How and where we work has been upended by digital technology. More people are working remotely, and this workforce is facing new challenges.

According to the 2019 State of the Digital Workplace report from Igloo, 70% of remote employees feel left out of the workplace. As more people work remotely, identifying the shortcomings is critically important in order to ensure workers are happy and productive.

The most glaring problems in the report are the lack of workplace knowledge sharing and communication practices. As far as remote work goes, sharing knowledge and effective communications are absolutely essential.

For small businesses who are increasingly reliant on remote workers, these are two important issues to get a handle on early. Igloo Software CMO Mike Hicks explained this very problem in the press release 

Hicks said, even though there is no shortage of communication or knowledge management apps in the marketplace, it is important to understand your challenges before rolling them out. Adding, “We’re seeing businesses adopt more applications with the goal of increasing productivity, yet this approach continues to yield discouraging results for both employees and the organization.”

He goes on to say the goal of the study is to provide business leaders with a closer look into the major workplace challenges of 2019. It will also help them determine the types of digital workplace solutions the will need for their company.

Remote Working Statistics

Overall employees are ready for next-generation solutions and tools. But the report goes on to say companies are not meeting the needs of employees in the current digital landscape.

The disciplines in the survey highlighted four areas of focus for organizations to invest in. They want investments in a digital workplace platform to centralize communication and collaboration. They also said knowledge management and improvement in employee engagement are key issues.

This goes against the primary function of collaboration technology. This has remote workers feeling left out.

More than half or 57% are missing out on important information. Information doesn’t get communicated in person. And 55% get excluded from meetings because of their remote location.

The problem persists with access as 43% said they were unable to access people or groups. When it comes to documents or information, 39% also faced problems with access. Another 33% said they missed information about process or policy changes. And 19% were unable to find the right tool to contact someone.

How are Employees Communicating?

The report says 91% of employees feel confident their knowledge sharing tools would only allow access to authorized individuals. But only 14% said they use secure FTP.

More than two thirds or 70% admitted to using email to store or share sensitive and private information, and 26% used instant messaging. Without a centralized set of tools for communication and sharing, unsanctioned apps and software become the default options.

In the report, 62% say unsanctioned apps are easier to use. And 55% said these apps can’t be monitored or tracked by their organization. As Igloo said in the report, “Companies should treat the use of unsanctioned apps seriously, regardless of their purpose in the workplace.” Organizations should do a thorough audit of all technology used by their workforce, both the approved and non-approved variety.

In conclusion, Igloo recommends for businesses to invest in next-gen digital workplace platforms to bridge gaps and solve problems.

The above article was originally published in Small Business Trends magazine