Almost half (49%) of employees are considering changing jobs.
A huge 94 percent of employees in the UK report being frustrated due to inadequate workplace technology, and more than one in ten (11%) say this makes them want to leave their job.
This is despite a global shift to hybrid work igniting the biggest surge in technology investment in history.
This is according to research by Freshworks, which reveals that the UK faces a skills retention crisis due to poor technology, damaging productivity, mental health and the ability to retain talent.
Technology is a driver of employee satisfaction
The research shows that easy to use technology is now an essential driver of employee satisfaction, as almost one in five employees considering changing jobs blame lack of innovative tech (19%) at their company, and a further 56 percent report that poor tech causes them to feel stressed.
More worryingly, almost half of employees (47%) say technology issues at work are having a negative impact on their mental health.
The findings suggest hiring and retention strategies across the UK are missing the mark, as only salary (45%) and lack of career opportunities/advancement (32%) rank above poor workplace technology (31%) when it comes to the causes of job dissatisfaction.
The next biggest culprits after poor workplace tech are poor communication with their team (30%), their managers (22%), poor benefits packages i.e. holiday entitlement (21%), and their co-workers (18%).
Employee retention
This stark reality of technology’s role in the war for talent is quickly becoming recognised by business leaders, 81 percent of whom claim employees have higher expectations of technology to be easier to use since the pandemic. Also, over three quarters (76%) 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.
Interestingly, 70 percent of UK workers say if their company invested in more effective technology it would enhance their job satisfaction.
With the average cost of hiring a new employee in Britain now standing at around £3,000, and quality workplace technology boosting retention of employees, the most senior members of the business, i.e. the board, must recognise the value of continuously improving technology to directly support employees in their roles and hence protect their investment in people.
However, unfortunately, 52 percent of UK line of business leaders claim their Boards are failing to listen or respond to new hybrid demands.
Sadly, the stress caused by navigating a hybrid working world is making 47 percent of business leaders across the country want to leave the tech industry.
Productivity
The employee experience isn’t the only thing impacted by insufficient workplace technology, it’s also harming the wider business
Freshworks’ survey reveals that dated tech is restricting business productivity, as frustrated employees grapple with daily IT challenges.
Two thirds (65%) of unsatisfied UK employees say their current software makes them less productive.
Top complaints included slow speeds (60%), extended response times from IT teams (43%), lack of collaboration between departments (29%), missing important features/capabilities (22%) and lack of automation (19%).
“These findings suggest that performance of the technology provided to employees has a significant impact on their happiness at work,” said Simon Johnson, UK & Ireland General Manager at Freshworks. “Despite businesses making rapid changes to the way we work, employees are still facing widespread failures from the workplace technology they use every day. This technological inertia couldn’t come at a worse time, as organisations all over Europe are battling to keep a handle on both talent shortages and economic uncertainty, creating threats on two fronts.”
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.
