Disconnect between employers and digital employee experience

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Joanne Swann
Digital experience
Digital experience

The majority of employers are unaware of how productivity is being impacted by their employees’ experiences of the digital workplace, reveals new research by Scalable Software. The research of 400 senior US and UK IT decision makers (ITDMs) found a disconnect between the information provided by IT, and that required to get the best Digital Employee Experience (DEX).

Earlier research of knowledge workers revealed more than half (52%) rate the DEX­ provided by their employer as poor or merely adequate, and that DEX is getting worse, not better. Moreover, the new survey finds that almost half (45%) of organisations do not conduct any employee journey mapping, leaving them in the dark about how employees complete their work and what digital friction they face.

Mark Cresswell, Co-Founder of Scalable Software, highlighted that IT service management has traditionally focused on technology, utilising specialised tools to address specific technical requirements. However, these tools are now being repurposed to improve employees’ digital experiences. Cresswell remarked:

Our analysis clearly shows an emerging disconnect between how useful ITDMs see these traditional tools in the DEX context, and the benefits that employees are receiving. The whole situation is amplified by the shift to hybrid working where traditional management practices can no longer plug the gaps.

Mark Cresswell, Co-Founder of Scalable Software

Specifically, current levels of DEX maturity focus on technology-centric Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Business leaders and HR professionals need to be armed with employee-centric KPIs such as Burnout Risk, Employee Engagement, Employee Journeys, Isolation and Sentiment – none of which can be discerned from traditional IT management tools. Additionally, the research finds only 56% of ITDMs can easily share data with HR teams, and 88% admit there is a need for greater communication between IT and HR.

Cresswell emphasises the complexity and importance of accurately assessing digital employee experience (DEX) in today’s hybrid workplace. Retrofitting traditional IT management tools is no longer sufficient for understanding DEX. Instead, organisations require purpose-built analytics that provide insights into the digital experience, identifying inefficiencies and areas of digital friction.

As hybrid work becomes the norm for many knowledge workers, Cresswell stresses that employers need to adopt an employee-centric approach to the digital workplace, with IT decision-makers leading the way by ensuring HR and business leaders have access to actionable DEX analytics that can improve employee outcomes.

Read the full research report: Unlocking the Digital Employee Experience Black Box here to learn more: https://www.scalable.com/itdm-dex-survey-report2-scalable-software-0

Joanne Swann, Content Manager, WorkWellPro
Editor at Workplace Wellbeing Professional | Website |  + posts

Joanne is the editor for Workplace Wellbeing Professional and has a keen interest in promoting the safety and wellbeing of the global workforce. After earning a bachelor's degree in English literature and media studies, she taught English in China and Vietnam for two years. Before joining Work Well Pro, Joanne worked as a marketing coordinator for luxury property, where her responsibilities included blog writing, photography, and video creation.

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