One in five (20%) of UK working age Generation Z have quit their jobs because of the useless technology they use at work, according to new research from Laserfiche.
Worryingly, half (49%) of respondents haven’t yet resigned, but would consider leaving their company due to outdated or difficult to use technology, adding further strain to hiring managers amidst a global talent crisis.
The research polled over 1,000 British Generation Z’ers between the ages of 21 and 24. As new kids on the workplace block, Gen Z have grown up with tablets, smartwatches, and lightweight, speedy laptops. This research attempted to find out how this generation views workplace technology given they expect the best and have only known digital and instant.
Yet, employers are falling short and the technology at work is not up to scratch. The top frustrations for these younger employees are that technology is too slow (54%), too old (35%) or there is lack of tools that help with time-consuming tasks (35%).
Chris Wacker, CEO at Laserfiche said: “As companies around Britain battle with the Great Resignation, organisations must understand that the key to attracting and retaining talent is by improving the employee experience. Tech has a big part to play enabling staff to feel empowered, energised and engaged in the workplace.”
Home is where the tech is
From fibre optic internet, 4K television and an abundance of smart devices, the research revealed that Generation Z has much better technology at home:
- Four-fifths (78%) have a laptop at home and half (53%) have an iPad or tablet.
- However, nearly three-fifths (57%) use a desktop computer at work, over half (56%) use a laptop and nearly a third (30%) use an iPad or tablet.
- Three-quarters (77%) have a personal smartphone compared to only two-fifths (42%) who use smartphones and a third (34%) who use desktop phones at work.
- Nearly half (46%) have high speed or fibre optic internet at home compared to only over a third (37%) in the workplace.
- Two-fifths (41%) have a virtual assistant at home compared to one in 10 (12%) in the workplace.
- Nearly half (46%) own a smartwatch, and more than half (53%) have Bluetooth headphones at home.
It’s no wonder that two-thirds (66%) of Gen Z agree that the personal technology is better at home compared to what they use in the office – with over half (53%) agreeing that the technology used for work is outdated and in need of an upgrade. Only three in 10 (30%) said they would not consider leaving a company because of outdated or difficult to use technology.
Chris Wacker added: “The escalating global talent crisis has made headlines around the world and is showing no signs of slowing down. Gen Z’ers are used to better, more intuitive tech. Companies need to improve, otherwise the younger workforce will hand in their notice.
“If the pandemic has taught businesses anything, it is that employees need to come first. It’s up to businesses to foster the right environment, so that staff can flourish. When the workforce is happy and productive, it’s a win for employees and a win for employers.”
