According to a recent Deloitte survey, 40% of Gen Z workers would like to leave their current jobs within 2 years. Where are organizations missing the mark when it comes to retaining this generation? Organizations must consider whether they are providing the same level of efficiency that Gen Z is used to in their personal lives.
A key component to this is enabling a consumer-grade tech experience that mirrors the ease of use Gen Z is accustomed to. To achieve this, companies must elevate their IT practices and technology to enhance the overall digital employee experience (DEX). As a result, organizations will see more long-term business success and better employee retention, especially among the Gen Z workforce.
Breaking Down the Consumerization of IT
The two key aspects of today’s enterprises are people and technology. Technology and the digital world are becoming more and more prominent, ultimately shifting the definition of “real world” to extend beyond the physical world. This enforces the idea that as technology and everyday life become more intertwined, the workplace must adapt accordingly.
Currently, 67% of employees say the digital experience in their personal life is better than what they receive at work. Ninety percent of employees also believe there’s a connection between DEX and workplace happiness. Therefore, organizations must ensure their technology never stops serving their people. The consumerization of IT has been a growing trend in many facets of life, as people expect the same speed and convenience they are used to in their personal lives. This demand has also shifted to the workplace, especially as organizations encounter Gen Z, for whom all things digital typically tend to be second nature. Failure to meet shifting employee expectations around technology could result in increased turnover as employees face a lack of productivity and positive work experience.
The Benefits of Investing in IT Elevation
Historically, the IT department has had one main goal: to ensure company infrastructure works on a day-to-day basis, with minimal disruption or friction to employees. Today, IT has evolved into more than just a support function; it’s now a strategic business function that makes employees work better, quicker, and more efficiently.
Forrester defines DEX as “a personalized set of interactions, processes, and content resources that enables every employee to achieve success and enjoy a positive work experience.” While company infrastructure has previously relied on key metrics such as the health of the network, applications, and devices, organizations must now be concerned with the health of the DEX. Technology limitations with legacy software, as well as connectivity and access issues, cause digital friction in today’s hybrid work environment, resulting in an incohesive and less productive workforce. As employees may attempt to work around digital friction, this creates security issues, as well. Organizations that rely on DEX tools to proactively monitor and resolve IT issues will achieve a better understanding of and empathy for each employee’s individual experiences in the workplace.
Organizations must modernize their IT strategy if they plan to compete for the next generation of talent. As DEX can be a major roadblock to employee productivity and happiness, organizations that stray away from investing in elevating their IT risk the inability to not only attract the next generation of employees but also retain them.
Mark Banfield is CEO of 1E.