An additional benefit of automation in today's digital enterprise is that employees are reportedly happier in their work. According to a report released today by HPE Aruba, employees around the world feel more positive about their futures if they are working in a digital environment.
The study, The Right Technologies Unlock the Potential of the Digital Workplace, which collected feedback from 7,000 global employees, found that technology at work makes people more productive and more positive. The study distinguishes two groups: The "digital revolutionaries" are those who work in fully enabled digital workplaces where new technologies are in widespread use. The "digital laggards" are employees whose workplaces afford them less access to technology.
Of the digital revolutionaries, 51% of respondents were more likely to report high job satisfaction, with an additional 72% of employees reporting an elevated ability to adopt new work-related skills.
Digital technology has sparked professional growth for 65% of revolutionary respondents, which is double the amount of professional development reported of non-technology users. Only 31% of the laggards said that technology supports their professional development. A large majority (69%) of UK employees would like to see fully automated equipment brought into the workplace. Nearly all UK employees (92%) said that the workplace would be improved through greater use of technology.
“No matter the industry, we’re seeing a move toward human-centric places as enterprises strive to meet rapidly changing expectations of how people want to work,” said Joseph White, director of workplace strategy, design and management, Herman Miller, in a press release. “This depends upon combining advances in technology – which includes furnishings – with the cognitive sciences to help people engage with work in new ways. This will not only mean singular, premium experiences for individuals, but also the opportunity for organizations to attract and retain the best talent.”
However, the study also revealed that cybersecurity is a challenge for UK employers when looking to implement a digital workplace. UK employees reported lower-than-average levels of cybersecurity awareness, which could lead to greater security risks if workplaces became more digitally focused.
While 52% of employees reported that they think about cybersecurity often or daily, in the past year, 25% of employees have connected to potentially unsafe open Wi-Fi and 20% said they use the same password across multiple applications and accounts.