While benefits and pay are traditionally the most sought after perks when job searching, the majority of employees are shifting their interest toward the company’s culture and mission, according to Glassdoor’s recent Mission and Culture Survey.

SEE: Managing remote workers: A business leader’s guide (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

Toxic work environments are detrimental to an employee’s health, physically and mentally, as well as their productivity. With some 52% of tech employees citing their work environments as toxic, healthy workspaces are even more in demand.

Managers and business leaders are critical to the health of an organization, as company culture is often determined from the top. However, technology now plays a massive role in the effort, according to Amelia Generalis, senior vice president of HR and workplaces at 8×8.

“Technology is the bridge that brings organizations together, builds a strong workplace culture, and improves productivity and job satisfaction,” Generalis told TechRepublic.

How tech helps

Remote work has grown by 159% since 2005, with remote work and flexible schedules becoming the new normal for global businesses, according to a recent Condeco Software report.

While remote work holds its own slew of benefits, this working style can also be hard on a company’s culture, with employees becoming isolated and detached from one another.

“Having a dispersed workforce can make it challenging to maintain consistent culture across the organization and can cause people to feel disconnected to their colleagues and the organization as a whole,” said Generalis. “But, having the right technology can help.”

Technology is bringing people together, especially in the workforce, more than ever before, Generalis said. “It’s allowing more remote work opportunities and flexible workflows as employees can switch between their laptop at the coffee shop, to their mobile device, and then over to their desktop at the office without missing a beat,” she noted.

The tools changing the game

Healthy company cultures give all employees the opportunity and space to contribute, and technology is an avenue for that, Generalis said.

“Collaboration tools are leading the charge when it comes to creating a culture of collaboration, as they encourage idea-sharing, creativity, and overall connectedness,” she said. “Being able to communicate and connect with coworkers fast and seamlessly when you can’t physically be in the office fosters a sense of teamwork and improves morale.”

Instant messaging, chat tools, and video conferencing are also bringing teams together, Generalis noted.

“Chat tools help employees cut down on email overload and are great for quick requests and informal conversations that may not warrant an email,” Generalis said. And “with 93% of communication being nonverbal, having the opportunity to see coworkers’ faces not only helps with communication, but also helps people form stronger relationships with geographically dispersed teams.”

For more, check out These 20 tech unicorns have the best company cultures on TechRepublic.

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