A new Ricoh survey has revealed a substantial disconnect between employee expectations of workplace technology and what employers actually provide.
The study of 1,000 British and Irish workers found that nearly half (46%) of employers lag behind when it comes to adopting technology that would benefit them at work.
At the same time, more than one-quarter (28%) said that their remote or hybrid work setup hinders their productivity, highlighting the clear need for businesses to provide better tools and solutions.
Businesses aren’t giving workers the right tools
Countless reports were published in 2023 highlighting the need for businesses to offer workers more suitable tools, with many others suggesting that money spent on unused software licenses could be better used elsewhere.
It’s 2024, and similar studies continue to appear. In the case of this Ricoh report, one-third (32%) believe that their employers are not providing the necessary technology to do their jobs well.
The study suggests that businesses can bridge this gap by embracing process automation and workplace experience tools, which promise boosted productivity and greater worker focus.
Failure to offer suitable tools could see businesses losing talent. One in three (30%) said that they’d look for another job if working conditions and employee experience didn’t meet their expectations.
Nicola Downing, Ricoh Europe’s CEO, said: “Looking ahead, it is imperative that businesses align their technology offerings with employee needs, particularly around process automation and workplace experience, which can help employees be more productive and focus on tasks where they can add more value.”
Dennis Scannell, Director of Digital Service Consultancy at Ricoh UK, added: “Employee experience should be at the centre of any workplace transformation project.”
More from TechRadar Pro
- Working remotely? Here are the best online collaboration tools
- Businesses are wasting millions on unused software licenses
- We’ve rounded up the best project management software
