55% of office workers say new workplace technology would increase productivity

New research from Econocom highlights the hidden value of workplace technology.

  • 5 years ago Posted in
Research from Econocom, a European digital services company, has revealed that over half (55%) of office workers believe access to the latest workplace technology would make them more productive. Additionally, 43% said this would make them feel more valued, while 38% said it would motivate them to work harder.

The research for the report, entitled The Hidden Value of Workplace Technology, was conducted on behalf of Econocom by survey consultant Censuswide. It polled 1,069 office-based workers across the UK in a range of roles, including sales/business development, account management, marketing, technical/IT, HR, legal and more.

The research found that workplace technology is important not just for companies looking to retain existing staff, but also to recruit new members. Fifty-eight per cent of respondents said workplace technology would influence their decisions when searching for a new job. Additionally, 62% said a 'choose-your-own-device' model in which employees get to choose from a range of different company-approved devices to use at work would be an influencing factor in their search for a new role.

Chris Labrey, MD, Econocom UK & IRL says: "Workplace technology is more important to employees than ever before, and these findings really reflect that. Not only do they shine a light on how important it can be from a productivity perspective, but it also emphasises its often-overlooked role in boosting motivation and morale among staff. Businesses today could do far worse than to look at their own workplace technology and consider the wider impact this might be having on their employees."

Other key findings from the report include the fact that more than one-quarter (26%) of office workers are bringing their own technology into the office every day. A further 10% use their own technology every other day, while 13% admitted to doing so a few times a week.

"The fact that 26% of all respondents are relying on their own technology on a daily basis is a strong indicator that workers are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the state of technology available in the workplace. The only way for these numbers to change is for businesses to place more focus on the devices being given to staff when they come into the office. Hopefully this research can help to give the issue the attention it deserves.

"As for adoption challenges, it is perhaps unsurprising to see that budget remains a primary obstacle. But this is where subscription models can prove their value. These allow businesses to purchase the workplace technology they want and pay back the cost in instalments over a period of years, which makes the investment far more financially viable. The subscription model also means businesses can upgrade their technology on a continual basis to keep employees happy and improve the employee experience," says Labrey.

This correlates with the fact that, perhaps unsurprisingly, the majority of respondents found the technology they use at home to be better than what they use at work. Specifically, 53% said their home smartphones were better than their work ones, while 46% said the same for their laptops and tablets.

When asked what they thought the biggest obstacle to the adoption of new workplace technology is, just under half (49%) said budget. This was overwhelmingly the most-cited challenge from respondents a lack of resources came in second place, cited by just 12% of respondents.

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