A recent news report shows the federal government is struggling significantly more than the private sector when recruiting new employees.  

Axios reporter Emily Peck writes: “While the number of private-sector jobs surpassed its pre-pandemic level, there are 664,000 fewer people employed in the public sector, according to the government jobs report released [July 8].” 

Peck speculates this disparity can be attributed to the inflexibility of government work. Pay is often lower than similar positions in the private sector, and there may be less fully remote and hybrid options.  

With the nature of work forever changed, how employees interact with technology can define their success and the value they deliver in their organizations.  

As long as there is a sharp focus on the potential for flexible and secure networks, the Everywhere Workplace is undeniably the future of work, and digital experience is its number-one enabler.  

DEX report highlights employee frustrations   

Recently, Ivanti worked with global digital transformation experts and surveyed 10,000 office workers (including some in government), IT professionals, and the C-suite to evaluate how they prioritize and adopt digital employee experience (DEX) in organizations and how it shapes the daily working experience.  

The responses to this extensive survey found inadequate and sometimes difficult technology was a key contributor to employee dissatisfaction.  

The results of the DEX report show:  

  • Nearly two-thirds of employees believe they would be more productive with better technology at their disposal. 
  • 49% find the tools and technology provided by their organization frustrating.  
  • Over two-thirds of knowledge workers have spent their own money on new hardware and software to get their work done.  
  • 80% of employees identified they are working across multiple applications and platforms to get work done. 
  • 50% responded they have considered quitting their job partly due to the technology applications and tools currently available to them. 

Technology should not be a burden to success but elevate and streamline workflows. 

Recently, the House Select Committee on Modernization of Congress considered how integrating updated technology in the legislative process can make Congress more efficient and transparent. These large-scale upgrades show the importance of digital modernization and should also be considered on a smaller scale within the everyday employee experience. 

 As the federal government fiercely competes with the private sector for talent, it is critical to ensure the technology tools government employees utilize daily meet their needs.  

What this means for the public sector  

In the war for talent, a pivotal differentiator for organizations is providing an exceptional and secure digital experience, especially within the public sector.  

If the public sector were willing to emphasize modern and operational technology for employees, there would be broader potential to attract and retain the type of employees the sector needs. Our research found that 65% of current employees said they could be more productive if they had different tools.  

With the availability of innovative new technologies that enable and support hybrid workforces, IT now has the opportunity to make a positive impact on broader organizational strategy.

By taking ownership of DEX and working closely agency leadership to accomplish common goals, IT can drive better business outcomes – from employee productivity to workforce retention.  

With the new release of Ivanti Neurons for Digital Experience, IT teams can better understand, measure and improve their digital employee experience. Ivanti Neurons for Digital Experience effectively measures and proactively optimizes the experience employees get through the devices and applications they rely on in their Everywhere Workplace.  

It provides IT teams with real-time actionable insights, including the ability to assess employee sentiment, track and optimize experience over time and make recommendations on actions to remediate and improve the digital employee experience.