Earlier this week, LinkedIn featured an article written by Steven Lennon, Consulting Principal at Fujitsu, titled “When Culture and Technology Collide.” The piece examined some remarkable concepts pertaining to the relationship between culture and technology, and the implications of this relationship for our ever-changing society. Lennon asserts that technology is driven by culture, and, likewise, culture is influenced by technology perhaps now more than ever. It’s a point that’s hardly up for debate, though it’s not often that we take the time to acknowledge the impact that one has on the other.
Technology -> Culture
From classroom debates to office discussions to standardized test questions, we’re often forced to analyze the ways in which technology has shaped modern culture. Because of the incredible technological advances witnessed over the past few decades, technology has allowed people to connect—and feel comfortable connecting—with people from all over the globe, whether based on similar interests, professional aspirations, life circumstances, hobbies, tastes, etc. People have become more curious, more open, and eager to connect in inventive ways, both personally and professionally. Technology has allowed for the creation of more remote jobs, for travel to be less of a hindrance to workflow, and for the ability to hold “face-to-face” meetings from thousands of miles away.
Culture -> Technology
Conversely, our cultural ideals feed and inspire technological progress. We live in an age wherein sharing and receiving information is encouraged, and we enjoy the luxury of having this information at our fingertips. As our communities’ and societies’ goals and values shift, technology must rise to meet those needs, or else meet certain failure. Currently, there is a manifest emphasis on innovation, human connection, and a desire to hire and retain quality talent that is fit for the long haul instead of simply filling jobs based on a mundane checklist of requirements. Our knowledge-hungry society has seen a shift towards big data for its insight as well as its convenience.
What it Means for Businesses
Because of evolving technologies and cultural ideals, businesses are changing in nature and in practice. Companies must change to suit the needs of both modern culture and technology, and for recruiters, this means leveraging societal candidness in order to make more quality hires. The increasingly on-the-go nature of our society necessitates access to data from any location and at any time through mobile applications and online recruiting software. Big data is rapidly becoming a necessity for companies who wish to be seen as relevant and resourceful. Acknowledging the irrefutable intertwining and codependency of culture and technology is essential for success, and it is exactly what the AkkenCloud platform is built upon. Decades of experience have heavily informed our recruitment software’s advanced technology, contributing to the continued success of our customers.
