Wasted Workday: Employees Lose Over Two Weeks Each Year Due To IT-Related Issues
Glitches Aside, Professionals Have Positive Feelings about Tech Infrastructure
Mar 22, 2016, 08:02 ET
MENLO PARK, Calif., March 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Employees could be losing more than two work weeks each year, not on a tropical vacation, but trying to get their computer equipment to work. According to a new survey of U.S. office workers by Robert Half Technology, professionals waste 22 minutes each day, on average, dealing with IT-related issues. For someone who works five eight-hour days for 50 weeks of the year, that translates into a loss of more than 91 hours per year. Despite the time spent tackling tech glitches, nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of employees rate their organization's IT infrastructure good or excellent.
View an infographic of the survey findings.
Workers were asked, "How many minutes per day, on average, would you say you lose due to technology issues?" The mean response was 22 minutes.
Workers were also asked, "On a scale of one to five, with one being very poor and five being excellent, how would you rate your company's technology infrastructure (e.g., computers, network connectivity, intranet and other equipment)?" Their responses:
| 5 – Excellent |
27% |
| 4 – Good |
38% |
| 3 – Neutral |
23% |
| 2 – Poor |
9% |
| 1 – Very Poor |
3% |
| 100% |
"Technology is a double-edged sword in most organizations -- it can be an enormous time-saver, but it can also be a drain if things aren't working well or people don't know how to use the tools provided to them," said John Reed, executive director of Robert Half Technology. "A proactive and highly proficient help desk can be a huge productivity asset to companies and their employees."
Robert Half Technology offers three strategies for IT managers to save employees time dealing with tech issues.
- Hire help desk superheroes. Bringing in top-notch IT staff can make all the difference in keeping your employees free from tech-related woes. Make sure your IT support team is up to date on best practices so they can relay that knowledge to the rest of the company to ensure maximum efficiency.
- Communicate proactively. Make sure employees are set up with the right technology from day one and they know who to call when they run into trouble. Encourage help desk professionals to not only fix problems but also share best practices with those they are assisting to prevent repeat issues.
- Anticipate the need for additional support. Make help desk support a priority, especially during upgrades or implementations, when there may be a learning curve for users. Consider bringing in help desk consultants to augment your core team during busy times.
About the Research
The survey was developed by Robert Half Technology and conducted by an independent research firm. It includes responses from more than 300 U.S. workers 18 years or older and employed in office environments.
About Robert Half Technology
Robert Half Technology is a leading provider of technology professionals for initiatives ranging from web development and multiplatform systems integration to network security and technical support. Robert Half Technology offers online job search services at rht.com. More information, including online job search services and our award-winning technology blog, can be found at blog.rht.com.
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SOURCE Robert Half Technology