New research from software company Freshworks reveals a potential workplace crisis that businesses could face due to inadequate technology.
The research revealed that an overwhelming 91 per cent of employees feel frustrated due to inadequate workplace technology despite the huge surge in technology investment in the wake of the shift towards remote work brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, which was estimated to be the equivalent of $15 billion USD extra a week.
Top complaints included slow speeds (51 per cent), extended response times from IT teams (34 per cent), lack of collaboration between departments (30 per cent), missing important features/capabilities (28 per cent) and lack of automation (25 per cent).
Furthermore, 57 per cent of unsatisfied employees said that their current software makes them less productive. And 44 per cent say the time spent dealing with technology issues has increased since the beginning of the pandemic.
Employee stress levels also soared due to inadequate workplace technology, with 49 per cent saying that that inadequate workplace technology causes them to feel stressed and 48 per cent claim it has negatively impacted their mental health. Business leaders agree, with 38 per cent reporting that their failure to deliver adequate workplace technology to their stakeholders causes them to feel stressed. And 48 per cent of these business leaders also say that stress from hybrid working makes them want to leave the tech industry.
As such, easy-to-use technology is noted to be a primary contributor to employee satisfaction. The research notes that while pay and benefits top the reasons to move jobs, lack of flexible working opportunities and innovative tech are in the top five. In fact, the research also highlighted that 71 per cent of business leaders acknowledge that employees will consider looking for a new employer if their current job does not provide access to the tools, technology or information they need to do their jobs well.
“Software used in the workplace is simply not keeping pace with rising employee expectations,” Stacey Epstein, Chief Marketing Officer at Freshworks, said. “Our report reveals that sticking with bloated, legacy platforms is materially hurting productivity and the employee experience. This technological inertia couldn’t come at a worse time, as organisations all over the world are battling to keep a handle on both talent shortages and economic uncertainty, creating threats on two fronts.”
