Global
What global employees think of their workplace tech
28-08-2024
Benefex’s 2024 research, The Expectation Exponential, reveals a widening disconnect between employers and employees when it comes to perceptions around the quality of employee experience that organisations are delivering. 64% of HR and Reward professionals say their employee experience is ‘excellent’ – but only 20% of employees agree.
The research highlights the number of different elements that combine to create an optimal employee experience, including benefits, recognition programmes, company values and culture and workplace technology.
With the level of recognition employees expect from their leaders, managers and peers emerging as one of the big workforce trends over recent years, we explore how HR and Reward leaders are responding.
Growing demand for recognition technology
The shift to hybrid working patterns has completely altered the parameters for workforce recognition. Five years ago, managers could publicly praise individuals and teams in face-to-face company or departmental meetings, and on a one-to-one basis in the office. This is no longer possible and online, in-the-moment, recognition has become much more important when people are working remotely and teams are dispersed.
The research certainly reflects these new dynamics. In fact, 94% of employees say it’s very important that they’re recognised for their efforts and achievements at work. They also feel it’s vital that people are recognised for work and behaviours that align with their company’s values.
Not only do people think it’s vital that they themselves are recognised; 89% of employees also attach great importance to being able to recognise the work of their colleagues, and they expect their employers to facilitate this. Indeed, more than three quarters (78%) of employees say it’s important to be able to recognise colleagues instantly online.
Evidently, employers need to find ways to instil a culture of recognition across their hybrid workforces. This requires a tech solution to facilitate and encourage recognition, and to ensure that recognition is linked to company values and rewards.
Ongoing technology troubles
61% of employees say the technology they use for work lags behind the technology at home.
The marked shift towards hybrid and remote working over recent years has meant that technology is now a fundamental part of every aspect of the employee experience. People are online for their daily work tasks, to collaborate with colleagues and liaise with clients and partners, and to engage with HR related services. Technology now sits at the heart of workforce culture.
However, employees are still largely unimpressed with the quality of the technology that they use at work; in fact, they say it’s getting worse.
Across every aspect of the employee experience, less than half of employees rate their workplace technology as excellent or good. That includes technology used for benefits and perks, to be part of the employee community, and to access wellbeing services and support.
Despite the fact that employees attach great importance to being able to recognise colleagues instantly online, less than half rate the technology that they are using to do this as good or excellent. In fact, levels of satisfaction for recognition technology are the lowest of any workforce technology.
Employee complaints about the quality of workplace technology are nothing new – in an era where people are constantly upgrading their devices and seeking out the most intuitive and personalised apps and digital services, expectations around technology and digital experience are skyrocketing.
Once again, employers are struggling to keep pace. But they need to understand that poorly performing applications and clunky digital experiences are a massive turn off for both existing and prospective employees. They may be at work, but people still expect seamless digital experiences, and they don’t feel valued if the applications they’re using don’t hit the mark.
Employee sentiment towards workplace technology by location
Employees in India are least impressed with the technology provided by their employer. More than three quarters (76%) report that the technology they use at work is inferior to the technology they use at home. However, even in other regions – S.E. Asia, Europe and the U.S. – the majority of employees state that the quality of their workplace technology lags behind the technology they use elsewhere.
Here’s how The AA built a values-based culture of recognition for a dispersed workforce
Get your copy of the report
To find out how reward leaders are adapting to growing employee expectations and uncover the role AI is set to play, download our report, The Expectation Exponential.
28-08-2024
