Some 80 per cent of Irish employees hoped that tech-enabled remote working capabilities would give them better work-life balance. However the reality is far different, with almost half (42 per cent ) claiming that new smart working practices are negatively impacting their work-life balance.
These findings come from a recent survey of 2,000 Irish professionals carried out by staffing business Walters People Ireland.
Companies are becoming increasingly digitally focused
The business reason for digitally transforming a workplace makes sense, with three quarters (72 per cent ) of employers believing tech helps to improve workflow and overall staff productivity.
Other reasons companies identified in the survey included to strengthen collaboration between staff and improve communications (58 per cent ), to remain competitive in an increasing digitally-focused global environment (54 per cent ), tp help track results and streamline decision-making (22 per cent ), and to attract and retain talent (17 per cent ).
Sarah Owen, director of Walters People Ireland, said: “Advances in technology have already changed the way companies and employees work. With teams more dispersed and covering more time zones, working with others via phone, virtual meetings and video has become a norm.
“Adopting a digital workplace has also helped companies streamline operations and enhance speed of communication, as well as accessing the information in a much more effective way.”
Buy-in from employees
Eighty five per cent of employees agree their productivity would be enhanced by technology, with 80 per cent claiming working for a tech-savvy company would boost their morale, and 78 per cent agreeing that tech would help enhance coordination between departments.
However, while the aim of digital transformation is to create a ‘smarter working’ environment it brings with it some challenges, the biggest fear from employees is the expectation to “always be on”. In fact, almost half (42 per cent ) believe tech negatively impacts their work-life balance and does not allow them an opportunity to switch-off.
Further concerns include the struggle to learn and apply new technologies (31 per cent ) and the fear of technologies replacing jobs (22 per cent ).
Sarah Owen added: “Digital transformation of the workplace should be a top-down initiative; executive support and adoption is crucial – especially when trying to prove the commercial and rational benefits for both the organisation and the individual.
“All too often in companies we see senior leaders stick to their traditional working methods whilst expecting employees to accommodate this; as well as new, innovative processes introduced by the IT department.
“The solution is simple; if there is a new intranet or instant messaging platform introduced then the senior business executives should communicate via these means regularly. If the business has moved towards a cloud-based sharing system – then managers need to ensure that they are the primary users which will naturally drive employees to adopt these practices.”
