[January 22, 2019] |
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Workplaces Falling Behind Today's On Demand Culture: User-friendly Technology a Top Priority for 2019
Consumer technology is intuitive and intelligent, which is likely why an
overwhelming majority of employees surveyed worldwide by The
Workforce Institute at Kronos
Incorporated wish their workplace technology was as easy and
powerful as their personal technology.
The final installment in the three-part Engaging Opportunity research
series from The Workforce Institute at Kronos (News - Alert) (view part
one, part
two) conducted with Coleman Parkes Research surveyed more than 2,800
hourly and salaried employees across a variety of industries in
Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand, the U.K., and
the U.S. to explore the impact existing and emerging technologies have
on the employee experience.
News Facts
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Back to the drawing board: Workplace technology fails to meet
employee expectations
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Nearly half of employees (48 percent) surveyed worldwide wish
their workplace technology performed just like their personal
technology. Fewer than one in five (18 percent) do not want their
workplace technology and personal technology to function similarly.
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Employees in Mexico are least at ease using their workplace
technology: a scant 8 percent feel their workplace solutions are
more user-friendly than their personal technology. The sentiment
is similar around the globe, as fewer than a quarter of employees
in Germany (24 percent), the U.S. (22 percent), Canada (20
percent), France (16 percent), Australia and New Zealand (13
percent), and the U.K. (13 percent) feel their workplace
technology is more user-friendly than their personal technology.
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A growing gap: Consumer apps far simpler to navigate than business
processes
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More than half of all employees surveyed worldwide (55 percent)
agree it is easier to search for new movies on Netflix than to
check the details of their employee benefits. In the U.S.,
employees in public safety (58 percent), education (55 percent),
retail (53 percent), healthcare (51 percent), and manufacturing
(49 percent) all find Netflix simpler.
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It's not just Netflix that's simpler. For the U.S. financial
sector, 51 percent of employees say shopping on Amazon to quickly
find what they need is easier than asking their manager to take
off a sick day, while 53 percent of contract and field service
workers - who often don't report to a central office - say it's
easier to talk to personal digital assistants like Alexa, Cortana,
and Siri than to their manager.
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In an ironic twist, just under half (43 percent) of logistics and
transportation workers feel it's easier to book a car through Lyft
or Uber than to find out how many vacation days they have left.
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Making work more difficult: Poor technology damages the employee
experience
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More than a third of employees surveyed worldwide (35 percent)
feel their job is harder than it should be because of outdated
processes and legacy technology. This attitude is most prevalent
in Mexico (45 percent), France (43 percent), and the U.K. (40
percent).
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For U.S. industries, employees in state and local government (55
percent), public safety (53 percent), and finance (43 percent)
feel most strongly that outdated processes and technology makes
their job more difficult. Employees in contract and field services
(38 percent), logistics and transportation (33 percent), retail
and healthcare (both 30 percent), and manufacturing (29 percent)
do as well.
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Younger employees in the U.S. are less tolerant of poor workplce
technology than older employees. While just a fifth (20 percent)
of Boomers think outdated processes and technology make their job
harder than it should be, that figure steadily increases for Gen
Xers (34 percent), older Millennials (38 percent), younger
Millennials (40 percent), and Gen Z (39 percent).1
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Just a quarter of employees surveyed worldwide (25 percent)
disagree with the notion that their workplace technology makes
common activities more complicated by adding extra or unnecessary
steps.
Supporting Quotes
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Joyce Maroney, executive director, The Workforce Institute at Kronos
"Once
upon a time, workplace technology was far more innovative and superior
to anything that was available for consumer use. However, the tables
have turned and the opposite is true today. The proliferation of the
on-demand and gig economy apps that now dominate our everyday lives
should prompt organizations to walk a mile in their employees' shoes.
Those who empower employees with intuitive, responsive solutions that
match the ease of use and real-time nature of their favorite apps will
gain an important advantage in their efforts to recruit and retain top
talent."
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China Gorman, managing director - America, UNLEASH; advisory board
member, The Workforce Institute at Kronos
"Employees from all
demographics are beginning to expect - and in many cases demand -
workplace technology to be as easy to adopt as their latest consumer
applications. Workplace technology needs to be intuitive and easy. No
more manuals. No more classes. Adoption as easy as learning the latest
online game."
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John Frehse, senior managing director, Ankura Consulting Group;
advisory board member, The Workforce Institute at Kronos
"Fair
or not, employee expectations are set by the likes of Apple (News - Alert) and
Google. Those expectations are applied to all parts of their lives.
Workforce management tools must provide the same ease of use, access
to information, and level of value employees enjoy on their iPhone or
Android (News - Alert) device."
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Ian Parkes, director, Coleman Parkes Research
"Mobile
technology continues to radically reshape expectations. We no longer
wait in line at our favorite coffee shops - with mobile ordering, our
espresso or latte is ready when we walk in the door. Yet employees
must still wait days or even weeks for a time-off request to be
approved, creating unnecessary stress and anxiety. Our survey of
nearly three thousand individuals in eight nations demonstrates
employees are eager and ready for organizations to elevate their
employee experience with a consumer-style approach to workplace
solutions."
Supporting Resources
About Kronos Incorporated Kronos is a leading provider of
workforce management and human capital management cloud solutions.
Kronos industry-centric workforce applications are purpose-built for
businesses, healthcare providers, educational institutions, and
government agencies of all sizes. Tens of thousands of organizations -
including half of the Fortune 1000® - and more than 40
million people in over 100 countries use Kronos every day. Visit www.kronos.com.
Kronos: Workforce Innovation That Works.
Survey Methodology Research conducted on behalf of Kronos
Incorporated by Coleman Parkes Research, an independent U.K.-based
research company. Survey data was collected between November 2017 and
January 2018 from 2,807 employees using an online quantitative
methodology. Survey participants were sourced from eight different
markets, including the Australia, Canada (English and French-speaking),
France, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand, the U.K., and the U.S. Survey
participants included both hourly and salaried employees from
organizations of all sizes across a variety of industries. For further
questions about survey methodology, contact [email protected].
Footnote 1: Generations are defined as follows: Gen Z, 18-20; young
Millennials, 21-27; older Millennials, 28-37; Gen X, 38-54; Baby
Boomers, 55+.
© 2019 Kronos Incorporated. All rights reserved. Kronos and the Kronos
logo are registered trademarks and Workforce Innovation That Works is a
trademark of Kronos Incorporated or a related company. See a complete
list of Kronos
trademarks. All other trademarks, if any, are property of their
respective owners.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190122005132/en/
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