Workfront’s 7th Annual State of Work report has revealed that despite economic uncertainty and a fiercely competitive job market, 49% of the UK workforce would leave their job due to frustrations with technology, a figure that has risen from 33% prior to the pandemic.
Workfront, an Adobe Company, carried out two surveys of 1,000 UK respondents. The first was prior to the UK’s lockdown restrictions in February 2020, and the second was nine months later during November and December 2020, providing a unique window into the true impact of the pandemic on the UK’s digital workforce.
The report found that:
- While employees feel significantly more invested in their current job than before the pandemic—an increase of 16 points, from 56% to 81%—they have become more intolerant of inadequate or inefficient technology that prevents them from doing their best work and are prepared to take action.
- The day-to-day impact of outdated or irrelevant technology on the UK workforce results in people feeling less productive (45%), more stressed (33%), and unable to take on new tasks (36%).
- In February 2020 one-in-five (21%) workers said they had already quit a job because workplace technology made their roles more difficult, and this rose to nearly a third (32%) by the end of the year—implying that workers have left secure jobs during the pandemic to escape the challenges of poor technology.
- The number of people who turned down a job because the technology was out of date or hard to use rose by 18%, while the number of digital workers who reported applying for a job because they heard a company’s employees use great technology increased by 16%, compared with pre-pandemic data.
- The generational digital divide is narrowing. A greater demand for the newest and best technology is being felt across all age groups. Pre-pandemic, just under a quarter (24%) of Gen X respondents would consider leaving a role because of outdated technology, but the latest data shows almost half (48%) would now look for a new position. Similarly, the same response from Millennials grew from 37% to exactly half (50%).
“Despite a global pandemic, our very human need to find meaning in our work is revealed in this data. With so many of us now used to working completely remotely, away from the team dynamic, it’s critically important for our productivity, and mental health, that the technology we are using is up-to-scratch and keeps us connected with the rest of our team. Frustrating technology, that wastes time, isn’t fit for purpose and is archaic, is no longer acceptable in the new world of work.” Alex Shootman, VP and GM, Workfront, an Adobe company.
