1 in 10 Norwich employees would quit job for better tech

New research by AMD in collaboration with Theo Priestley, a futurist and technology expert, has revealed that tech delays are eating over an hour of the average Norwich-based employee’s working day.

Time is not the only thing lost to outdated technology, however, as almost half of Norwich workers admit that it has a negative impact on their productivity in their jobs. What’s more, morale can be impacted when employees feel they have to work overtime to make up the time they have lost due to tech issues.

While the cost of upgrading technology throughout a workplace may seem steep, the consequences of outdated technology could be more costly in the long run – in more way than one.

• The average employee loses 32 days of work time a year to outdated technology

In business, time is money. And if time is lost, money is lost. With an hour wasted a day due to outdated tech, this works out to a shocking 32 days of working time per year – that’s more than they spend on holiday!

Daily, circa 15 mins are lost at the hands of lagging meeting room technology, 30 mins can be held accountable to slow software and a further 15-30 mins are simply lost booting up the computer. Add this all up and it could be costing businesses serious money.

Futurist and technology expert, Theo Priestley says, “The value of upgrading technology goes beyond improved efficiency through automation. Deployed in the right way, the right technology can promote a more collaborative and diverse workforce and encourage them to be more productive. Technology can also promote an inclusive culture, improving morale and connecting employees and disparate departments that would normally operate in silos.”

Of course, another factor to consideration is the security of outdated technology, which can leave a business financially and intellectually vulnerable.

Priestley explains:

“Outdated technology and software means easy exploitation from inside and outside the organisation. If you’re not using the latest versions of operating systems, or software that you’ve invested in then there’s greater chance for someone to exploit known weaknesses in that system and expose or steal data or valuable company information from them.”

• 48% of Norwich workers admit their productivity suffers at the hands of outdated workplace tech

Delays experienced due to outdated workplace technology could not only cost a business money, but also be harmful to the productivity and morale of the workforce. While almost half of Norwich workers admit that they’re less productive at work when they have to put up with lagging tech, 40% also say they lose motivation and almost a third lose their train of thought when they stop to wait for a tech hold-up.

This is frustrating for anyone to deal with on a daily basis, but 1 in 10 would go as far as to say outdated technology makes them want to quit their job, to seek another opportunity in a business that offers equipment that will empower them in their work. Gen Z are the most likely to feel this way – as a generation brought up on technology – with a fifth admitting they’d leave a job for this reason.

Futurist and technology expert, Theo Priestley explains, “Employees become frustrated that they work in an environment that hinders their ability to complete their work on time – when hours are wasted waiting on inefficient or outdated software. As a result of this frustration there would be a high likelihood that employee retention would be dented, because they’ll simply want to work for an organisation that has invested in technology to support them, not hinder them.”

To add fuel to the fire, the consequences of tech delays and lost productivity are encroaching on Norwich residents’ personal lives, with 65% saying they work extra hours to make up for time lost throughout the day.

For a full overview of the research please visit our website.