How The Living Room Can Help Businesses Embrace Technology

One of the biggest developments we have seen over the years is technology and the impact it has on all our lives. I find it fascinating how our ability to communicate with people has been enhanced, from the telephone through to things like social media and Skype.

I was interested to see findings last week stating that the living room was making a comeback as a family entertainment hub. Growing up in the 1960’s and 70’s, this used to be the norm. I have memories of playing Monopoly with my brothers or watching TV, all in the living room. Over the years this gradually changed due to the Internet and houses having more than one television set.

But recent figures show that more and more people are coming together into the living room again - albeit they are bringing their smartphones and tablets with them to engage with others at the same time.

The key trend I take from this is that we now have the ability to reach out to a range of people no matter where we are. From a business perspective, this has opened up a whole new avenue of opportunities.

New technology has evolved at an incredible rate and businesses are now run very differently compared to when I started out. Recruitment for example used to be all about the quality of your personal contact book; now networking and making connections has become even easier. Obviously this means firms and individuals have to work harder and make themselves stand out, but I also think the opportunities for candidates have increased massively.

One of my recruitment companies specifically looks for talent in the digital media world and at the moment it is a growing sector with more jobs than skilled workers. There is such a huge demand and I think the more that people embrace technology the greater the uptake will be. It is not just something for young people; I’m a great believer in constant learning and development. If you’d said to me 30 years ago that I would be able to respond to emails on my phone whilst having breakfast, or keep track of my company finances on a small, wireless screen I wouldn’t have thought it possible!

There is no denying that digital technology has transformed the way we work today and created huge business efficiencies. However I would still like to see companies making more use of it to drive business and brand awareness. Social media for example is an excellent marketing tool as well as a source of customer feedback, yet not enough companies are proactive enough. The App market is also going through phenomenal growth and can be a great way for a business to make themselves more accessible to customers.

I believe we are essentially living through a technological revolution and what we are seeing at the moment is only the tip of the iceberg. What I would love to see is more and more people embracing the concept as I think it can be hugely beneficial to everybody.

Keep up to date with all the latest news, jobs and videos at Hamilton Bradshaw.