One in three employees blame lack of reliable tech for poor productivity

Over a third (35%) of employees are having their productivity stunted by insufficient, slow and unreliable technology – yet over a quarter (27%) of CIOs say home distractions are the culprit. These are among the findings of new research by managed workplace services (MWS) provider, Apogee Corporation.

The research, which surveyed over 200 chief information security officers (CIOs) and 200 employees across SMB organisations and the public sector, highlights the impact unreliable workplace technology is having on employee performance and collaboration. A further 21% of employees say that a lack of team connection and collaboration opportunities when working from home is hindering their productivity.

This contrast in perception is threatening to isolate employees from their organisation and colleagues. For 46% of employees, access to the right technology is key to feeling connected across hybrid work environments – yet over half (56%) say technology is unreliable or completely non-existent when working from home. Almost one-in-three (28%) employees also say they are unable to do their job properly as a direct consequence of poor digital collaboration with technology.

As a result, over three-quarters (79%) of employees don’t feel optimistic about the future of work – with almost half (46%) saying that a lack of access to the right technology is fuelling this negativity. Most CIOs share this outlook, with just 5% claiming they are optimistic about the future of work.

The research also uncovers a strong disconnect between CIOs’ and employees’ workplace ideals. A quarter of CIOs believe that training and career development is the most important feature of an ‘ideal’ workplace, yet other factors rank higher on employees’ priority list. Over half (52%) of workers say that access to the latest technology that enhances teamwork and collaboration is the workplace feature they value the most.

Despite clear employee demand, employers admit to difficulties connecting with the new technology expectations and needs of a younger generation of workers, with over a fifth (21%) of CIOs admitting the generational divide is preventing them from feeling more connected to their employees.

The disconnect is being further fuelled by nearly eight-in-ten (79%) CIOs stating that some employee expectations around flexibility are simply incompatible with the needs of the business. But budget restrictions are also playing a role, with 22% of CIOs saying this prevents them from providing the required technology to support flexible and collaborative working. This shortfall in suitable tech, compounded by the growing employer-employee divide, is leaving over a quarter (27%) of workers feeling frustrated, leading to far-reaching engagement and productivity challenges.

Julian Broster, VP of Strategic Business Development at Apogee, commented: “Home distractions are something of a red herring when it comes to employee unproductivity, as workers really are lacking the technology and collaborative digital tools to support them as they navigate the new hybrid workplace. If employers fail to understand and prioritise this growing demand, they risk disengaged staff and poor business performance. Budget constraints should not be a barrier; there are cost-effective collaborative solutions that CIOs can now tap into to better enable staff to connect with each other and the wider organisation.”