By Geoff Hixon, Vice President, Solutions Engineering at Lakeside Software
The tools and technology employees rely on can make or break their productivity, job satisfaction, and overall wellbeing. However, when technology fails—whether through system crashes, slow performance, or connectivity issues—these disruptions go beyond minor annoyances.
According to new research undertaken by Lakeside Software and based on 500 IT help desk enquiries, a range of technology gripes is affecting employees today, undermining their performance and morale. These frustrations can lead to missed deadlines, stalled projects, and heightened stress levels or even burnout.
At a time when competition for talent is fierce, businesses cannot afford to overlook how tech issues or a poor digital employee experience (DEX) are hindering employee performance and engagement.
The hidden cost of technology frustrations
The research exploring key tech issues affecting end-users revealed that 60% of tech support queries stem from hardware issues. The most common complaints include system crashes, sluggish performance, and power or boot failures—all of which can significantly disrupt the end user’s ability to complete their work efficiently. When these problems aren’t fixed, they can escalate from productivity blockers to being key causes of employee disengagement, absenteeism, and even turnover.
Software-related challenges accounted for nearly a quarter (24%) of tech support requests. Typical issues include software installation and setup, such as difficulties configuring settings or activating licenses (25%). Operating system errors are also common, with users experiencing crashes, error messages, and unexpected behaviors.
Data issues, including data loss and corruption, further complicate the user experience, often resulting from software glitches or virus attacks. Additionally, almost a fifth of respondents (19%) reported that software compatibility problems create additional frustrations, with certain programs not working well with specific hardware or other applications, leading to performance and speed concerns.
Other gripes came from remote and hybrid employees who complained about network-related issues, such as unreliable Wi-Fi or sluggish connections—problems that make effective communication and teamwork impossible.
Though less frequently reported, security concerns are also paramount. Users often seek assistance with antivirus software and malware removal (28%), firewall configuration (21%), and addressing phishing and email security issues (17%). General cybersecurity concerns, such as password management and protecting personal information, are also common topics in tech support queries. When it comes to the user experience here, one of main issues is when users store data locally and then experience hardware issues that cause the disk to fail or lose their laptops. All that work-related content is lost and dramatically impacts not only productivity but also the business as a whole.
Understanding the Digital Employee Experience (DEX)
As businesses continue to promote flexible work arrangements, ensuring the right technology matches user roles and providing a good digital employee experience are increasingly important in terms of impacts on employee satisfaction and productivity.
Just as employees today expect a well-structured workspace, they also expect a smooth technology experience. For example, if employees struggle to find the information needed to complete their tasks, their productivity will dip. This inefficiency can have a direct impact on revenue, as time wasted translates into missed opportunities and delayed deliverables.
If IT problems persist, there is a risk that employees start to view their employer as disorganized or unresponsive; this perception could negatively affect morale and engagement. With retention challenges mounting, companies that fail to prioritize DEX risk losing valuable talent and customers to competitors who offer smoother, more efficient digital environments. We all have been on calls with reps complaining about their slow computers or issues; that can cause frustrations with customers, prompting them to go to the competition.
How IT failures can impact employee wellbeing
Repeated disruptions can also impact employee wellbeing by heightening stress levels and decreasing job satisfaction. For businesses, these effects translate into more than just lost productivity. They could signal potential losses in workforce loyalty and an increase in turnover rates. To counter these risks, companies must ensure that their IT infrastructure not only functions smoothly but also enhances the overall digital experience for employees. What’s more, employee frustrations from a bad user experience also impact other users and customers. It puts the user into a bad mood which can often be taken out on others, impacting them too. We have all been there when we are trying to accomplish something and cannot if a device is down; the frustration is real and often taken out on others.
The future of tech support: A proactive and predictive approach
As technology continues to evolve, the future of tech support is heading towards more proactive and predictive models. Our research highlights the growing need for IT support solutions that can anticipate and resolve issues before they disrupt productivity. The key lies in leveraging AI and data analytics to monitor systems in real time (that is, in seconds), identifying endpoint anomalies, and addressing them preemptively.
For example, machine learning can help IT teams foresee potential hardware failures, software glitches, and connectivity problems before these issues escalate. AI-driven support tools not only automate routine troubleshooting but also enable employees to resolve common issues on their own, reducing the burden on help desks and minimizing downtime. AI could allow for self-healing, causing no user interruption at all.
This shift from reactive to proactive IT support is crucial in enhancing DEX. By staying ahead of potential disruptions, companies can create a more stable and reliable digital environment, leading to increased productivity and employee satisfaction.
Tips on how to get IT right
1. Invest in Proactive IT solutions: Transition from reactive to predictive support systems that use AI and real-time data (captured in a matter of seconds) to identify and address issues before they disrupt workflows. Monitoring can help detect performance drops due to device problems and connectivity problems, enhancing the overall reliability of your IT environment.
2. Incorporate AI and automations to assist in the journey to proactive IT and, ultimately, predictive IT for Level 1 issues.
3. Provide self-service tools: Equip employees with intuitive self-service platforms that allow them to solve common tech issues independently. This can reduce frustration and empower staff to manage minor disruptions quickly, keeping productivity high.
4. Prioritise seamless remote connectivity: With employees working remotely, reliable internet connectivity is essential. Companies should invest in solutions that offer visibility into Wi-Fi performance and latency, ensuring that remote teams can work without interruptions.
5. Invest in a solution that does not allow your systems to become out of date or non-compliant by looking for defined criteria and automated remediation.
6. Focus on the user experience: When rolling out any new technology, always consider the end-user experience. Solutions should be intuitive and require minimal training or intervention. The smoother the user experience, the more likely employees are to remain engaged and productive.
For a copy of the report go to: https://insights.lakesidesoftware.com/report-tech-support-research.html
About Lakeside Software
Lakeside Software is how organisations with large, complex IT environments can finally get visibility across their entire digital estate and see how to do more with less. For far too long, IT teams have struggled to see what is going on in their dark estate—where costly inefficiencies, poor employee experiences, and unresolved problems hide. Only Lakeside lets you give everyone a better view, so they can see the hidden issues, see the smartest fixes, and see the biggest savings. That’s why so many of the world’s leading global brands rely on Lakeside. And it’s how our customers see an average ROI of more than 250%. Learn how you can get a better view at lakesidesoftware.com. Give everyone a better view.
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