Most companies have no idea how people do their jobs

Many companies are unaware of how employees’ digital workplace experiences impact productivity, according to a new report from Scalable Software ( signup ). The report suggests that nearly half of organizations (45 percent) are not conducting an “employee journey mapping,” making them unaware of how digital friction — the difficulties people have when working with technology — is affecting people’s ability to complete tasks at work. The report says this limits their understanding of the challenges people face when working with technology.

Scalable Software surveyed 400 senior IT decision makers (ITDMs) and found a significant gap between how IT leaders perceive the digital employee experience (DEX) and how employees experience it. While 92 percent of these IT leaders believe they have enough data to optimize employee digital experiences, employees disagree. Previous research among knowledge workers suggests that more than half (52 percent) rate their company’s digital tools as poor or just adequate, and many feel their digital work environment is deteriorating.

Mark Cresswell, co-founder of Scalable Software, highlighted this growing gap. “Our analysis clearly shows a growing disconnect between how useful traditional tools are in the context of DEX and the benefits that employees receive,” he said. This suggests that while IT may feel prepared to manage digital experiences, employees are not seeing the improvements that these tools should provide.

A key finding from the study is that companies are focusing too much on technology-centric KPIs. The report says organizations should also track factors like employee burnout, engagement, isolation and overall attitude — none of which can be effectively monitored with traditional IT tools. It suggests that these employee-centric metrics are key to understanding how digital tools really impact employee productivity and morale.

According to the survey, fewer than 60 percent of IT leaders share this data with their HR departments, meaning many employees may not be receiving the support they need. This lack of communication between IT and HR is concerning, as 88 percent of IT leaders recognize the need for better collaboration between the two departments. However, without the right systems in place, efforts to improve communication and employee experience can remain ineffective.