Is Technology Meeting The Needs Of Today’s Workers?

• Workplace technology directly correlates to productivity, making updated tech a necessity in every office. 
• A Paycom survey shows that nearly 80% of employees get frustrated with outdated technology at work. 
• In a Q&A with Jennifer Kraszewski, VP of Human Resources at Paycom, she explained how technology in the workplace needs to constantly be keeping up with the times.  

Now more than ever, it is essential that companies meet the needs of employees, especially as more and more people return to the office. Workplace technology directly correlates to productivity—making updated tech a necessity in every office. 

One of the biggest questions companies should be asking themselves: “Is our technology meeting the needs of today’s workers?”  

Technology is an essential component of the workplace. However, choosing and implementing a modern solution that benefits both employees and the business can be challenging for company leaders.  

A recent survey of 500 C-suite and HR professionals nationwide from OnePoll and Paycom confirmed employees are missing more than three deadlines per month due to HR-related tech mishaps, with data showing nearly 80% of employees get frustrated with outdated technology at work. 

“The frustration level of employees should be a warning sign to employers struggling to retain talent,” said Jennifer Kraszewski, Paycom vice president of human resources. “The good news is that the solution is attainable: adopt user-friendly HR technology to stand out from competitors, retain top talent and enhance productivity.” 

The survey results show employees are more frustrated with workplace technology and processes than leaders realize: 

• Nearly 80% of employees get frustrated with outdated technology at work, but only 54% of the C-suite believe their employees are frustrated. 
• Nearly 70% of employees would be willing to take a pay cut to have software and technology that’s twice as good as what they’re currently using. Yet 50% of executives think employees would take a pay cut for better software. 
• Nearly 70% of employees don’t believe their company prioritizes digital transformation, but nearly two-thirds of executives said their company accelerated its digital transformation because of the pandemic. 

In a Q&A with Kraszewski, she explained how technology in the workplace needs to constantly be keeping up with the times.  

Allwork.Space: What role does up-to-date technology play in employee productivity? 

Jennifer Kraszewski: Updated technology allows employees to seamlessly manage their payroll, request time off, and take care of their benefits—all aspects of the job from recruitment to retirement. This allows employees to focus on their actual job, increase productivity and be a generally happier employee. 

Allwork.Space: What essential technologies should companies be implementing to keep up with modern times? 

Jennifer Kraszewski: Nearly 80% of employees get frustrated with outdated technology at work and nearly 70% don’t believe their company prioritizes digital transformation, according to a survey conducted by OnePoll.  

Employee frustration levels should be a warning sign to employers struggling to retain talent. The good news is that the solution is attainable: Adopt user-friendly HR tech to stand out from competitors, retain top talent and enhance productivity. 

Technology must enhance the entire employee life cycle, allow employees to own their own data—all in a single software. 

For example, Paycom launched a product last year, Beti, which allows employees to access, view, verify, troubleshoot, and approve their paychecks before payroll runs. The ability to see the details of their check is among the top three most useful aspects employees would like to see in their HR tech, according to OnePoll. Payroll errors can greatly increase employee stress and lead to disengagement. 

Allwork.Space: How can having the wrong software in an office contribute to disengagement and miscommunication? 

Jennifer Kraszewski: It turns out, outdated technology is contributing lots of stress, causing employees to miss more than three deadlines per month according to OnePoll data, and lose trust in their employers. With the Great Resignation, employers must be firing on all cylinders to retain talent. 

Providing employees with technology that frustrates them hurts retention. User-friendly technology keeps employees focused on doing the work they are passionate about and allows them to meet deadlines early. Americans spend hours and hours each day using mobile devices to communicate, order coffee, check bank balances and more.  

Once employees get used to having tech that simplifies their work lives in the same way apps simplify their personal lives, they do not want to go backwards. They look for digitally savvy companies when job hunting or choosing to grow in their current workplace. 

Allwork.Space: Why should leaders make a conscious investment in leveraging top technologies? 

Jennifer Kraszewski: Using the right technology can provide strong ROI. For example, Ernst & Young recently conducted extensive research into the costs associated with common HR-related tasks. Its study concluded that, on average, a single entry of data performed without the aid of the right HR technology costs $4.70 to complete. 

The right HR technology can help quantify a business’s return on investment in real time, allowing employers to see the cost savings associated with changes made by employees and to drill down into specific aspects of the software to determine exactly where additional savings can be achieved. 

As more businesses realize the power of 100% employee usage of their HR technology, they are seeing returns to their HR department.