Technology problems leave frustrated employees
Non-functioning devices lead to motivation problems among employees: Especially in the home office, technology problems cause a lot of frustration - and morale drops. This is the result of a study by a major office technology service provider.
Wobbly network connections, slow computers, printer failures, missing software: technical problems can drive employees up the wall. Glitches happen from time to time, but when technical inadequacies become a permanent feature, user morale also drops. According to a study by Ricoh Europe, more than one-third of workers report motivation problems in the home office due to communication and technology problems. That's 16 percent more than a year ago, when a similar survey was already conducted.
Ongoing technology problems drive employees away
The Ricoh Europe survey was conducted among 573 European office workers from companies with 251 to 1000 employees. It shows that the reason for the loss of motivation is inconsistent technical investments. These result in workers lacking the time for personally satisfying or value-adding activities. As a result, companies run the risk of losing top talent to competitors who offer more advantageous and better adapted digital working methods.
Inconsistent technical investments
Almost two-thirds (65 %) of respondents believe that their company copied customers or partners when digitizing processes instead of analyzing the specific need. In terms of the relevance of their employer's digital processes, more than one-third (39 %) of respondents complain of not having real-time access to information needed to properly serve their customers. At the same time, only one in four (26 %) say their employer has invested in e-commerce or digital tools that improve the customer experience.
New technology platforms lead to additional work
Technology should help people do their jobs - you would think. The reality seems to be different: Despite all the new technology, employee workloads have not decreased, Ricoh's study finds. Rather, 42 % of respondents felt that their workload had actually increased as a result of the technology platforms introduced during the pandemic, it says. At the same time, 34 % felt pressured to be online longer - 13 % more than the previous year.
Mistrust and uncertainty
The proliferation of remote working and new working methods is also increasing fears of security breaches: 45 % of workers said they were worried about accidentally sharing files with the wrong recipient via the new digital channels. A similarly high proportion (47 %) of respondents also assume that their supervisors will use technology to monitor them while they are working in their home offices.
Missed a year to fix technology problems?
David Mills, CEO of Ricoh Europe, is surprised by the results: "It is surprising that after more than a year of remote working, when there is finally light at the end of the pandemic-related tunnel, employee motivation continues to fall due to technology and communication problems. Yet companies have been anything but inactive. However, their biggest mistake is investing in technology as an end in itself - or because a partner or competitor is doing the same. The first and most fundamental step in any technology investment is to assess the real needs of your business. In doing so, it's important to consider the perspectives of your workforce and customers. Only armed with these insights can technology solutions be found that lead to optimal results."
Source: Ricoh Switzerland
