By:
Kevin O’Toole , Consultant- Health & Employee Benefits
Imagine this—you are working to complete an important project under a tight deadline. Everything is moving smoothly, and you are excited to present the final solution to your leadership team or client. Suddenly, your technology crashes. In an instant, that sense of pride and accomplishment has been replaced by frustration, anger, and stress.
Next, you need to deal with calling the IT department and waiting on hold or for your ticket to have priority. What if this could take days? Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common. For many in today’s hybrid and remote work environments, technology is the new office space. The marble floors and lavish office spaces of yesteryear have been replaced by smooth operating systems and strong WiFi connections, and that is just one impact of technology.
Even if most of your workforce is on-site, it is likely that your IT department is not, and employees can’t just walk down the hall to get help. How do these technological failures impact your company? What impact do downtime and tech issues have on the overall well-being of employees at your workplace and feelings of burnout? In this piece, we’re sharing the true impact of technology in the workplace.
The Impact of Technology Is Not Only Positive
It is no secret that today’s workers are more reliant on highly functioning technology than ever before. Most employers recognize the importance of having a solid IT infrastructure to support their business. Having a well-managed IT department allows businesses to operate effectively and efficiently.
A recent Qualtrics study showed that employees are 230% more engaged in their work when they feel they have technology that adequately supports their work.
The impact of technology can also be seen on employee morale. According to the same study, employees are 85% more likely to stay in their jobs for more than 3 years if they feel they have adequate technology and support. Employees who are constantly having technology issues in a remote or hybrid environment often feel isolated and stressed which can lead to burnout and their eventual resignation. Given these statistics, how can employers look at their technology solutions through the lens of employee retention?
Mitigating Potential Negative Consequences of Workplace Technology
There are several proven and emerging methods to help mitigate the potential negative impact of technology in the workplace. For the remote or semi-remote workforce, one way is to empower employees to optimize their technology through dedicated stipends and access to support resources. This can help prevent tech issues unique to various users from becoming large-scale problems. In these home stipend programs, the company will cover a certain amount of at-home work expenses, including things like internet, home office supplies, and technology. According to Microsoft’s Work Trends Index, 54% of employers have some form of home office stipend program in place.
While helping employees with the cost of working remotely is a great first step, it is not a blanket solution. Companies need to evaluate their IT infrastructures and partners to ensure they are up to par. Another solution could be deploying outsourced IT services or escalation support on top of your current IT help layer. Depending on the size of your company, this can be provided as an executive benefit aimed at attracting and retaining key employees or a standard benefit for specific roles.
Be Prepared to Meet Employee Needs and Expectations
With today’s shifting worker-support dynamics, employers must adapt their benefits to what matters most to employees. As part of the modern workplace, reliable technology is a key component to developing a company culture that will keep your people happy and productive. To learn more about how our team can assist you in designing and implementing IT as a benefit, please call our office at 240-422-8799 or email Jessica Storck at
Jessica.storck@tribridgepartners.com.
