NTT Ltd, a leading IT infrastructure and services company and parent company of Dimension Data, last week unveiled findings of its 2023 Global Employee Experience Trends Report, exploring how current workplace trends, such as hybrid work and Artificial intelligence (AI), are influencing employee experience strategies and the correlation between EX and business performance.
The report found that while 90% of businesses see the enablement of hybrid and remote work as having a positive impact on their bottom line, less than half (48%) of organizations strongly agree that employees have access to the technology they need to work well both at home, and in the office.
Many organizations are now implementing more structured approaches to work, with the report finding that approximately 56% of hybrid workers spend half the work week at the office. However, with hybrid models still favourable and recognized by most business leaders as fundamental to positive EX, organizations need to ensure they are providing employees with the technologies they need to work effectively, regardless of location.
This shows how the EX-narrative has evolved over the last several years. Today, it is a business-wide priority to ensure employees feel empowered and have the right technologies in place to drive efficiency. Previously, EX strategies have primarily focused on employee wellbeing.
Top-performing companies that increased their IT spend and invested in EX technology were 56% more likely than under-performers to report improved business growth due to improvements to EX, and 89% more likely than all others to have significantly increased employee satisfaction.
Commenting on the research, Marc Jessiman, Vice President of Technology Solutions at Dimension Data, said: “There is still too much of a disconnect between what employers provide and what employees require. Many employees prefer to work according to what works best for them, but hybrid working strategies often limit that flexibility.”
Interestingly, 73% of organizations agree that hybrid and remote working contribute to mobility investments over the last two years, yet more needs to be done to improve EX and reduce disconnects. “As a result, satisfied and engaged employees are 66% more likely to provide exceptional customer service,” added Jessiman.
In addition to hybrid work, EX is also being impacted by the rise in AI, with the emerging technology voted as the #1 enabler of future customer experience (CX) and EX strategies, and AI interfaces rising to become the norm for 4 in 5 organizations within the next 12 months. Despite this, 87% of organizations agree that human-led support remains a critical element in their customer engagement.
“NTT’s report findings are reflective of today’s dynamic work landscape, including a more permanent era of hybrid work and focus on employee engagement, said Sheila McGee-Smith, President & Principal Analyst, McGee-Smith Analytics.
“The adoption of AI is growing, driven by the real business outcomes revolutionary AI technologies are bringing,” says McGee-Smith. “Organizations are seeking guidance on how to harness all that AI has to offer to succeed in dominating their markets while supporting employee fulfilment and well-being.”
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