According to a new survey, three in 10 workers were left feeling frustrated by changes to workplace technology, which were spurred on by COVID-19.
New research by Citrix has revealed that, despite the pandemic speeding up digital transformation, a significant proportion of employees were not pleased with these new changes to workplace technology.
Across the board, over three-quarters of UK employees (76 per cent) reported experiencing changes to both workplace technology and culture during the pandemic.
For the majority of the workforce, this was an improvement.
Almost six in 10 (59 per cent) felt that their experience at work was improved as a result of the alterations to workplace technology. A further two-thirds (64 per cent) expressed that the move to remote working was also beneficial to them, improving their employee experience.
Despite this, almost a third (30 per cent) were unsatisfied with these changes, leaving them more frustrated.
Over a third (38 per cent) admitted that alterations to their workplace technology last year either didn’t change or worsened their work experience.
Mark Sweeney, regional VP of UK and Ireland, Citrix, stated that “deploying flexible technology which delivers a consistent employee experience anywhere and removes the friction from work” is key to boosting staff productivity and engagement.
In addition, Citrix suggests that the pandemic may have worsened the digital divide amongst organisations.
For companies who already had premium technology before the pandemic, two-thirds (66 per cent) were able to make changes over the past year which improved employee experience.
However, firms which had sub-standard technology previously were significantly less likely to do so (38 per cent).
These changes are also having an impact on employee-relations, with almost half of employees (45 per cent) feeling disillusioned with their employer and their future at the organisation due to poor technology. This rose to three-quarters (74 per cent) for people who had described their pre-COVID workplace technology as “substandard”.
Poor technology also made workers significantly less likely to go “the extra mile” for work and left a fifth (18 per cent) considering looking for an alternative job.
Mark Sweeney, regional VP of UK and Ireland, Citrix, continued:
Many UK businesses successfully invested in workspace technology and working policies that enabled truly collaborative and productive remote working for their staff last year. Yet, in some cases, COVID-driven changes to workplace technology clearly fell short.
Business leaders must prepare for a future where hybrid workforces are not reliant on the office on a daily basis, and set staff up for success no matter where they are working. It’s time to deliver on the ‘promise of digital’ and live up to employee expectations.
The pandemic has forever changed the way that employees view and approach work. If companies cannot enable this new vision of work through providing the right digital tools, they risk a disengaged workforce or, at worse, a wave of talent leaving the business
*The poll, conducted by 3GEM on behalf of Citrix, surveyed 1,000 UK office workers.
Monica Sharma is an English Literature graduate from the University of Warwick. As Editor for HRreview, her particular interests in HR include issues concerning diversity, employment law and wellbeing in the workplace. Alongside this, she has written for student publications in both England and Canada. Monica has also presented her academic work concerning the relationship between legal systems, sexual harassment and racism at a university conference at the University of Western Ontario, Canada.
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