Why workplace tech is failing employees — and what HR can do about it

Work technology stacks are failing UK employees.

According to new research by Templafy, a content enablement platform, some 37% of workers in the UK are doing double the amount of work because their technology stack lacks useful integrations.

As a result, UK employees are spending large amounts of time switching between applications — with over one in four (27%) using six to 10 different applications each week. It’s therefore hardly surprising that 29% of those surveyed said they felt overwhelmed and frustrated.

Today’s findings come a month after a separate report by Paycom found that the majority (77%) of US employees were frustrated with legacy technology systems at work. The data for this particular report showed that 79% of workers agreed that up-to-date technology could boost their productivity.

The sheer level of frustration was such that 67% of workers said they would even be willing to take a pay cut if doing so meant having access to software and technology that would be twice as good as what they currently have.

HR: This is what employees want

Templafy’s findings also show that 60% of UK employees want technology that integrates into daily workflows — with 64% saying they want more user-friendly and intuitive platforms.

Interestingly, over half (57%) stated they wanted company-wide technology to solve the content challenges they face today.

With many organizations embracing hybrid working, businesses must ensure workplace tech stacks meet the demands of this newfound flexibility. And while many HR professionals are leading in terms of change transformation, the data suggests that much more work is needed.

85% of respondents told Templafy that they thought the hybrid workplace would be successful if companies invested in and deployed the technology to support it. Worryingly, though, some 39% of employees don’t yet believe their company has the right tech stack in place.

Some 31% of respondents said they were worried about how remote work might negatively impact their productivity — and 35% said they thought collaboration with colleagues would be harder.

The future of work is looking increasingly remote — many businesses are opting for a hybrid working model — and with this comes the realization that asynchronous working tools will play a huge part in tech stacks moving forward.

We know that the tech stack that HR flew into the crisis with isn’t working — now it’s up to HR professionals to ensure new technologies are people-centric. This will be key in terms of employee engagement, productivity, and perhaps more importantly, talent retention.