Published on the 27/06/2018 | Written by Heather Wright
We don’t like working with old tech – and we’re not afraid to leave…
Providing outdated equipment may be costing your business more than just productivity, with a new report showing employees will abandon Australian and Kiwi companies who aren’t keeping up with tech.
Unisys’ The New Digital Workplace Divide: Why a Technology-Enabled Workplace is Critical to Business Success surveyed more than 1000 adults in Australia and an equal number in New Zealand and found, unsurprisingly, that failure to provide mobility tools to improve productivity has big consequences for staff satisfaction and motivation, which in turn are driving factors in business performance.
In a one-up for Kiwis, the report shows that New Zealand is doing better than most other countries surveyed, including Australia – at least in the views of those surveyed. Thirty-seven percent of Kiwi workers felt the companies they work for are leaders in their use of technology. That’s the second highest ranking, behind Mexico and level with Brazil.
In comparison, only 28 percent of Australian digital workers described their employer as being ahead of competitors in the use of technology – a figure that puts Australia below the global average of 32 percent.
“The digital workplace encompasses a wide ecosystem of people, culture, technology and processes – it’s not just about how up to date your IT is or whether you can log in from home.”
Among those working for ‘laggards’, 53 percent of Australian’s felt frustrated with their employer, with 12 percent saying it makes them want to work elsewhere. In New Zealand the numbers were slightly lower, with 47 percent saying they were frustrated and 11 percent saying it made them want to go and work elsewhere.
Devices were the biggest pain point for workers in both countries, with employees complaining they were being slowed down by outdated devices and poor ease of use.
“The research underscores how the digital workplace encompasses a wide ecosystem of people, culture, technology and processes – it’s not just about how up to date your IT is or whether you can log in from home,” said Unisys Asia Pacific lead advisory consultant, Leon Sayers. “How you work defines your workplace – and vice versa. To achieve successful digital transformation employers must take a holistic approach to organisational change.”
Perhaps more concerning for employers was that 71 percent of Kiwis and 67 percent of Australian, admit to using workarounds that bypass company security protocols.
When it comes to technology coming down the line at us, AI was seen as the emerging technology with the greatest potential to transform the workplace, with Australians also favouring Internet of Things and biometrics.
