- How has remote and hybrid working changed employee expectations concerning where and how they work and what devices they work on?f
For most enterprises employing knowledge workers, it has become abundantly clear that they do not want to be forced to go into the office full-time anymore. In a recent survey, only 13 per cent of workers said that they would prefer a full-time, in-office structure. And even those employees who prefertime in the office want to do it on their terms and not because someone is making them do so. Forcing employees into the office and not enabling employees with the devices and tech that they prefer puts organisations at risk to lose top talent.
- According to Ivanti’s Digital Employee Experience (DEX) report, 64 per cent of employees report that the tech they use for work impacts their morale, while 42 per cent even spent their own money on better tech to work more productively. How and why is tech such an important aspect to employees?
Technology is fundamental to promoting work. Burdensome technology is a huge barrier to access, engagement and productivity. Digital employee experience is a make-or-break element in a remote and hybrid work landscape. Can the employees access the information they need? Do they need to log into myriad tools to do their jobs? Is access cumbersome? Is their information secure? Is their connection reliable? Can they reach the people and resources they need to reach, and interact with them seamlessly? These are the questions that employees are asking as they evaluate job options – and whether they are going to stay with your company or move onto a company that does take these considerations into account.
- 56 per cent of the C-Suite believe that employees need to be in the office to be productive while only 13 per cent of knowledge workers prefer to work in the office full-time. Why is there a disconnect between employees and management’s expectations on remote and hybrid working?
Whether you have settled into a fully remote or hybrid workplace (or you are still hanging onto a mostly in-person structure), chances are that by now, you have settled on a plan and are sticking with it for the foreseeable future.
That means it is time to be strategic. How can you support employees now, in this new environment?
What tech do they need? How do you engage them? How can you be sure they are happy and productive?
- Only 25 per cent of the C-Suite selected workplace culture as a main internal priority. What can be done to make management place workplace culture in more importance?
One thing that is for sure: a new workplace structure should not mean abandoning workplace culture.
Even if your employees are spread out over the globe, your workplace culture is still critical — and can still be cohesive and strong. It is alarming that only 25 per cent of the C-suite selected workplace culture as a main internal priority. With a weak workplace culture, how can you expect people to be engaged, productive and loyal?
Perhaps you shore up your workplace culture with gamification, or virtual roundtables, or regular video check-ins on experiences, concerns and wellness. No matter what you do, it is clear that in a primarily remote and hybrid work landscape, technology is fundamental to promoting workplace culture.
- Only 21 per cent of IT leaders would consider the end user experience to be the main priority when selecting new tech tools. What can be done to make tech leaders ensure that employees are happy with their company issued tech tools?
If tech leaders do not take into account employee pain points when selecting a new tool or technology, there is a high probability that it would not be adopted very well. That is why the Digital Employee Experience is becoming such a critical differentiator for companies, which is why it is so important to find out how your employees feel about the tech they use – in other words, to measure it and adjust where it is falling short. IT and business leaders should rely on data driven intelligence to make decisions on what tools to be using. Employees want tools that are smarter, easier and more effective. And it is up to IT to provide those tools.
- What is it about the experience that people have when interacting with technology that impacts productivity, rather than the place of work that makes people more productive in the era of remote and hybrid working?
IT has a huge role to play in supporting DEX. If the end user experience is poor, there is an avalanche of corresponding issues — and not just related to happiness, retention and productivity. Burdensome tech tools mean lower compliance with best practices and security protocols, and that puts the whole company at risk.
If you are leaning into the remote and hybrid workplace — which, again, is what knowledge workers are saying they want — then really lean in. Select and deploy the right tools and solutions to ensure a secure, positive DEX. What happens next will depend on it.
By Liam Ryan, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Ivanti
