Pandemics change human societies on many levels. COVID-19 dramatically restructured the work model that had been around since the start of the industrial revolution. During the past year and a half, workers’ expectations have evolved. And, according to a new Bankrate Survey, it’s this shift in mindset that has over half of Americans planning to look for new jobs within the next year. The survey’s results show that workers deciding to resign are seeking more opportunities for career advancement and much more flexible working conditions, with the ability to work remotely at top of mind. A recent Fannie Mae study backs up this notion of an enhanced desire to work remotely. The study reveals that 77% of lenders expect more employees to request long-term work-from-home arrangements post-pandemic.
But despite employers’ efforts to meet workers’ evolved expectations, more people than ever before are actively looking for new jobs. In fact, a poll from Monster found that 95% of workers are at least contemplating a job change. “The Great Resignation”, as experts are calling it, isn’t going away any time soon either. This ongoing issue has been affecting companies across multiple industries for months, and the mortgage industry is no exception. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in September 2021 alone, a concerning 4.4 million Americans quit their jobs.
So, how can your organization not only navigate “The Great Resignation”, but thrive in the midst of it? By incorporating mortgage technology into your business processes.
Why mortgage technology is the solution to “The Great Resignation”
Automation technology was created to carry out tasks that enable teams to focus on their core functions and, simply put, make everyone’s lives easier. At a time when numerous mortgage companies are struggling to hire and retain employees as well as combating the rise in origination costs, making your work life easier probably sounds like a pretty great plan. Redirect your efforts toward adopting digital solutions might just be the way to resolve the issue of being short-staffed.
In the past, maintaining a large team may have been necessary to complete tasks in full and on time. Fortunately, that is no longer the case. Instead of trying to hire and retain a large number of employees, you can implement automated processes that can help a smaller team of employees complete a larger amount of work in a more efficient, cost-effective way.
This is why an increasing number of mortgage companies are adopting mortgage technology and workflow automation solutions today and combining this technology with third-party services.
What are other benefits of mortgage digital transformation and business process automation?
Organizations in the mortgage industry are undertaking digital transformation for a number of reasons, including:
- Becoming More Efficient: Repetitive jobs, though simple to do, are not ideal for humans to carry out. Humans easily grow tired of monotonous tasks, often leading to errors, inefficiency, and, in turn, higher costs. And when employees have to switch back and forth between their core tasks and tedious, manual ones, their productivity levels suffer. According to Gloria Mark, an expert on digital distraction at the University of California, it can take about 25 minutes to return to the original task after an interruption. Having to double check for manual errors takes a significant amount of time. And, time is just not a luxury organizations in the mortgage industry have, especially as borrowers continue to exit forbearance programs. With the right combination of qualified personnel and mortgage workflow automation software, your team can focus on core tasks, achieving more in less time.
- Attracting and Retaining Top Talent: HR experts state that employees who can focus on their core tasks are happier and more productive, which can improve retention rates with current employees. You can snag and retain top talent by highlighting the tools in place to help them complete their daily tasks more easily and without interruption.
- Identifying Bottlenecks More Easily: With the help of workflow automation, organizations can easily identify bottlenecks in processes. This makes it easier to pinpoint issues, address them, and implement a solution. Over time, this can have an exponential impact on organization efficiency and employee satisfaction, and expedite the entire mortgage process.
- Reducing Costs: Paying someone to carry out manual tasks is expensive and unnecessary. That number doubles if you have to replace an employee just to do manual tasks. According to Gallup, replacing an employee costs one and a half to two times the employee’s annual salary — not including less measurable costs, like reduced team morale and lower productivity. Gallup also estimates that across the U.S., the costs associated with voluntary turnover total $1 trillion each year. Automating manual processes saves you the cost of hiring replacements and saves your company money by significantly reducing human errors as well. Not to mention, you can couple mortgage technology solutions with staff augmentation solutions to complete any required manual tasks quickly, cost effectively, and without having to hire and pay additional employees.
- Adapting to Volatility: The mortgage industry is constantly changing. In the last couple years alone, the industry has undergone major shifts revolving around remote work, regulatory changes, forbearance, and, of course, increased volumes. By using mortgage automation software and outsourced services to complete manual processes, you can avoid the nightmare of being under-staffed with an overwhelming amount of work. With the right solution and partner, you can stay on track when volumes increase and stay on budget when they decrease.
- Gaining a Competitive Edge: Companies that refuse to go digital are quickly falling behind due to their ineffective processes and appearing to be antiquated to their potential dream candidates. Being a modern, tech-savvy company in an industry pushing to go digital can help your business outperform competitors in the long run.
- Ensuring Compliance: Technology solutions can also improve mortgage compliance by increasing confidentiality and security. An automated mailroom solution, for example, eliminates the threat of sensitive documents falling into the wrong hands. Such a solution provides you with complete control over who comes in contact with your incoming correspondence.
Automating manual processes can boost your organization’s productivity, increase employee satisfaction, and, ultimately, circumvent the risks brought on by “The Great Resignation”. Therefore, technology benefits both employees and employers in the mortgage industry.
How to start your digital transformation journey today
It’s never been more crucial for companies to implement workflow automation and digital transformation solutions than it is in the new normal. From streamlining your mailroom to accelerating the origination process to optimizing your whole loan purchase review process, workflow automation is a practical solution for modern companies with employees working both at home and in the office.
With over 30 years of experience, MetaSource is a global leader in digital transformation and mortgage solutions, bringing the right mix of technology, expertise, and services that will help you achieve your business goals. As a SOC 2 Type 2 certified and HIPAA compliant company, MetaSource’s processes are audited annually by a third party, ensuring service quality and document security.
Contact MetaSource to find out how we can help you navigate “The Great Resignation” through digital transformation or download our whitepaper to learn more about how automation technology can streamline your processes.