1E Study Finds 95% of Professionals Face Disruptive IT Issues that Hinder Productivity

June 16, 2022 at 09:00 AM EDT

78% of all respondents report their organizations struggle with supporting IT in a hybrid work environment, signaling a need for refined Digital Employee Experience (DEX) strategies

1E, the leader in Digital Employee Experience (DEX), today announced the findings of its new survey, Digital Employee Experience in the Enterprise: Progress, Patterns, and Gaps, which measures the role of IT teams and DEX in today’s hybrid working environment. The findings point to a pivotal shift in the way organizations approach IT strategies. 81% of respondents agree that organizations that don’t make DEX a board-level priority will soon fall behind their competitors, meaning IT workflows must evolve to better support a dispersed workforce that is more reliant on digital technology than ever before.

75% of knowledge workers surveyed say fast resolution of IT problems is no longer good enough – instead, issues must be fixed before employees are aware of them – and two-thirds of IT decision makers say there needs to be a complete overhaul or significant improvement to current DEX arrangements (66%). To eliminate digital friction and improve employee retention, corporate leadership must bring digital empathy and DEX into high-level strategic discussions to create a fluid, frustration-free digital working environment, regardless of physical location and working hours.

Other key findings of this year’s report include:

DEX adoption is growing, but not fast enough: 80% respondents agree that DEX is now a key consideration within their enterprise’s digital transformation strategy. However, IT teams face challenges in making DEX truly effective, with 98% reporting that highly burdened IT resources, changing working models, and limitations of current technologies all hinder widespread adoption within their organization. Additionally, 85% of IT decision-makers say that less than half of IT issues, requests, and incidents are currently resolved with automation; however, when automation is used, 41% of all respondents report higher employee productivity and an improved relationship between IT and non-IT employees.

Digital friction is widespread: Respondents report a wide range of digital friction, with application and/or software-based challenges being the most common. Over half (59%) indicate they deal with application or software-related IT disruption either daily or multiple times per week.

Enterprises must embrace digital empathy: Currently, only one in three knowledge workers believe IT teams have a high level of empathy when it comes to their digital experiences in the workplace. Addressing issues with a purely technical mindset no longer cuts it in the new hybrid workforce – especially as expectations for IT continue to grow. 66% of knowledge workers state that digital experiences in their personal life surpass those of the workplace.

DEX can impact the Great Resignation: 77% of respondents expect long-term working plans to be hybrid, meaning demands for speed and convenience will intensify. This is especially true with younger, digital-native employees now joining the workforce. And, with 78% of respondents reporting that their organizations still struggle with supporting IT in a hybrid work environment, they will be inclined to leave to find opportunities that will provide them with an optimal remote or hybrid work experience.

“Workplace norms continue to rapidly evolve, so IT priorities and expectations must evolve in tandem,” said Mark Banfield, CEO of 1E. “Our findings show that DEX adoption rates are rising, however, corporate leadership must change their IT mindset and invest in the necessary solutions to support DEX initiatives. This increased focus will provide a better hybrid working environment, retain more talented employees, and eliminate productivity-draining digital friction.”

Digital Employee Experience in the Enterprise: Progress, Patterns, and Gaps surveyed 300 enterprise IT decision-makers and knowledge workers in the U.S. and U.K. (from organizations with 5,000+ employees) to understand their experiences, perceptions, and the state of DEX.

To learn more about the report findings, please download the report here.

About 1E

More than 500 organizations in 42 countries trust 1E to help them create a better Digital Employee Experience (DEX). The 1E Tachyon Platform provides real-time diagnosis, remediation, and automation to proactively fix issues before they ruin the workday. Reduce costs, move faster, and increase employee happiness with 1E. For more information, visit 1E.com.