Is your IT department feeling spread too thin? You’re not alone. Attracting, retaining, and engaging talent is critical, especially for tech roles. Burnout and turnover are high. Workloads are heavy. A recent survey of IT professionals reveals that a substantial portion of them are considering job shifts, which could result in significant financial losses for US employers.
Employers cannot afford to ignore the staffing challenges faced by IT departments. With various workplace setups like remote, in-office, and hybrid, the role of IT in ensuring a seamless digital experience has become more crucial than ever. This emphasizes the importance of addressing technical hurdles, infrastructure gaps, and other sources of digital frustration affecting IT staffing.
Success in overcoming these challenges hinges on the Digital Employee Experience (DEX) – how employees interact with workplace technology and digital resources. DEX plays a vital role in how smoothly employees can perform their tasks and contributes significantly to their daily work experience.
What’s at stake
The shift to remote work, embraced by 84 percent of IT professionals, has introduced new challenges. A significant 57 percent encounter technological issues weekly, with 17 percent considering career changes due to these challenges, impacting morale for 61 percent. These statistics highlight the need for a reevaluation of digital infrastructures and DEX.
Despite the urgency, only 56 percent of organizations have increased investments in DEX in 2023. This delay threatens talent retention and complicates recruitment, potentially leading to unfilled roles and increased turnover.
Poor DEX also raises the risk of shadow IT, where employees use unauthorized tools, devices, and applications, leading to security vulnerabilities. Addressing DEX issues is crucial to maintaining productivity, innovation, and the overall customer experience.
A solution grounded in proactive innovation
DEX covers all digital touchpoints in an employee’s workday, significantly impacting their organizational experience. Prioritizing DEX not only simplifies job tasks but also enhances productivity, reduces strain on IT, and helps minimize turnover.
An optimized DEX plan is proactive, identifying and resolving problems before manual intervention is needed. Advanced technology platforms can now address challenges without downtime and minimal user involvement, especially beneficial for a dispersed workforce.
Guidelines for HR professionals
- Create a Benchmark: Gather employee feedback on their current digital experience and solicit ideas for improvement.
- Partner with IT: Collaborate with the IT team to enhance DEX effectively.
- Create Alignment: Showcase the ROI potential of DEX investments and foster alignment with key stakeholders.
- Lean into Automation: Utilize AI solutions to proactively address digital experience challenges.
- Continuous Evaluation and Adaptation: Regularly assess DEX effectiveness and adapt based on user feedback.
Empowering employees for a digital future
By prioritizing DEX, organizations strengthen their recruitment, retention, and engagement strategies, positioning themselves for sustained growth in a competitive landscape.
