How Businesses Can Avoid Tech-Related Employee Frustration

Your employees and business technology should work hand-in-hand to create long-lasting value for your organization, but that’s far from guaranteed.

In some cases, employees and technology seem to pull in opposite directions. That’s usually the case when an employee isn’t quite aligned with the tools they’re being asked to use, or when their devices simply aren’t up to the standard they need to be for the employee to deliver their best work.

The truth is, while technology has an awesome power to turbocharge an employee’s output, it also has the capacity to cause unnecessary problems. An employee who is continually battling with their tools will eventually grow frustrated, resulting in decreased morale and productivity.

The good news is that this is an issue that’s relatively easy to fix simply by taking a few proactive steps. In this post, we’ll outline some of the best strategies for ensuring that your business’s technology works with your employees, not against them. 

Streamline Tools and Software 

There are a million and one tools out there that promise to boost employee productivity, and that’s a conservative estimate. The problem is that while all those tech tools might offer some value, if an employee is subjected to too many of them, then it’s much more likely that they’ll simply become overwhelmed. Having to deal with a seemingly never-ending list of devices and software is enough to test the patience of anyone.

The solution? Keep things streamlined. A single device and one or two platforms should be enough in an age when technology is more capable than ever. 

Invest in Maintenance and Repair

An employee dealing with a damaged device won’t only be frustrated; they’ll also be unproductive. Alas, even the best tech tools experience issues from time to time. It’s not the presence of issues that counts, but how the business responds to them.

Employees can handle a day or two with a slow device, but won’t accept working with a substandard tool for months on end. Partnering with a company that offers corporate phone and laptop repair services can ensure that your devices can be repaired quickly and efficiently whenever you encounter a problem. It’s also important to recognise when an upgrade is necessary — even the best machines don’t last forever!

Focus on User-Friendliness 

Some software has clearly been designed from a function-first, user-second perspective. That’s fine if you’re a tech wizard and can make sense of the tool, but if you’re not, then it’ll be an unnecessarily confusing experience. Choosing software that is intuitive for users ensures that anyone who has to use the tool can quickly get up to speed, which is especially useful when getting new recruits up and running.

Block Out of Hours Communication 

Finally, one way to prevent your employees from having a love/hate relationship with work-related technology is to prevent out-of-hours communication. Modern devices may allow for an ‘always on’ culture, but your employees will be happier without it. Once they’re out of the office, they should feel free.