Technology issues at work have increased employees’ stress levels, causing a negative impact on their mental health despite accelerated digital transformation, according to nearly half (47 percent) of surveyed employees and line of business (LOB) managers in the Middle East and Africa (MEA).
The study, which was published by Freshworks, highlighted that with employee well-being now so heavily dependent on technology, it is becoming increasingly important to stem the Great Resignation.
The majority (69 percent) of MEA LOB leaders expressed the need for good technology to win the war for talent, and 79 percent recognise that high-calibre employees will consider looking for a new employer if their current job does not provide access to the tools, technology, or information they need to do their jobs well.
This is echoed by over half (56 percent) of employees who said their company could probably dissuade them from finding a new job if they invested in automation. Technologies that enable or support hybrid and remote working are also viewed favourably by MEA employees with half (51 percent) saying such solutions have increased their happiness at work.
Irrespective of what innovations companies choose to deploy, it is abundantly clear that one feature is now a must have – simplicity. A staggering 86 percent of LOB leaders surveyed by Freshworks said their employees have higher expectations of technology to be easier to use since the pandemic.
“Easy to use technology that enables better employee communication and engagement, automation and better service delivery is no longer a nice to have. It’s business critical,” said Stacey Epstein, Chief Marketing Officer, Freshworks.
“In today’s hybrid world, employees demand the same experience at work as they do as a consumer. This is a global trend and those businesses who address this emerging divide now will be in a strong position to outperform the competition in this exceptionally challenging economic environment,” Epstein added.
With over two thirds (72 percent) of MEA employees having become increasingly dependent on technology since the pandemic, it now determines key outcomes for organisations.
Freshworks’ report showed a clear correlation between employees’ perception of their employer and the latter’s digital maturity, with 42 percent stating that their company’s workplace technologies make them appear ‘behind the times’. Perhaps more worrisome however is that for over half (52 percent) of employees, this shortcoming has a direct impact on productivity, and nearly a third (30 percent) report this has a negative impact on their job satisfaction.
When implementing new IT solutions to address these shortcomings, organisations would be well served to understand the barriers employees face when embracing new technologies and tools. Here too, Freshworks’ report provided invaluable insight, highlighting that MEA LOB leaders find resistance to change (72 percent), employees not being consulted when choosing new software applications (69 percent) and employees not being given sufficient time to learn to use new software (67 percent) to be the top challenges.
