Over the years, I’ve had a bit of a love/hate relationship with technology. That’s why Citrix Workspace was like a light at the end of the tunnel when I started working here.
Today? My relationship is much more love than hate. It’s only been 10 months since I joined Citrix, and I’m more excited every day about where we’re going and the opportunities ahead to transform the way people work and improve employee experience.
Working in the tech sector the last few decades, I’ve felt the increase in pain caused every day by IT complexity. That’s one reason why I was drawn to Citrix — finally there was a solution to that pain.
The Challenges of IT Complexity
When green screen, text-based emails such as PROFS became more user friendly (Lotus Notes, anyone?), we thought it was revolutionary. Non-technical workers like me could attach documents to email and easily collaborate with our colleagues.
Then, the time came when the industry couldn’t incubate cloud app startups fast enough. There were so many new apps! And PDAs, mobile phones, and smart phones became faster and cheaper. The data we used to carry in a huge laptop was now available in devices in our hands and pockets. Thanks to the cloud, we could get to the apps and data we needed anywhere, anytime, not just in the office.
But things got complicated and frustrating fast. You had to start your day with a cup of coffee just so that you could remember all the logins and passwords. You had to know which apps to use (and how to use them) to get routine tasks done. We ended up spending a good part of our day switching between and learning different apps and systems just to get our jobs done. Research shows the average employee spends 20 percent of their time looking for the information they need to do their job. Tech was supposed to make our lives easier. What happened?
Employee Experience: A Barometer for a Great Company
Citrix recently worked with the Economist Intelligence Unit to investigate the role technology plays in employee experience. The research showed that companies can leverage technology to deliver a great employee experience and improve employee engagement and productivity. As our CMO Tim Minahan said, “Historically, technology has been a tool we wield to get the most out of employees. To attract and engage talent, technology must be an enabler that helps organizations get the best out of their people.”
Keep in mind, too, that employee experience starts the moment a job applicant starts to communicate with a company and lasts until they exit the company (and beyond). The better employee experiences an organization fosters from the start, the higher an employee’s lifetime contribution.
We know creating a great employee experience is hard work. It goes far beyond perks like free food, ping pong tables, and company happy hours. And it requires involvement from leaders across the organization, from HR to IT, to attract and retain the best talent and ensure they can be productive and engaged.
Join Me in Munich at the Fujitsu Forum
We’ll be at the Fujitsu Forum in Munich, Germany, on November 7 and 8, where we’ll be showcasing Citrix Workspace along with Fujitsu as part of a complete digital workspace solution. I’ll also be part of a panel to discuss how workplace transformation can be a catalyst for strategic success. It’ll be an exciting two days, and we’re looking forward to connecting with customers to help them enhance employee experience through digital transformation. I hope to see you there!
