Tech Overload is Overblown: Cloud Apps & the Happiness Effect

Google Searches for “Employee Engagement” (Google Trends)

Attracting and retaining talent is top of mind for organizations of all kinds.

Employers are increasingly searching for new ways to keep employees

engaged and happy in their work.

Despite all that’s been said about what fuels and stifles employee engagement, we had an inkling that it hinges

on more than the occasional catered lunch.

Introduction

2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2014

Methodology

Softchoice, one of the largest technology solutions and managed services

providers in North America, commissioned a study conducted by The

Blackstone Group to understand how cloud application adoption impacts

the workplace engagement and satisfaction of 1,000 full-time employees

in the United States and Canada. In addition to measuring SaaS app usage,

Softchoice asked employees a variety of questions about their happiness at

work, using industry HR standards.

The deluge of devices and cloud apps (SaaS) into our personal and professional lives is feeding the notion that workers are overwhelmed with too much technology, tipping the scales of work-life balance and ultimately making us less engaged with work.

Based on the findings in our survey, we found the contrary.

In this report, we’ll show:

• How cloud technology promotes employee engagement

• Which industries are leading the technology adoption curve

• How cloud apps are key to an optimal work-life balance

Overview

Employees today have access to more resources than ever before to be productive,

collaborate with colleagues, and find creative ways to get work done.

Only 29% of North American workers are engaged in their jobs.

- Gallup State of the Global Workforce 2013 Data

For the purposes of this study, we separated SaaS app users into three groups.

‘App’lauders

App Users Non-App Users

‘App’etizers ‘App’stinent

Employees who use 6+ apps for work

Employees who use 1-5 apps for work

Employees who use no apps for work

Defining SaaS App Users

Happiness-as-a-Service

Companies that embrace the cloud are seeing above average employee

engagement, workplace satisfaction, and even business growth.

Happiness-as-a-Service

Using cloud apps (SaaS) for work makes employees happier.

74%of cloud app users are happy at work

19%of non-users

vs

Happiness-as-a-Service

The more cloud apps employees use, the more… successful their businesses are.

Employees who work for a company that grew 9% or more in the last year

35%

7%

4%

Employees who use 6+ apps for work

Employees who use 1-5 apps for work

Employees who use no apps for work

Happiness-as-a-Service

The more cloud apps employees use, the more… productive they are at work.

Employees who say they feelmore productive at work

96%

90%

77%

Employees who use 6+ apps for work

Employees who use 1-5 apps for work

Employees who use no apps for work

Happiness-as-a-Service

The more cloud apps employees use, the more… excited they are about going to work.

Employees who say they’re excited to go to work

35%

7%

4%

Employees who use 6+ apps for work

Employees who use 1-5 apps for work

Employees who use no apps for work

Happiness-as-a-Service

Employees who get to choose their own apps for work are

2x as likely to be happy at work than those that don’t.

Recalibrating the “Work-Life” Balance

While the cloud allows employees to work anytime from anywhere, the vast majority say it enhances – rather than detracts from – their work-life balance.

Recalibrating the “Work-Life” Balance

Employees who say they have an optimal work-life balance

85%

75%

59%

Employees who use 6+ apps for work

Employees who use 1-5 apps for work

Employees who use no apps for work

Contrary to popular belief, cloud apps contribute to a better work-life balance.

Employees who use 6+ apps are 2x as likely

to have flexible work hours than non-users.

Recalibrating the “Work-Life” Balance

Recalibrating the “Work-Life” Balance

Employees who use the same apps for work and personal use

are 2x as likely to be happy at work than those who don’t.

Taking a Deeper Dive

Breaking down the data by gender, geography, and industry produced results and comparisons that all executives and

IT leaders should see.

As companies across several industries strive for

greater female representation, cloud technology

makes a positive impact on job happiness,

flexibility and balance.

Compared to non-app users, female cloud app users are more likely to:

What Women Want

Feel they have a work-life balance

Feel they have flexibility in their work day

Feel happy in their current job

72%59%

80%

57%

41%

60%

U.S. employees, who are

more likely to use cloud apps

for work, reported higher job

satisfaction than their Canadian

counterparts on multiple fronts.

Americans are SaaSier than their Northern Neighbors

66% 59%Americans

Employees who use cloud apps for work:

Canadians

vs

70% 65%Americans

Employees who feel they have an optimal work-life balance:

Canadians

vs

77% 65%Americans

Employees who are happy with their current jobs:

Canadians

vs

Legal

SaaS by Sector

Employees who use 1-5 cloud apps for work:

Manufacturing

Healthcare Finance

Average

67% 66% 53% 51% 62%Traditionally perceived as an industry that lags behind the IT times,

manufacturing businesses are actually leaders in the cloud.

Legal

50%

SaaS by Sector

Employees who can choose their own work apps:

Manufacturing

Finance

Average

54%

Healthcare

36% 34% 46%Traditionally perceived as an industry that lags behind the IT times,

manufacturing businesses are actually leaders in the cloud.

Finance

Healthcare

50%

SaaS by Sector

Employees whose workplace has a cloud app policy:

Manufacturing

Legal

Average

64% 64% 55% 59%Traditionally perceived as an industry that lags behind the IT times,

manufacturing businesses are actually leaders in the cloud.

Conclusions

Organizations that embrace SaaS use, and give their employees choice, tend to create a more flexible and engaging work culture

than those that don’t.

Cloud apps improve engagementWith cloud technology driving better efficiency and accessibility in our personal lives, employees expect (and appreciate) the same capabilities on the job.

Give employees a choiceEmpowering staff to choose which apps they use enhances engagement, however, safe SaaS use is an imperative. Allowing employees to choose from a ‘safe list’ of IT-approved apps – used within the construct of a compliant and safe environment – still bestows a sense of inclusivity.

You can’t spell satisfaction without ITIT decisions have a big impact on the happiness and productivity of all employees, demonstrating IT’s value add to the organization. As employee expectations place new demands on SaaS sourcing competency, IT must ensure it has the proper tools and skillsets to manage app usage.

Conclusions

Let us help you put the ‘app’ in happy worker!

Contact us today to learn more about how Softchoice is helping clients

source, implement and manage cloud solutions.

Contact Us

www.softchoicecloud.com | 1-800-268-7638