Employees Say Tech, Experience Are Out of Step

Tired Employee

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More than a third of American workers are frustrated by the technology they use to do their jobs. Fewer than half believe their companies prioritize solutions that would make their jobs easier. In fact, 20% say technology makes their work more difficult.

This state of affairs is almost inevitable when companies don’t include employees in decision-making that surrounds purchasing and deployment, said Melissa Jezior, president and CEO of Eagle Hill Consulting, which conducted the research for its Employee Experience Survey 2021. Failure to involve employees, Jezior believes, can negatively impact productivity, morale, work quality and retention—all of those things experience is meant to bolster.

Fewer than half of U.S. workers believe companies prioritize tech solutions that would improve their employee experience. @WeAreEagleHill #HR #HRTech Click To Tweet

At least in part, the solution is cultural, Jezior said. Getting the most out of technology depends on developing a culture where employees have a voice in decision-making, and then embrace the solutions that are incorporated into their work. In fact, technological change should focus on responding to employee needs and shifting behaviors to deliver more value. “That’s where organizations often fall short,” she said.

Among other things, Eagle Hill ‘s research found that 37% of employees believe their technology has either no effect on collaboration or makes it more difficult. A third say tech doesn’t help with their work or makes it harder to serve customers. Even more, 44%, say technology either does nothing to help them be happy at work, or makes work harder.

What Kind of Experience?

Eagle Hill’s research belies the attention supposedly given to technology and its role in maintaining the employee experience. During the Spring HR Technology Conference, analyst Josh Bersin described an industry shift from “HR tech” to “work tech.” During 2021, he predicted, the industry’s emphasis will be on improving experience through apps that are easy to use and integrate with existing tools.

Meanwhile, the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed businesses to think of employee experience more broadly, as a dynamic impacted not only by managers, co-workers and HR, but by how workers interact with departments across the organization, and the very tools they use to get their jobs done. Nearly every touchpoint between employers and the workforce has become part of the equation of employee experience.

Image: iStock

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