Intelligent office spaces are no longer limited to new builds. Older buildings are also improving with the use of software, digital signage and apps. Whether in small companies or larger organisations, there are many elements that are important to maximise usage and comfort within the workspace, for example; meeting room booking systems, space management tools, furniture and technology. More and more, these factors are being integrated to help better support employees’ productivity, mobility and well-being.
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The Boardroom Statistics
This marked change in workspace design has come at the right time; a recent study, conducted across six European countries and surveying more than 6,000 professionals, found that around 25% of employees feel frustrated by outdated working methods. Overall, almost two-thirds of those surveyed held a bad opinion of their workspace.
Could these unfavourable opinions be due to outdated methods and tools, that may be triggering frustration?
- Only 25% of professionals describe their work environment as “motivating”, instead of using words such as “uninspiring”, “dark“, “oppressive” or even “toxic“.
- Nevertheless, 38% of respondents find their work environment “calm”, and only 10% find it “boring”.
- 29% of those surveyed also mentioned too much time spent on unpleasant administrative tasks, while 30% spoke of the bad habit of using email to communicate, rather than talking with colleagues face-to-face.
Among the reasons given for negativity, almost a quarter (23%) considered outdated methods and tools of work as direct sources of frustration. More than half of respondents (52%) consider the technology in their work environment to be “restrictive“, and an obstacle to their creativity.
Professionals estimate that employees are frustrated three times a day on average, because of technologies that do not meet their needs. This frustration shows: 35% of respondents regularly claim that the digital tools they use are defective, with 46% preferring to use their own smartphone, tablet or other devices, rather than those provided by their employer.
Moving Forward
Nearly 43% of Generation Y employees are the first to say that they would be much more motivated in their work if their employer made newer technology available. Over the next decade, Generation Y will represent the majority of working professionals in our country.
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