Why Employees Ignore Business Technology
(And What You Can Do About It)
Businesses invest thousands of pounds in technology every year.
New software.
New communications platforms.
New collaboration tools.
The expectation is simple: better technology will improve productivity, efficiency and the employee experience.
Yet many organisations discover that months after implementation, employees are still using old processes, avoiding new features or finding workarounds.
The technology hasn't failed.
User adoption has.
New software.
New communications platforms.
New collaboration tools.
The expectation is simple: better technology will improve productivity, efficiency and the employee experience.
Yet many organisations discover that months after implementation, employees are still using old processes, avoiding new features or finding workarounds.
The technology hasn't failed.
User adoption has.
The biggest challenge isn't implementation
Most technology projects focus heavily on selecting the right platform.
While these are all important, they often overlook one critical factor:
Will people actually use it?
The success of any communications platform depends on employee adoption.
If staff find the platform difficult to use or doesn't fit naturally into the way they work, they'll often revert to old habits.
If staff find the platform difficult to use or doesn't fit naturally into the way they work, they'll often revert to old habits.
Why employees resist new technology
Resistance isn't always about change.
More often, it's about complexity.
More often, it's about complexity.
Common reasons include:
- Too many different applications.
- Poor user experience.
- Insufficient training.
- Processes becoming more complicated instead of simpler.
- No clear understanding of the benefits.
Employees want technology that helps them do their job, not technology that creates additional work.
Simplicity drives adoption
The best communications platforms often have one thing in common.
They're easy to use.
Employees shouldn't have to think about where to make a call, send a message or join a meeting.
The experience should feel intuitive.
When communication tools work together in one place, employees spend less time navigating technology and more time focusing on customers and colleagues.
They're easy to use.
Employees shouldn't have to think about where to make a call, send a message or join a meeting.
The experience should feel intuitive.
When communication tools work together in one place, employees spend less time navigating technology and more time focusing on customers and colleagues.
Training shouldn't stop after launch
Launching a new communications platform isn't the finish line.
It's the beginning.
Successful organisations continue to support employees through:
It's the beginning.
Successful organisations continue to support employees through:
Small changes over time often have a greater impact than one large implementation project.
Measuring success
It's easy to measure how many licences have been purchased.
It's much harder, but far more valuable, to measure how successfully people are using the platform.
It's much harder, but far more valuable, to measure how successfully people are using the platform.
Consider questions such as:
These outcomes are what determine the return on your technology investment.
Technology should work around people
The best technology doesn't force employees to change how they work.
It supports them.
When choosing a communications platform, look beyond features and functionality.
It supports them.
When choosing a communications platform, look beyond features and functionality.
Consider how easy it will be for your people to adopt, embrace and benefit from it every day.
Because technology is only valuable if people actually use it.
Next blog, we'll explore why choosing the right communications partner can be just as important as choosing the right technology.
Because technology is only valuable if people actually use it.
Next blog, we'll explore why choosing the right communications partner can be just as important as choosing the right technology.
