Is your digital transformation strategy contributing to employee burnout?

Why long-term DX success requires a people-first approach

All around the globe, burnout –  a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity – has emerged as a major health crisis. 

To put it bluntly, the statistics around this issue are alarming. To start, a 2021 study of over 1,000 workers conducted by job aggregator, Indeed, found that more than half (52%) of respondents were feeling burned out, and more than two-thirds (67%) believed the feeling has worsened over the course of the pandemic.

Sadly, this issue seems most acute amongst working parents. A new report released by Ohio State University found that 66% of working parents meet the criteria for parental burnout — a condition where chronic stress and exhaustion overwhelm a parent’s ability to cope and function.

While workplace and parental burnout is caused by a number of factors, there’s no denying that workplace technology plays a role in both the prevention and amplification of employee burnout. Especially in remote work environments and knowledge-based professions, few factors shape our work life more than digital technology. 

However, though digital transformation is often touted as a means to improving the employee experience, all too often, the opposite happens. In fact, whether due to a lack of training or the sheer effort it takes to manage multiple applications, a 2021 poll found that:

  • 35% of all U.S. employees are frustrated with their organization’s technology in general
  • 45% of workers say that technology does not make their job easier
  • One out of three employees say that workplace technology has a zero to negative impact on their ability to serve internal and external customers
  • 37% of employees said that technology either has no effect or makes it more challenging to collaborate with colleagues
     

So how do you ensure your digital transformation actually enhances peoples lives both at and outside of work? Well, we have a few ideas.

Co-Create Human-First Digital Transformations

It is often said that “happy employees make happy customers.” This applies to digital transformation as well. When embarking on a new DX initiative, it’s critical to involve employees from day one. 

The truth is, regardless of an employee’s skill level, the presence of automation alone can increase job security-related anxiety. In fact, studies have shown that not only is automation anxiety pervasive, it may be making workers sick

“Human creativity is necessary for innovation and the human element is at the root of all digital transformation. You cannot engage in any elements of digital transformation, without first considering the human-based artistic elements that will drive it, be it your internal teams or your consumers. Most organizations make the mistake of digging into the technology first, rather than scoping out the overall business objectives and mapping them to the current manual processes, workflows and initiatives that are prime for digitization and automation,” explains Jay Kulkarni, CEO and Founder of Theorem Inc.

He advises, “When initiating digital transformation within an organization, it is critical to involve team members at all levels to get a full understanding of employee needs and what elements of digitization will help to fulfill those needs. This is where creating a Center of Excellence (COE) comes into play. Creating a COE that has key stakeholders from all levels of your organization will not only give you a holistic view of your business needs and relevant areas primed for digitization, it will also give your employees a voice. Collaboration and feedback is a crucial element of digitization implementation and developing a well-structured COE will get you there.”

Another potential solution, according to Karina Monesson, Sr. Manager, HCM Research & Advisory, UKG, is design thinking. As she puts it, “following a design thinking process and soliciting employee feedback are excellent methods to help you determine which areas of the employee experience need the most support. Once you’ve established bottlenecks or pain points, you can choose the right technologies and pitch it to your people by highlighting exactly how it suits their specific needs. Execution and change management strategies are much more likely to achieve maximum adoption and efficiency when they’re designed with an organization’s unique culture and processes in mind, so communication and technology choices have to be personalized and tailored to you.”

Training, Upskilling & Reskilling

One reason new technology causes stress is that employees simply aren’t trained to use it effectively. As Keith Moore, Chief Product Officer, AutoScheduler.ai explains, “People resent technology when it is an open threat to their livelihood or costs them time and effort. [When] cross training does not occur, people feel inflexible and locked into their current roles — the best organizations want their employees to grow.” 

Equipping employees with the skills and, more importantly, mindsets needed to thrive in the digital age is not a one and done deal. Doing so effectively requires extensive, ongoing coaching that is personalized to individual needs. 

In addition to enaging with employees early on, DX leaders also need to partner with HR teams to identify skills gaps as well as who is best suited to adopt these new skills and how to train them is paramount to success. Furthermore, while most reskilling programs focus on building technical awareness, don’t forget to cultivate “soft skills” such as communication and relationship building. 

Last but not least, researchers from McKinsey have found that reskilling programs at small organizations (fewer than 1,000 employees) are often more successful than those at large ones. This is because smaller organizations tend to be more agile and have more visibility into skills shortages. In order for upskilling iniatives to succeed, DX leaders can’t be afraid to start now, test rapidly, fail fast and iterate. 

Avoid Application Overload

A 2020 study, From Work Chaos to Zen: How Application Overload Redefines the Digital Workplace, found that 69% of the 2,000 workers from the US, UK, and Australia surveyed wasted up to an hour a day navigating between apps. In addition, say they toggle between apps up to 10 times per hour

As startling as that figure is, it does not include the time it takes to locate the right application for their needs nor the amount of productivity lost per day due to disruptive alerts. 

The time has come for organizations to consolidate and integrate their massive application footprint whether through APIs or IPaaS. 

As Stanley Huang, CTO at Moxo, told us, “digital transformation has ultimately turned into digital fragmentation, and the digital employee experience needs to catch up to the seamless, and uberized customer experience.”

He adds, “As customers, we have become used to seamless and intuitive interactions, but as employees stepping into the workplace, we are often met with a different experience. So do away with those outdated legacy systems, and instead, opt for technology that provides a unified experience that reduces the amount of touch points to access information. This will instantly speed up the flow of communication across the organization and allow teams to operate more efficiently.”

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            Meto

            Meto

            Meto is a tech-based nonprofit intent on making access to quality higher education a reality for all students. We have a special focus on creating scholarships for low-income students.


            In 2018, Meto was founded to connect African students with university opportunities. Along the way, we have learned that all students can benefit from our innovative model, wherein universities make the first move and invite good-fit students to apply. So, in 2023, we opened our platform to students across the globe.

            website: https://meto-intl.org/

                      Nikhil Badlani Foundation

                      The Mission of the Nikhil Badlani Foundation (the “Foundation”) is to enhance the lives of underserved children in West Orange, NJ and neighboring communities through music lessons, scholarships, and traffic safety education for all.

                      Since the Foundation was established in 2011, Theorem has consistently been an annual sponsor of and team participant in the STOP for Nikhil 5K Run/3K Walk. This event intends to raise traffic safety awareness and to serve as a way to remembervbgfc ≈ and honor those who have been killed or seriously injured in traffic accidents. We recognize the importance of raising awareness and road safety amongst teenagers and parents alike, especially in the local communities of our Chatham, New Jersey office. Learn more about the Nikhil Badlani Foundation at nikhilbadlanifoundation.org

                      Diversity and Inclusion

                      Theorem actively aids in the ongoing fight against systemic racism and discrimination, realizing the importance of ongoing discussions surrounding diversity and inclusion.

                      By contributing to organizations such as Black Girls Code and the Anti-Racism fund, we aim to be a fundamental supporter of diversity in the workplace and beyond. These organizations specifically speak to Theorem’s role as a leading voice in the technology innovation space and we avidly support their missions. The vision of Black Girls Code is to empower girls of color, ages 7-17 to become innovators in STEM fields and encourages them to be the builders of their own futures. The Anti-Racism Fund serves as a response to the inequities experienced by the African-American community. It provides monetary support to a dynamic portfolio of curated organizations as a way to inject and enable social change.

                      Feeding America

                      Feeding America is the largest charity working to end hunger in the United States. By partnering with local food banks, food pantries and other community food programs, Feeding America looks to advance change across the country and ensure equitable access to nutritious food.

                      As a long-standing contributor and sponsor of Feeding America, we deeply believe in their vision of an America without hunger. The need for and importance of organizations like Feeding America has has become more and more prevalent as communities face more hardships as a result of the pandemic and the current economy. Theorem is dedicated to its continued contributions to Feeding America to do our part to empower and strengthen our communities. Learn more about Feeding America at www.feedingamerica.org

                      Grameen America

                      Grameen America is dedicated to helping entrepreneurial women who live in poverty build businesses to enable financial stability mobility.

                      Since their founding in the United States in 2008, Theorem has supported Grameen America’s mission, which seeks to build upon the legacy of Presidential Medal of Freedom, Congressional Gold Medal and Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. Through financial contributions and event participation, Theorem has contributed to Grameen America’s cause. As an immigrant entrepreneur himself, our CEO Jay Kulkarni is especially eager to support the organization’s mission of aiding underserved communities. Learn more about Grameen America at www.grameenamerica.org

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                      VisionSpring is making the wonder of clear vision possible for all by helping provide affordable and quality eyeglasses to those in need. For many, lack of access to affordable eyeglasses leads to loss of employment or less educational opportunities.

                      VisionSpring partners with organizations who join them in their mission of supporting livelihood initiatives, enhancing potential for all. Learn more about Vision Spring at https://visionspring.org Theorem has consistently partnered with VisionSpring to organize free events, such as eye check-ups, across multiple villages in the Mysuru, India region, impacting over 3,000 rural residents. We stand with VisionSpring in their mission to increase accessibility to quality eyewear and eye care.

                      Covenant House

                      Covenant House provides housing and supportive services to youth facing homelessness, helping young people transform their lives.

                      For more than 5+ years, Theorem has supported Covenant House with corporate sponsorships, leading career-building workshops at their Newark, NJ shelter facility and participation in the organization’s fund raising Sleep Outs. Covenant House utilizes these Sleep Outs to raise funds and help shine a light on the injustice of youth homelessness, inspiring communities to step up and protect the vulnerable. We are proud to support Covenant House’s programs, which are designed to empower young people to overcome and rise above adversity, today and in the future. Learn more about Covenant House at www.covenanthouse.org

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