Workers on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean would be tempted to move jobs if a different employer offered better apps to make their working lives easier, according to a survey commissioned by enterprise productivity operating system provider OpenFin.
The fully-weighted survey of 3,000 office workers (1,500 in the US and 1,500 in the UK), conducted by OnePoll, found that 61 percent of US respondents and 46 percent of British respondents would consider making the leap to a new job if employers provided better apps or software systems for employees.
The research also reveals that more than one in ten (13 percent in the US and 12 percent in the UK) were not happy with the apps provided by employers to do their jobs and collaborate with colleagues during the pandemic lockdowns.
“The great resignation is a wake-up call for employers in both the US and UK, and this research indicates that the software and tech tools provided to employees are at the heart of both staff retention and productivity,” said Adam Toms, CEO-Europe at OpenFin.
“Now that there is potential light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, and with many employees likely to work on a hybrid basis going forward, it is an important moment to invest in our people. This means considering the application, software and training needs of staff, supercharging employees with the right data in their workflows and decision making to make them more efficient, more effective and much happier.”
The survey highlights a lack of training from employers during lockdown in both the US and UK. A fifth (21 percent) of US respondents said that their employer had not provided them with more training since working from home during the pandemic and 5 percent said they had received less training since working from home.
The situation is even more dire in the UK, with almost half (48 percent) of respondents stating that their employer had not provided them with more training since working from home during the pandemic and 11 percent said they had received less training since working from home.
There is also a major difference between the US and UK in the age groups upon which they focus training efforts.
The vast majority of those surveyed (86 percent in both the US and UK) said that the apps, tools and tech provided by employers to do their jobs are important, while one third of US (31 percent) and one in five UK (18 percent) respondents chose “being provided the right apps and tech tools to succeed in my job” in the top three most important factors impacting job satisfaction.
“These statistics clearly demonstrate the resilience and positive spirit of both American and British office workers through adversity, however it is also clear that many are resigning because they increasingly value flexible working and employers who are willing to invest in them,” Toms said.
Despite the major concerns expressed by some about the quality of apps, many are happy with the software support provided by their employers during lockdown.
Of the 59 percent of US office workers who said their employer invested in new apps, tools or technology during the pandemic, 81 percent of them agreed that the apps helped improve their productivity and 79 percent said that they made the job easier. Results were similar in the UK, where of the 50 percent of UK office workers who said their employer invested in new apps, tools or technology during the pandemic, 87 percent agreed that the apps helped improve their productivity and 80 percent said this made their jobs easier.
The research also reveals that working from home during the pandemic lockdown had a positive effect on working relationships, with 69 percent of US and 48 percent of UK respondents stating their working relationships improved while working from home during the pandemic, 14 percent of US and 12 percent UK respondents saying they got worse, and 16 percent of US and 37 percent of UK saying they remained the same.
