The latest research conducted by Workthere reveals that “the average UK worker is wasting 50 hours a year as a result of failing technology in the office”, according to LondonLovesBusiness.
These wasted hours could be costing UK businesses a hefty £11 billion ($15.3 billion/€12.4 billion) a year.
The CensusWide-conducted survey of 1,000 office workers also discovered that “the next generation of office workers”, i.e. those aged between 16 and 24, were more likely to encounter difficulties with faulty office technology compared to their older colleagues, wasting 62 percent more time on a weekly basis (amounting to 67 minutes).
In addition, the survey found that “it took around 42 working hours for an individual office employee to fully familiarise themselves with each new piece of software, which Workthere estimates equals around £830 ($1,159/€940) worth of a professional employee’s time.” Workers have complained that, despite installing an average of four new pieces of software over the past three years, the businesses they work for “don’t invest enough time into training staff to use it properly.”
Cal Lee, founder of Workthere, commented, “With regards to the serviced office market in particular, the first thing we are asked about, after the cost, is what specification of technology will be available for a business to use. The office tech inventory can affect profits as well as play a vital role in the perception of a business, both internally and externally. Gone are the days of just ‘location, location, location’ – in the eyes of office workers, digital connectivity tops the list of innovations that will improve the office working experience in the next few years.”
The survey also revealed a link between the worth of the new technology being installed and the perception of their employers by office workers, with 46 percent of survey participants saying that “a business with cheap office technology is probably not going to invest in the wellbeing of its staff.”
As for the paperless office, while the survey demonstrated that 73 percent of office employees still use photocopiers and 42 percent use fax machines, 42 percent of workers also utilise cloud technology to share files, and 36 percent “have video conferencing capabilities.”
Cal concluded: “The digital revolution is clearly taking a firm grip of office spaces. We found that connected technology is by far the number one technology that office workers deem most useful to improve the way they work in the next five years, with voice activated tech and wireless charging pads taking spot two and three respectively.
“Whilst different businesses will have different priorities, office tech that works efficiently and improves productivity without proving a distraction, or making staff anxious about using it, is definitely high on the agenda for both staff and employers. It is therefore increasingly important for businesses to know that their office spaces are able to facilitate a smooth tech experience.”
