Collaboration leaving employees cold

Kiwi employers admit collaboration is crucial to future success yet many are still missing the mark – one new study is shedding some light on the unusual discrepancy.

Kiwi employers have identified collaboration as one of the crucial components to future success yet many fail to follow through with implementation – now, one new report is shedding some light on the disappointing disparity.

According to the study, the vast majority of Australian and New Zealand employers (97 per cent) believe technology-powered collaboration is key to competitive advantage but four out of five admit their current knowledge transfer systems aren’t up to scratch.

It seems the initiatives are leaving employees unimpressed too – despite evidence to suggest workers are placing increased value on the ability to collaborate effectively, a shocking 47 per cent of New Zealand employees surveyed said the tools currently available in their workplace are not adequately optimised to facilitate collaborative working.

Tony Simonsen, ANZ MD for Polycom, told HRM that employers may be risking reduced productivity and increased disengagement if they fail to improve the situation.

“We’re seeing that, for employees, to be able to do things more efficiently and more effectively leaves them more satisfied within work place,” said Simonsen, who revealed he’d also noticed a trend of applicants asking about technology in the interview process.

“I do get asked what tools, what processes and what policies are in place around the ability to collaborate,” he told HRM. “If you think about attraction and retention, giving them the ability to do things more efficiently, in a far better fashion, is super important.”


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