priority. It's not just that employees want the latest technology tools, but they want the flexibility technology brings and the increased capabilities that allow them to do a better job. Not only that, but EY found that 74 percent of employees want to have flexibility and a strong work-life balance without compromising upward mobility in their company.

Here are four technologies that can increase recruitment and retention by giving your employees the balance and flexibility they want:

1. CRM Integrations

Your CRM system is likely command central for your sales and service departments. However, your CRM system is only as good as the data entered into the tool. By integrating your CRM system with your business phone system, you have more visibility because the data in your CRM system is linked with detailed data about all incoming and outgoing telephone calls. This decreases time spent doing administrative tasks and gives your salespeople more information to help them increase your sales and their own income.

2. Mobility Tools

Thanks to the unified communications solutions that are available by moving to the cloud, your employees can work pretty much anywhere and still get their jobs done. They can communicate with customers through business texting, have phone calls transferred to whatever devices they're using, and even log in remotely using a virtual desktop so they have access to everything they need with no extra steps.

3. Conference and Collaboration Tools

Not being able to communicate and collaborate used to be one of the biggest challenges for remote employees, but not anymore. Your employees can have web, audio, and video conferences on the spot, with high-definition voice and video quality. Employees can even join in on their smartphones or tablets if they're working remotely. By using cloud technology, you can also use cloud-based collaboration tools for employees to easily share documents, notes, and messages.

4. BYOD

Having two phones is simply not cool, not to mention everyone seems to have preferences about their favorite devices. When your company moves communications to the cloud, you can enact a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy that enables employees to easily move between home and work devices without missing a beat — no matter where they are.

Yes, the fact that technology is always changing makes it hard for organizations to stay up to date. However, the consequences of having old and inefficient technology can be extreme, both from a customer and employee point of view. Your current and future employees are counting on you.

Are you looking for up-to-date technology that will improve recruiting and retention? Connect with a Vonage Business consultant to learn more.