Trends in Employee Experience: Many do not know how to get in touch with the specialist department
Hybrid working wasn't a given before the pandemic, but today it's the new way of working for many: according to Zendesk's Employee Experiences Trends 2023 study, more than half of respondents in Europe and the Middle East (57 %) and Asia Pacific (61 %) work hybrid or remotely. This brings new challenges for the Employee Experience (EX).
The increasing proportion of remote working has meant that companies will also have to fundamentally redesign their workplace technology in 2023 to enable hybrid working, increase employee productivity and reduce costs. However, in addition to meeting the needs of employees, they must also address labor market challenges such as employee turnover and staff shortages, as well as the looming economic downturn.
Often outdated software in use
Zendesk's survey shows that many companies are still struggling to even make their workplaces as flexible and digital as hybrid ways of working require. 84 % of EX professionals agree that improving support for employees who work remotely, hybrid or on-site is a top priority for their company. Over half (52 %) of employees report that the software related to their EX is outdated and not user-friendly. Nearly 30 % of respondents admit they don't even know how to contact their company's internal departments, such as HR, legal or IT. In the worst case scenario, the company loses good employees: 41 % of the EX experts surveyed see a negative employee experience as a reason for higher turnover in the past year. In the future, IT departments in the EX sector will in some cases even carry out a complete digital transformation so that all employees, suppliers and strategic partners have access to the information they need at any time and regardless of location. Productivity is of great importance in this case.
Tanja Hilpert, Vice President DACH at Zendesk, comments, "Concerns need to work across departments, more tools don't necessarily lead to a better experience." She continues, "An integrated solution can help reconcile the needs of employees and the challenges of the business. Streamlining workflows through thoughtful workplace technologies and improving them through the use of AI applications isn't just a trend - for businesses, it's becoming a key to success."
AI solutions improve the employee experience
More and more companies are already testing the use of AI and getting better results. Last year, EX teams reported that they are increasingly impressed with the use of AI and chatbots for the employee experience. 68 % of EX professionals now believe the use of AI/bots will deliver big cost savings in the coming years. 60 % believe bots have already done so in the past year. More than half of EX experts surveyed believe their company is lagging behind in using bots for EX, and 44 % confirm that their bots are not particularly advanced.
The Zendesk Employee Experiences Trends 2023 shows that building modern digital solutions that enable hybrid and flexible working across locations, teams and functions will be a focus in the coming years.
Source: www.zendesk.de
