TRENDING
Revolutionaries’, employees identified
as those who work in fully-enabled
digital workplaces where new workplace
technologies are in widespread use,
were 51% more likely to have strong
job satisfaction, and 43% more likely to
be positive about their work-life balance
than ‘Digital Laggards’, those who have
less access to workplace technology. The
Revolutionary employees were also 60%
more likely to say they are motivated at
work and 91% more likely to praise their
company’s vision
• Digital working also supports
professional development: A total of
65% of Revolutionaries reported they
had seen professional development
and growth through the use of digital
technology, compared to just 31%
of Laggards. With a digital workplace,
72% of Revolutionaries reported a
higher ability to adopt new work skills as
compared to 58% of Laggards
• Productivity gains from digital
technology quantified: A total of 73%
of Digital Revolutionaries reported a
positive impact to their productivity
and 70% cited improved collaboration
thanks to digital technologies verses
55% of Laggards
• Continued advancements in digital
technology and automation pave the
way for better workplace experiences:
While automation can be perceived as a
threat to job security, our research found
that there was widespread enthusiasm
for it. A total of 71% of respondents said
they would welcome a fully automated
workplace in the future, allowing
organisations to build smarter, more
effective working environment
• Globally, 69% of respondents said
their companies have invested in digital
workplace tools in the past year, and
interest is growing in a new generation
of technologies including smart building
tools that automate temperature controls
and lighting (24%), voice-activated
and wireless AV technology (23%), and
custom corporate mobile apps (23%)
• Most respondents thought digital
technology would result in a more
efficient (56%), more collaborative
(52%) and more appealing (47%)
work environment
While the benefits of digital workplaces are
wide-ranging, the study also revealed that
cybersecurity is a challenge for employers.
• Although employees reported higher
levels of cybersecurity awareness (52%
think about security often or daily), they
also admitted to taking more risks with
company data and devices, with 70%
admitting to risky behaviours such as
sharing passwords and devices
• A quarter (25%) of employees have
connected to potentially unsafe open Wi-
Fi in the past 12 months, 20% said they
use the same password across multiple
applications and accounts, and 17%
admitted to writing down passwords in
order to remember them
Gamal Emara, Country Manager, UAE
at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise
company, said: “Our research shows that
digital workplace trends in UAE are in
line with global trends. Organisations in
the country and the larger Middle East
Almost all respondents (93%)
thought their workplace would be
improved through greater use of
technology, while 64% said their
company will fall behind the competition
if new technology isn’t implemented.
INTELLIGENTCIO
“The organisations that capitalise
on implementing a digitally-enabled
workplace will gain a competitive
edge, by helping employees fnish tasks
quicker as well as making the process
more collaborative and enjoyable.
Simultaneously, companies need to be
aware of the growing information security
threats that are now a routine problem for
increasingly connected organisations. Our
findings suggest that the problem is as
much about human failures as it is digital
workplace design.”
These findings indicate that companies must
adapt to leverage the benefits of new digital
workplace technology while simultaneously
minimising security risks. Aruba recommends
that organisations take the following actions:
The study also found that employees are
enthusiastic about new technology and have
a desire for their employers to provide more.
26
region need to understand that more
digitally-driven workplaces not only foster
productivity, but employee well-being,
motivation and job satisfaction.
The road forward
Emerging risks
The same portion (64%) believe the
traditional office will become obsolete due
to advances in technology.
“
WHILE
AUTOMATION CAN
BE PERCEIVED AS
A THREAT TO JOB
SECURITY, OUR
RESEARCH FOUND
THAT THERE WAS
WIDESPREAD
ENTHUSIASM
FOR IT.
Gamal Emara, Country Manager UAE at
Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company
• Adopt a digital workplace strategy:
IT departments need to work with
business managers, end-users and other
stakeholders to define a roadmap for
their digital workplace evolution. This
includes moving beyond established
technologies to deploying new tools
such as smart sensors and customised
mobile apps that will create increasingly
personalised workplace experiences
www.intelligentcio.com