Software frustration is costing workers millions of hours every week

Software-related issues could mean businesses are losing millions of potentially productive working hours, according to a survey by Userlane.

The company found a third – 35% – of UK employees waste at least one hour per week tackling software-related issues, while 61% spend at least 30 minutes per week on these challenges.

The majority – 70% – of employers state that their overall use of technology at work has increased over the past two years according to Userlane’s data, as the demand for online collaboration in particular has skyrocketed with the move to hybrid working.

What’s frustrating workers?

The fact that software can be time-consuming to use was the most common complaint among those surveyed and was cited by 44% of the survey’s respondents.

The IT department not responding to queries or issues quickly enough was another common complaint, cited by 39% of respondents.

Software that involves too many complex processes was another common issue, cited by 23% of users.

Userlane’s survey also suggests that software challenges are impacting how users approach their jobs.

Just under half – 44% – of UK employees have postponed important work tasks as a result of software complaints according to the data, while 41% have openly complained to their employer

Userlane’s data also suggested that around a fifth of UK employees – 18% – have looked for a way to complete the same tasks manually, while one-in-ten – 10% – have refused to continue using a piece of software.

On a more severe note, 8% of those surveyed admitted they have considered leaving their job on account of software-related issues.

How are companies tackling these challenges?

In terms of attempts by companies to improve software adoption, the most popular strategy was communicating the benefits of new software to employees, which was employed by 36%.

Expanding IT support desk capacity and arranging more classroom-based training sessions were also popular strategies, cited by 34% and 33% of organizations surveyed.

Almost a third – 30% – of companies are introducing a Digital Adoption Platform according to Userlane, and the same number are producing written software training guides.

“From these findings, it’s clear that digital adoption must improve if large-scale software implementations are to prove successful,” said Hartmut Hahn, chief executive at Userlane. “It is, of course, important for businesses to address the shortcomings of their software training.”

He added: “But we must also remember that a ‘one size fits all’ approach is not going to work here — we all learn in different ways, and this must be reflected in the training and support companies offer.”