Dell has presented the results of the Future Workforce Study, conducted in Europe and South Africa on behalf of Dell and Intel, which analyzes global technology trends shaping modern workplaces. They indicate that nearly half of employees in these regions believe their current employer does not make sufficient use of the latest technologies.
The 2016 Future Workforce Study, conducted by the research firm PSB, covered nearly 4,000 full-time employees from small, medium, and large enterprises in 10 countries. Many respondents from the UK, Germany, France, and South Africa doubt they will be working in a smart office within the next five years. They note that the technologies used in their current workplace lag behind the solutions they use for private purposes. The study indicates that technological progress significantly influences employees’ expectations of employers, and companies that do not follow the latest trends may lose staff.
Technology has already had a huge impact on our ways of communicating in the workplace. Many respondents, including a staggering percentage of millennials in South Africa (67%), believe that face-to-face meetings will become unnecessary. In the near future, innovative technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and virtual reality (VR) may become key in the workplace, making individual or group tasks more efficient.
– Modern employees increasingly expect their employers to seamlessly and securely provide the latest technologies – said PJ Dwyer, Client Solutions, Dell EMEA. – Employees have seen for themselves how new technologies can help them do their jobs better, so they are very eager to use them to increase their productivity. Although many employers are cautious about this issue, they have a unique opportunity to set trends in the labor market and increase the productivity of their employees.
Key findings:
• Employees, especially in South Africa (67%) and the UK (47%), believe their offices are not smart enough (globally, this figure is 44%). They are ready for their companies to implement the latest solutions to improve work, but at the same time, they have mixed feelings about whether this will actually happen within the next five years.
• Remote work is increasingly seen as a factor improving quality of life and productivity, and it is enabled by new technologies. A huge percentage of remote workers in Germany (95%) and the UK (87%) say they enjoy their work. Technology has enabled a change in lifestyle, which has also translated into work style and professional preferences. To keep up and meet employee expectations, companies should offer more flexible work options.
Employees are aware that technologies enabling new work options require dedicated security and infrastructure. According to respondents from Europe and South Africa, advanced threat protection should be a priority in their workplaces.
• Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) may appear in enterprises sooner than we think. As many as 61% of employees in Europe and South Africa would be happy to use such solutions in their professional work. The most frequently mentioned potential applications are developing new skills in realistic virtual environments (25%), solving problems and coming up with new ideas through 3D visualization (18%), and conducting presentations for clients using interactive solutions (15%).
Furthermore, more than half of employees in Europe and South Africa (52%) believe that introducing artificial intelligence solutions would make their work easier.
• Technology also matters when it comes to attracting and retaining employees. This applies primarily to millennials. In Germany, 79% of them declare that modern technologies make it easier for them to perform their professional duties. In this context, it is not surprising that a significant portion of them would be willing to quit their job if the technologies provided by the employer did not meet their expectations (as many as half of millennials in France declare such readiness). Furthermore, millennials in Europe (as many as 86% in France) and South Africa admit that the choice of technology provided by a potential employer would influence their decision to accept or reject a job offer.
About the Future Workforce Study
Dell and Intel commissioned PSB to conduct the Future Workforce Study, which covered 3,801 full-time employees (working more than 35 hours per week) from small, medium, and large enterprises in 10 countries (USA, UK, France, Germany, Japan, Brazil, China, India, Canada, and South Africa) and seven sectors (education, government, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, media and entertainment, and retail). The quantitative survey was conducted between April 5 and May 3, 2016.
Detailed information about the study can be found at www.Dell.com/workforcestudy and on social media under the hashtag #FutureWorkforce.