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satisfaction, it also frees up workers to tackle
bigger issues. The security risk posed by
outdated tech
Once freed from concerns about the
practicalities and performance of their
devices, leader employees were able to turn
their thoughts to higher-level issues. For
example, the top two concerns for workers
in leader employers were security and
collaboration. When asked what type of
technology would help improve their working
environment the most, these employees
wanted tech that would help them work
safely and flexibly. Equally concerning is the implication this
has for workplace security. Taking financial
services workers as an example, 37%
claimed their own devices were more up to
date than those provided by their employer.
Meanwhile, workers in laggard organisations
were primarily concerned about having
better devices to use as work tools. This
highlights how outdated devices are
negatively affecting the productivity of
workers at laggard companies.
If this leads to workers using their own
devices, it presents troubling security risks.
Employees may well be downloading apps
and using websites not supported by their
organisation because they’re preferable to
what the company offers.
Given the sensitivity of the personal data
that many workers deal with, employers
should be thinking twice about leaving
their employees in a position where seeking
potentially unsecured alternatives is
preferable to employer-sanctioned devices.
Update tech or risk losing staff
Outdated tech doesn’t just frustrate
employers, it directly correlates with the
threat of attrition. Workers at laggard
companies are more likely to want to
leave to go and work elsewhere, whereas
only 2% of employees working for leader
organisations feel inclined to quit.
Workers reported having carried out a
number of risky behaviours in order to get
around frustrating security processes – such
as writing down passwords, emailing files
to themselves and sharing passwords with
a colleague. Businesses should ensure
technology is modern and robust enough to
avoid such frustrations.
Loss of valued staff is problematic for any
business, so it’s concerning to see that staff
feel so frustrated by their internal tools
that they would be influenced to leave as a
result – especially since this is such an easily
remediable area. The future of the digital workplace
“With a substantial number of businesses
behind the technological curve, it puts
them and the economy at risk from a talent
retention standpoint and brings down their
overall efficiency and productivity,” Davis said. According to the survey, 28% view Artificial
Intelligence (AI) as the emerging technology
with the most potential to transform their
workplace environment in the next five years.
However, while a majority of respondents
The research also offered some interesting
insight into the future of the digital
workplace and revealed an important area
where employee understanding is lacking.
Stephen Nunn, Global VP Consulting
at Unisys
cited familiarity with AI, only 16% said they
understood it well.
Crucially, this lack of understanding plays
strongly into what people believe the impact
of emerging technology will be on their
workplace. Notably, the survey found that
38% of workers at leader organisations
believe technology and automation could
make their jobs obsolete in five years.
This is a concern that organisations
desperately need to address. In reality, new
technologies like AI offer real opportunities
for employees and shouldn’t be seen as a
threat. If introduced with the right training,
automation and intelligence tools can help
empower workers by freeing them from
tedious tasks so they can deliver better
results. AI in many instances is designed to
enhance and support workers, not replace
them – it’s simply a matter of implementing
the technology properly.
Technology’s impact can’t
be understated
Whether they’re being endlessly frustrated
by outdated devices or living in fear that
digital innovation will render them jobless,
technology has a huge impact on employees.
Ultimately, the report proves that employers
should think twice before neglecting their
technology investment – because staff
happiness, productivity and security might
hang in the balance. n
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