Making changes to improve your company’s overall business operations is imperative for long-term success and remaining competitive. In the modern-day multifamily industry, there is ample room for technology upgrades that can considerably streamline processes and boost revenue, such as revenue management and lead management solutions. 

Technology is still emerging within multifamily, but it’s playing a pivotal role in the execution of asset, property and lease management, as well as marketing and online reputation management. 

Here’s the catch: not all employees are always going to be keen to embrace new technologies or programs. And if you can’t get adequate buy-in from your employees, then new technology isn’t going to be effective, no matter how efficient or innovative the solution may be. 

To get that needed buy-in, here are some steps employers can take when implementing a new technology or program:

Find employees to champion
An initial step in getting team members to embrace a new technology or program is to identify employees who can champion the changes. Fellow employees showing and voicing their support for change can be really influential in gaining company-wide buy-in. Ideally, this roster of champions would span departments and include company leaders down to onsite employees. 

Prepare employees for change
A shift in company technology or policies can be jarring for some employees, especially long-term employees who have been with the company a long time and may be reluctant to change. Broadly speaking, the apartment industry has been slow to adopt new technology, so implementing a new type of property management software or pricing dashboard could be a bit of a learning curve for some. 

The more notice you provide of the upcoming changes and what they will entail, the easier the transition will be. Some good ways to prep your employees include:

• Holding meetings to go over the changes in detail and why they are happening.
• Communicating clear company goals with the changes.
• Providing resources and educational materials so employees know what to expect.
• Sending out emails with dates, reminders and helpful suggestions to keep employees informed and in the loop. 

Provide ongoing training
Giving employees access to various resources and educational materials to help them get up to speed on what to expect is really helpful, but nothing is better than hands-on training. Before, during and after the rollout, offer training opportunities so employees can always practice and improve the comfort and competence with the new technology. 

Gather feedback
Change doesn’t come without a few growing pains. Continuously gather employee feedback while the rollout is taking place and afterwards. Feedback can identify glitches and help team members really feel that they're part of the process. 

Below are some ways you can encourage employees to provide honest feedback about a new technology or policy:

• Send out surveys via email.
• Provide a platform to submit comments, concerns and suggestions. 
• Hold regular meetings to encourage employees and their supervisors to discuss what’s working well, or what might not be.
• Promote an open-door policy so employees can speak up to a supervisor if needed.

Rolling out a company change, whether it’s a new technology or a policy, can be stressful for employees, but it can also be exciting. Employee buy-in is critical, and by following the recommendations and suggestions above, employers can gain that buy-in.