Few Employers Capitalizing on Job Satisfaction Benefits of Digitization

With historically low unemployment rates, it’s more important than ever to keep employees satisfied and engaged because they are simply in greater demand and have more options. So, employers should be doing whatever they reasonably can to ensure their employees are happy and satisfied.

Employers have traditionally sought ways to boost the satisfaction of employees with everything from more vacation days to pet-friendly environments to foosball tables and free food. However, they may not realize that a more practical approach could yield big benefits.

Technology and Employee Satisfaction

The Randstad US study Workplace 2025: The Post-Digital Frontier looked at “how companies can leverage technology to meet the needs and expectations of their workforce, drive productivity and support future growth.” The study evaluated responses from 800 company leaders and 3,000 workers.
Randstad found that although 62% of jobseekers said they were greatly influenced in their desire to work for a particular company by that company’s reputation as a “digital leader,” 66% of workers surveyed said that their employers’ digital transformation wasn’t meeting their expectations!
After having the latest digital and technology skills, employees cited savings or financial assistance programs (i.e., 401(k) and tuition reimbursement) and vacation as contributing to job satisfaction.

Tech Doesn’t Have to be ‘High Tech’

While “technology” might at first sound like a daunting or expensive factor for employers to tackle, the types of specific items cited by employees do not represent significant undertakings. Employee satisfaction could be boosted by simply providing workers with a quality laptop that has access to speedy Internet.
Unfortunately, employers may not realize the importance of a positive tech experience—many are missing the mark. The study found that only 42% of organizations are restructuring their HR operations or updating their strategies to make use of digital tools. And of that 42%, only 51% considered themselves highly effective or very effective at doing so.
Keeping employees happy should be a key goal of all organizations considering the leverage today’s employees have in the employment market. It’s important, in that regard, to pay attention to what employees say is important to them and see what they can do to make improvements in those areas.
While some employees may value the opportunity to bring their pets to work, for many, simply having the right technology to get the job done can go a long way toward generating not only satisfaction but also enhanced productivity!