Technology helps us, sure, but think about the last time you:
- gave up on a frustrating app you thought you’d love
- dropped a streaming service because it was too hard to use
- abandoned a customer support call because the routing system didn’t work
Chances are, you’ve experienced tech disengagement — a symptom of cognitive overload that turns the tech that should make our lives easier against us. As annoying as it is in our personal lives, it’s worse at work.
Although 4 in 5 employees say tech helps them get more work done faster, 77% admit their software at work frustrates them. For most people, annoying workarounds, insecure shortcuts and rampant headaches are a regular part of their workplace tools.
But for HR tech, it doesn’t have to be this way. With the right software, you can overcome tech disengagement and empower employees with an experience they’ll actually enjoy.
In the meantime, keep these warning signs in mind as you work to identify and overcome tech disengagement in your organization.
What are the warning signs of tech disengagement?
While how it appears can vary across industries, tech disengagement creates several universal impacts. Here are just a few prominent examples.
Employees filling out paper forms
If your company uses self-service HR software, no one should have to provide tax, expense, direct-deposit or time-off request forms by hand. Tedious work and needless data reentry could point to a general frustration with the tech you’ve purchased.
However, before you invest in a new tech provider, ensure their software has a tool for effectively measuring employee usage. Ideally, the tech should give you a real-time projection of how your workforce engages with the software — and reveal opportunities for greater ROI.
Jokes or complaints about faulty tech
Tech disengagement is no laughing matter. But if you routinely hear employees bash your software or make jokes at its expense, it’s harming their engagement, not to mention your org’s bottom line.
New hires quitting during onboarding
Your company works hard to recruit and retain employees. Unfortunately, tech that makes it hard to communicate and keep track of candidates or new hires could push them away before you have a chance to save them.
Make sure your onboarding tool simplifies the recruiting and hiring processes, even allowing them to easily complete important tasks before Day 1.