‘Employees feel capable and connected': the vital role played by good technology in job satisfaction

The Guardian

6 hours ago

With the rapid pace of digital evolution, the integration of new technology into business operations – digital transformation – is crucial for organisations to survive and succeed.
And the role of technology in enabling staff to do their job smoothly and efficiently is more important than ever. The way employees worked changed for many professions with the pandemic, leading to a boom in hybrid working that continues to this day. As a result, to thrive in the current business climate, workers increasingly rely on remote access, remote desktop support and online collaboration.
'Technology plays a critical role in how employees experience their work,' says Mark Banfield, chief commercial officer at TeamViewer, a provider of remote access and remote-control computer software, whose products range from Frontline, an industrial augmented-reality (AR) platform, to Tensor, a cloud-based connectivity solution. 'When technology functions well, it's almost invisible; it simply empowers people to focus, collaborate and be productive without friction. But when it breaks down, the impact is immediate: productivity drops, frustration rises and valuable time is lost.
'That's why it's so important to have workplace technology that supports employees seamlessly. Whether that's proactive issue detection, instant remote support or intuitive tools that guide them through tasks, the goal should always be to remove barriers and enable people to do their best work,' he says.
Typical frustrations with workplace tech among staff include systems that are slow or unreliable, tech that doesn't integrate properly, and long delays in getting support when things go wrong.
'These issues create digital friction that takes a real toll on productivity and engagement,' says Banfield. 'That's why a unified platform that provides proactive monitoring, instant remote support, and seamless device management is so important, which is what we provide with our new platform TeamViewer ONE. It removes the complexity for employees and ensures they can stay focused and productive.'
Retaining talentWhen it comes to securing top talent, workplace tech is a key differentiator. Platforms that support the digital employee experience (DEX) can significantly enhance job satisfaction, which in turn supports the retention of valuable staff and increases employee productivity.
'The link between good technology and job satisfaction is stronger than ever, especially in hybrid and distributed work environments,' says Banfield. 'Employees expect their workplace tech to work just as well as the tools they use in their personal lives. When it doesn't, it creates friction that affects performance, morale, and even retention. Tech that enhances satisfaction does three things well: it works reliably, it supports productivity without being intrusive and it helps employees feel connected and capable, even if they're remote.'
A proactive approachAnticipating issues with workplace tech before they arise is another crucial element in keeping staff happy at work. When the US speciality insurer RLI Insurance began struggling with a reactive approach to IT problems it turned to TeamViewer for a solution. Its concerns were that limited endpoint visibility – the ability to view, monitor and manage endpoints of the IT network – obscured digital issues, while employees hesitated to report problems.
The company took a proactive approach by investing in workplace tech that allowed it to troubleshoot potential problems before these issues could have an impact on its staff productivity. RLI implemented TeamViewer's DEX platform, which finds and resolves IT issues before they affect users, eliminating digital friction, avoiding costly downtime, and keeping IT operations running smoothly.
With the platform's monitoring capabilities, RLI gained real-time visibility into the performance of every device and application across its organisation. 'We didn't have to get a call; we detected it,' says Jeremy Roberts, RLI's IT manager for technology support, describing how the team now identifies and resolves potential issues before they affect employees.
TeamViewer's sophisticated monitoring system continuously performs microtransactions to test the different functions of each device.
Training employees on new technologiesTechnology can also influence job satisfaction if it can support employees with training and in learning new roles. In a new study into digital transformation readiness, commissioned by TeamViewer* and interviewing more than 600 business leaders, employee empowerment came out as the biggest single theme. This reinforces the need to equip employees not just with new technologies, but also the training and support to use them. For example, TeamViewer's Frontline system enables experts to guide workers through complex issues remotely. Using AR, the experts can see what the worker sees.
Putting employees firstBusinesses that foster a culture of innovation and adaptability will be best placed to maximise the benefits of digital transformation. Ultimately, the key lies in ensuring that workplace technology is centred around employees, their work and their wellbeing, rather than the other way around.
'The key is to design technology with the employee experience at the centre, not as an afterthought,' says Banfield. 'That means implementing tools that are intuitive, responsive, and tailored to real-world workflows. It also means using analytics and feedback loops to continually improve the way technology supports people, rather than expecting them to adapt to clunky or outdated systems.'
*Bloomberg Media and TeamViewer: the Workplace Reimagined research study conducted by MTM
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