Mac or PC? Laptop or Desktop? iPad/iPhone or Android? These are the kind of questions you ask yourself as a consumer trying to purchase what best fits your needs, but what about your choices at work? Chances are that you didn’t have much to say about the tools you use at work. Most probably, your laptop is twice the thickness of your smartphone and so heavy that you feel that you’re carrying around a bunch of bricks. Maybe you are one of the “lucky ones” that got an iPad as their main machine, just to realize after a couple of weeks that not much work can be done on these media consumption-oriented devices. There is a real importance of having the proper tech in your workplace.
Tech surrounds us and we should embrace it. I strongly believe that any kind of repetitive task should be done by a machine and us humans should focus more on decision making and innovation. This might sound like a utopian ideology, but bear with me. We might not be in the era of advanced AI where most of what we do can be comprehended and executed by a machine (although we at Coveo work on advanced Machine Learning to better anticipate and suggest what users need while other tech companies are working on developing connected devices that talk to one another to will make our lives much simpler) but we can surely use the right and available tools at our disposal to simplify our day to day work. And this all starts with how your company is set up and how open it is to innovation.
‘Innovation’, ‘solution’ and ‘cutting edge tech’ are buzz words that are frequently used by companies to attract clients, prospects and talent. Those words can’t exclusively live on an ad, they need to be put into practice. To better put it in context, let’s create a not so fictional scenario that most can relate to. You have your 10 pound laptop that takes 5 minutes to boot and a battery that could last one hour, maybe 2 hours if you’re lucky. On top of all the high end components that live inside your machine (I’m being sarcastic here…in case you haven’t noticed), there are a bunch of security protocols set up (VPN anyone?) that drastically reduces the performance of your daily tasks when you work remotely. You literally have time to go grab a coffee before the file in that subfolder decides to load. And if for whatever reason you don’t have your laptop with you, chances are that you won’t have access to that Powerpoint presentation you need to update ASAP. And that, in my opinion, is not cutting edge tech. It’s simply an archaic solution that too many businesses and employees are victim to.
Let me tell you what an innovative company is. A company that is open to ideas and solutions from their employees regarding tools they actually use and granting them access to files at any time of the day, from any kind of device at a click of a button – that’s innovation, enabling productivity through collaborative tools that reside in the Cloud, that can be used by anyone at their convenience. Laptops that work as fast as your desktop, that don’t require to be plugged in continuously and provide a buttery smooth experience.
A couple of months ago, when I was looking for a new employer, I had a list of criterias for my description of “the perfect job”. On my list, ‘available and up-to-date tech’ was among my top criterias. At Coveo, I’ve discovered that the company is not afraid to invest in their employees and in the tools they use. Now you might have guessed it, I am a technophilic and embrace technology a little more than most, but this doesn’t mean that tech shouldn’t be on top of your list as well. Having up to date tech doesn’t only make you more effective at what you do but it also makes working a more enjoyable experience.
If you’re working for one of the many companies who are still in the stone ages, I’ve got good news for you; Coveo is continuously looking to build its team around the world… and they actually provide you with the technology and tools you need to grow personally and professionally. Check out the careers page to see available positions