Employees' not-so-healthy use of technology
Many people find it easier to deal with work conflicts through words on a screen than face-to-face conversation.
Workers and managers alike are apt to overuse technology to communicate to coworkers while on the job – and even after-hours, according to the report, “Technology and the Employee Experience: How Technology Impacts Your Most Important Asset,” by Randstad US and Future Workplace.
“One consequence of the ability to connect from anywhere is that employees often blend work and non-work activities throughout the day,” the authors write. “Instant access also tempts employees to juggle work responsibilities when off the clock or on vacation. On this front, employers must provide guidance and promote healthy technology habits for teams at all levels.”
Related: Enough with the after-hours work emails!
The survey of more than 1,200 U.S. human resources leaders, line managers and employees found that many people find it easier to deal with work conflicts through words on a screen than face-to-face conversation. Indeed, the majority (56 percent) of both managers and employees say they prefer to handle sticky situations digitally, and more women (57 percent) than men (48 percent) feel this way as well.
Gen Zers are nearly twice as likely than other generations to use technology for personal reasons during the day, with 60 percent checking their devices, while millennials are most apt to play games while on the clock. Interestingly, managers are most likely to be the ones going online for entertainment during the workday, with 37 percent of them doing so.
Eight percent of managers and nearly a quarter (23 percent) of employees say they’re unsure whether companies promote healthy technology habits.
“This gap highlights the fact that more guidance is needed when it comes to technology use in the workplace,” the authors write. “Developing guidelines around the healthy use of technology can evolve into an important aspect of organizational culture and employer branding — and that, in turn, can help with recruitment, engagement and retention.”
Healthy use of technology for work must extend to after hours, according to the report.
The vast majority (87 percent) of managers check email after work with some frequency, while just 13 percent rarely or never check. On the other hand, far fewer employees are keeping tabs on work-related projects and assignments after hours, with 48 percent frequently or sometimes checking in. Men (67 percent) are more likely to stay connected after working hours than women (59 percent).
Broken down by generation, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of Gen Zers check in when not on the job, whereas over half of Gen Xers (56 percent) and baby boomers (62 percent) say they rarely or never reconnect after they leave the workplace.
When asked if their managers expect them to answer emails or take meetings after office hours, most employees (67 percent) say no. Thirty percent of men feel they need to be available, compared only 18 percent of women.
Gen Zers feel most obligated to show up online after hours, while just 23 percent of millennials, 21 percent of Gen Xers and 10 percent of baby boomers say their managers expect them to be on call after hours.
While managers may support extended time away, over half (53 percent) have some expectation that team members reply to business messages while out of office. A full one-third (33 percent) of managers expect employees to always or very often reply, and 20 percent sometimes want to hear back from employees who are on vacation.
As a result, many employees (43 percent) feel compelled to always, very often or at least sometimes reply to managers’ requests while they’re on vacation. Gen Zers most apt to respond to work emails while on holiday, with 68 percent at least sometimes responding to work-related messages.
“Instant access to collaboration and productivity tools means both managers and employees may feel pressure to check in, even when they’re not officially on the job,” the authors write. “And if employers aren’t clear about their expectations for after-hours communications, employees may not know how and when they’re expected to be ‘on.’”
While 43 percent of managers’ organizations have established policies about after-hours communications, only 18 percent of employees say they are aware of them.
“This gap indicates that organizations need to not only define expectations, but also communicate those expectations to all employees,” the authors write.
Other key findings from the survey include:
- A majority (63 percent) of employers say that online skills assessments are the most effective tech solution for screening candidates, and 37 percent say online tests not only help them make smarter hiring decisions, but increase efficiency and speed-to-fill. However, fewer than 40 percent of employers say the same of artificial intelligence and chatbots. Half of employees surveyed have taken an online skills test during their job search, while only six percent say they have interacted with AI while looking for a job.
- Nearly all (94 percent) employers at least sometimes offer or pay for training opportunities for employees to learn new skills specific to their role, and 40 percent say they provide blended learning models that combine technology touchpoints and in-person training. Of these blended learning models, the most common approaches are one-on-one coaching (45 percent), instructor-led on-site training (43 percent), computer-based training (40 percent), peer mentoring (39 percent) and hard-copy training manuals (36 percent). However, only a fourth of companies say they provide the same learning opportunities to remote workers.
- The majority (66 percent) of managers say they’ve had a new hire accept a job offer, only to back out before the start date. A third (34 percent) of Gen Zers say they have accepted and then reneged on job offers, compared to only 13 percent of baby boomers.
“Companies can prevent this by developing processes for engaging new hires during the interval between formal acceptance and start dates,” the authors write. “Unfortunately, however, nearly one-third (30 percent) of companies say they don’t have such processes in place.”
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