Employers aren’t taking the opportunity to automate workflows and upgrade office spaces as part of their hybrid work strategies, says Jolene Castelyn, head of marketing at Ricoh South Africa. This is despite employees calling for them to digitalise manual processes.

They are also failing to invest in desk and room booking systems that would help to streamline their work processes and create sustainable work practices during the disruptive effects of the pandemic, Castelyn says.

This view is backed up by new research that confirms that employers are missing the opportunity to automate workflows and upgrade office spaces as part of their hybrid work strategies – despite employee calls to digitalise manual processes.

For more information, visit www.ricoh-europe.com

The research, conducted by Opinium for Ricoh Europe, polled 3 000 office workers across the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. It found that most European employees now believe that digitalising processes improves their work, as admin-heavy workloads, lack of office booking systems and inadequate workflow technology hamper employee experience.

Only 11% of office workers have access to workflow automation tools, while two-fifths (44%) report no change in their company’s investment in tools to automate tasks or processes over the past year. That’s despite the majority (69%) saying automating processes makes their work better – a shift from more skeptical attitudes to workplace digitalisation, pre-pandemic.

Hybrid work represents a major opportunity for employers to improve the employee experience and productivity by automating laborious and mundane tasks and processes. But they risk missing out if they fail to embrace the tools and procedures that can make hybrid working a success and meet employee needs.

Nearly half of workers (49%) say they would be more productive if their administrative burden wasn’t so high. Yet 42% are confused by the number of technology platforms they are expected to use, saying these additional tools actually increase their workload, rather than streamline it. This highlights the need for employers to take a consultative approach when considering the technology and systems that are best for their people. Platform overload could soon frustrate talent and lead them to look for opportunities elsewhere.

With employers trying to encourage workers back to the office, establishing processes to make this transition easy is vital. However, more than half of European office workers (54%) think there hasn’t been a change in the amount invested in desk and room booking systems. As many businesses look to downsize their office footprint, a lack of — or convoluted process for — desk booking could mean workers arrive at the office without an adequate workspace. This naturally contributes to creating a poor experience and a disincentive to return to the physical workplace.

“People aren’t afraid of being replaced by robots,” says Castelyn. “They realise it helps them get more done, faster and better. Employers facing a brain drain who don’t give employees the tools they need could find it increasingly difficult to fill roles with high-calibre skills. Quality tools not only help the business, they boost morale and productivity.”

For more information, visit www.ricoh-europe.com.

About Ricoh
Ricoh is empowering digital workplaces by leading change at work and using innovative technologies and services that enable individuals to work smarter from anywhere.

With cultivated knowledge and organisational capabilities nurtured over its 85-year history, Ricoh is a leading provider of digital services and information management, and print and imaging solutions designed to support digital transformation and optimise business performance.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group has major operations throughout the world and its products and services now reach customers in approximately 200 countries and regions. In the financial year ended March 2021, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of about US$15.1-billion.

For further information, please visit www.ricoh-europe.com.