The workplace is changing, the culture of office staff only working at their desks no longer applies. The introduction of better tech has allowed people to work from home in greater numbers, and work on the go, constantly connected to their emails and able to login to their work documents from mobile devices.
Businesses invest in better technology to improve staff productivity and automate processes. This is evident in the growing use of mobile technology, cloud data storage and collaboration tools.
However, one of the challenges employers face is ensuring staff are prepared for the use of new technology in a way that produces business advantages either by employing staff already up to speed or spending time and money on staff training. Either way having staff not able to use the latest software or office equipment can quickly bring them to a grinding halt, often resulting in them reverting to ‘the old method’.
It is therefore important to introduce new technology in a way that avoids information overload, delivered at a pace which suits and therefore can be learnt. This requires business owners and managers to know who is more resistant to technology changes or take a little longer to learn new tech driven processes.
Studies of office workers in the UK from 2016 onwards have highlighted some interesting insights about the relationship between office staff and technology.
38% of UK office staff actively avoid using technology at work.
28% say their time is wasted by colleagues who don’t know how to use office tech such as network printers.
16-34year olds struggle the most.
45% of 16-34year olds admitted they don’t know how to use all of the technology they are expected to use as part of their job, compared to 27% of those aged 55 and over.
32% of respondents confessed to pretending office equipment was broken just so they wouldn’t have to use it.
64% acknowledge that more up to date technology would enable them to work better with more people.
This leads us to ask the next logical question. What would help make office staff be more productive? Research studies have shown that:
45% Would like to have dedicated time where they cannot be disturbed.
35% Would like more time to think.
33% Would like more appropriate and easy to use office equipment.
28% Would like fewer passwords and logins.
23% Would like a more collaborative environment.