Various studies and surveys over the years have highlighted the clear divide between what executives believe and what employees working under them believe. The latest example comes from PwC’s Technology At Work survey, which found that whilst 90% of executives thought they were sensitive to employee’s needs when they introduced new technologies into the workplace, this plummeted to around half of employees who thought likewise.

“Technology is such a central part of the overall work experience that you can’t separate it from your people agenda,” PwC say. “Organizational leaders looking to institute a technology-led transformation or implement new workplace technology need to also now consider what motivates people when it comes to technology at work. It cannot be one or the other.”

It seems clear that leaders usually think they’re doing just that, but the results highlight a clear disconnect between them and the wider workforce.  The report suggests that this experience gap fundamentally undermines both the strategy of the business and the employee experience, as executives appear blind to both how employees use technology and what motivates them when they do so.

Room for improvement

The findings highlight how our adoption of new technologies is intrinsically linked to the experiences employers can offer, especially around the kind of efficiency improvements and rewards that can help boost the status of employees.  It emerged that employees are willing to devote two days per month learning new digital skills to help them prepare for the future of work.

This desire for learning was also evident in a finding that 84% of employees actually do their work with an express aim of learning new things, suggesting that a culture of continuous learning is largely inbuilt in people.  Sadly, only around half of respondents thought that their employer supported them in this endeavor.

The findings match similar works exploring digital adoption in the workplace.  For instance a recent survey conducted by Wharton for the launch of Qlik’s Data Literacy Index found that a similar number of employees were keen to improve their data literacy skills, but few were supported in doing so by their employer.  It highlights how organizations need to really up their game if the digital skills gap is to be closed.