Employees in tech-centric workplaces outperform competitors: Survey

Adobe's latest research has revealed that 50 percent of office workers in India rate access to cutting-edge technology at the workplace above perks like food and slick office design.

Titled 'The Future of Work: APAC Study', the survey engaged almost 5,000 office workers from 10 countries across the region (including close to 700 respondents from India) and examined how the roles of people, experiences and machines are evolving and transforming workplaces.

Along with highlighting the critical role of technology in building positive employee experiences, the survey indicates that organisations investing in workplace technology are more likely to be successful in the market. The survey also found that 89 percent of employees who rate their companies as above-average business performers also believe their companies are technology-focused (compared to 64 percent for those who say their company is a below-average performer.)

In addition, employees of successful businesses are over two times more likely to rate their organisation as 'extremely focused' on technology, when compared to those who rate their companies as below-average performing businesses.

"In the current experience business era, smart organisations are realising that outstanding customer experiences hinge on their ability to attract the best people. As a result, businesses today are strategically investing in workplace technologies to drive productivity and deliver a compelling experience for employees", said Abdul Jaleel, Vice President, Employee Experience - India.

The survey found that technology is critical to enabling work-life balance for office workers across APAC and India. More than 87 percent of office workers surveyed from India were based in major metropolitan cities, with population of more than 2 million.

59 percent of office workers in India based in these major cities cite availability of job opportunities as a key factor behind for living there, followed by better of infrastructure facilities (48 percent), lifestyle standards (45 percent) and the presence of family or friends (43 percent). At nearly 22 percent, the high cost of living in India's major cities was voted the least important factor in their decision to choose their work location.

"Rapid economic evolution and unprecedented growth opportunities have positioned India at centerstage of the disruption being created by digital technologies. On one hand, the workforce is seeing tremendous opportunities for career advancement, and on the other, facing challenges emerging from widespread urbanization across its major cities," said Jaleel.

15 percent of APAC office workers felt their organisations were not at all focused on driving new ideas and innovative projects compared to 30 percent who feel their organisations are extremely focused. Respondents in India (91 percent) felt most confident about their organisations' focus on fostering innovation, while office workers in Hong Kong (75 percent) were most skeptical.

While technology spearheads innovation at workplaces, young workers are also driving positive transformation across organisations. India respondents stated that sparking creative thinking and innovative projects, creating diverse and open-minded environments, and propagating social media use and engagement are top ways younger workers are driving change.

"Home to the world's youngest population, millennials comprise a significant proportion of the total workforce in India, and are driving transformational changes at workplaces across the country. These discerning new age workers are not only leading the innovation charter at companies, but most importantly, becoming the torchbearers of diversity and use of technology at work," added Jaleel.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning have helped automate an increasing number of work functions that are changing the productivity paradigm. While anxious about the impact of these new technologies on their jobs, 95 percent of office workers in India are optimistic about using Artificial Intelligence to perform mundane tasks.