Dive Brief:

• More than one-third of U.S. employees say the technology involved in daily work frustrates them, according to data published Wednesday by Eagle Hill Consulting. The survey consulted 1,000 U.S. employees across various industries.

• Of those surveyed, 44% said workplace technology either does nothing to make them feel happy in their job or makes their work harder. One-third of employees say their company's technology doesn't help or makes it harder to serve internal or external customers. 

• Failing to engage employees at all stages of technology decisions and deployment "can create more problems than it solves," said Melissa Jezior, president and CEO at Eagle Hill Consulting, in a release.

Dive Insight:

One year and change into the global remote work experiment, leaders still haven't entirely solved the technology challenges associated with their new operating model. 

Tech executives risk negative impacts on productivity, morale, work quality and workforce retention when technology doesn't fit the bill – all key drivers of business outcomes, according to said Jezior. 

Tech tools also act as a determinant of workplace engagement, especially among IT professionals. Easy access to information, satisfaction with collaboration technology, and technology security policies boost employee engagement.

Workers who were in the top 20% of Forrester's employee experience (EX) index — a metric used to assess how engaged employees are — were more likely to be satisfied with their technology environment, signaling a connection between a company's technology deployment and employee satisfaction. 

But simply spinning up leading technology products throughout the organization does not always lead to the desired outcomes, according to Jezior. To get the highest return from tech investments, businesses need employee input.

"Technology change should focus on responding to employee needs and shifting ingrained worker behaviors to deliver more value, and that’s where organizations often fall short," said Jezior.

Employee insight into tech deployment can help reduce tech tool burnout. Zoom fatigue became a catchphrase during the pandemic as employees navigate the digital iterations of their jobs. The novelty of messaging platforms also began to erode, leading vendors to iterate on functionalities.

Through tech tool deployment, the CIO also plays a role in shaping company culture and operations. Organizations can't enable data-driven operations without the set of tools that can enable such a culture, making the CIO a de-facto influencer.