Workplace technology has now become a non-negotiable as workplaces become increasingly digitised. The massive shift that was further expedited by the pandemic has made the average office worker rely on technologies for every aspect of their work. Now it is the time for embracing technology in the workplace. With continuous advancements in these technologies, companies are urged to evolve with them to ensure that the employee experience is not restricted by the technologies.
In the UK, advancements in workplace technology have been observed in the last decade. Research from Deloitte back in 2015 has already shown the rapid transformations of UK workplaces due to the integration of technology. Their report further delves into the impact of the changing technology in the workplace.
Now in 2023, the scene has developed. The employee tech experience has now become an aspect of working life that cannot be overlooked.
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Workplace Technology: Why is Technology Important?
Considering the 2015 Deloitte report, rapid advancements in technology that have been taking place in the last decade have created a dynamic environment in workplace technologies. This level of technology integration has impacted the work environment significantly.
In 2015, lower-skilled routine roles were already in the process of becoming more automated and have led to higher-skilled jobs that require more mental processing, creativity and people skills to become favoured. Although jobs were lost, the report stated that it has created four times more jobs compared to the ones that were eliminated.
The technological shift has brought benefits to many businesses in their operations. A significant impact that workplace technology has brought is the streamlined experience of many aspects of businesses. This has created more efficient and intuitive systems that not only contribute to the performance of the company but also the employee experience.
Employee Tech Experience
Introducing workplace technology, just like any other system, will pose challenges to the workplace. Although it has now become necessary, some workplaces have not implemented it to the satisfaction of employees.
Research by Applaud discovered how UK workplaces are incorporating technology in their daily operations. Their studies found that UK workers are facing the challenge of juggling multiple, ineffective and counter-intuitive workplace tech tools.
The numbers are higher for remote workers, which 77% of them are asked to use over five different tools compared to 68% of on-site and hybrid workers. Overall, the average UK worker is asked to use five tools for their roles.
This contributes to additional burdens, particularly in office admin work that workers need to navigate on top of their main responsibilities. Even though the integration of technology came to increase efficacy, many tools are viewed as redundant and unintuitive. This added strain has caused decreased employee retention and job satisfaction.
The adaptation of low-quality technology for workplaces has caused a lag in the workflow, leading to frustration of 48% of remote workers. Further, 9% of them have considered resigning due to this concern and 15% of hybrid workers and 13% of on-site workers feel the same.
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Embracing Technology in the Workplace
The technological integration of the workplace is now undeniable. There is no turning back to eliminate technologies for workplaces currently. Businesses must remember that these integrations should be a means to enhance the experience of employees in their roles, not complicate it.
As noted by Wired, to reap the benefits of workplace technology, companies need to identify which technology suits their employees. In this effort, they need to consider the needs of the employees and how the systems can increase efficiency, ease and enjoyability.
Further, it was noted that companies need to stay up-to-date with the advancements in workplace technology to ensure continuous efficacy. This means the technology needs to evolve with the employees. As trends change, both in the technology aspect and employment, there needs to be an effort to keep workplace technologies aligned with the needs of employees.