A recent study conducted by Ricoh Europe has unveiled a notable discontent among UK and Irish employees regarding the outdated technology prevalent in their workplaces.
The research, which surveyed 1,000 workers across the UK and Ireland, discovered that almost half (46%) of respondents believe their employers are trailing behind in adopting cutting-edge technologies such as workplace experience and process automation tools.
According to the poll conducted by Opinium, a significant portion of the workforce feels hindered by outdated technology.
A staggering 28 percent of respondents reported that their remote work setup negatively impacts productivity, while 58 percent expressed frustration over high administrative burdens.
The findings highlight a substantial gap between employee expectations and the technological support provided by employers.
A missed opportunity for technological infrastructure
The study also revealed that only 68 percent of UK and Irish employees feel their employers offer the necessary technology for optimal job performance, indicating a missed opportunity for businesses to enhance their technological infrastructure.
Businesses are urged to consider embracing process automation and workplace experience tools to foster collaboration and streamline repetitive tasks. By implementing advanced technologies like Workplace Experience Platforms, audio-visual solutions, and enterprise content management, employers can enable their workforce to focus on value-added activities rather than administrative tasks.
Dennis Scannell, Director of Digital Service Consultancy at Ricoh UK, emphasised the increasing trend of organisations re-imagining their workplaces to align with employee expectations and available technology. Scannell stated, “More and more organisations are looking to re-imagine their workplaces to bridge the gap between employee expectations and the available technology.”
The study revealed that inaction by employers in addressing these technological discrepancies could result in talent attrition, with 30 percent of workers citing working conditions and employee experience as reasons to seek alternative employment. Additionally, 18 percent of employees identified the quality of technology software and devices as a leading factor in considering a job change.
Employee experience should be at the centre
Scannell noted, “Employee experience should be at the centre of any workplace transformation project,” citing a successful project where Ricoh increased a customer’s office occupancy from 35 percent to 50 percent and achieved a satisfaction rating of 4.8 out of 5 after a comprehensive office transformation.
Over 65 percent of employees believe they could deliver more value to their companies if equipped with the right tools and technologies. Nicola Downing, CEO of Ricoh Europe, emphasised the importance for businesses to align their technology offerings with employee needs, particularly in process automation and workplace experience, to foster productivity and job satisfaction.
Downing concluded, “As our research has revealed, any business which overlooks employee experience around workplace technology risks losing valued team members who will simply look elsewhere for a workplace that meets their needs.”
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
