As we approach the end of 2023, it is time for annual corporate evaluations. This year, digital tools have been a crucial feature in the operations of many companies worldwide. However, despite their numerous advantages, they still present challenges for members of various departments in companies.

In this article, we will discuss the improvements made to digital employee experience (DEX) throughout 2023, the trends that will shape the following year, and the aspects that still need improvement.

Our insights will be based on a comprehensive survey on DEX prepared by Step Two, which will provide an in-depth and nuanced view of the digital experiences in the corporate world.

Report’s key findings include:

1. Importance of DEX: Importance of DEX: While the overall importance of DEX has decreased slightly from 44% in 2021 to 34% in 2023, there has been a noticeable increase in those who consider DEX to be somewhat relevant, rising from 35% to 41%. This suggests that ongoing efforts to improve digital experiences are yielding positive results.
    
2. Business Priorities: Organizations are emphasizing customer service (69%) and employee productivity (68%), with digital transformation (61%) and employee engagement (59%) also being key areas of focus. This underscores a broader recognition of the importance of employee satisfaction and effective use of technology tools.
    
3. Satisfaction Levels: Office workers have the highest DEX at 33%, followed by mobile/out-of-office workers at 24%. Leadership/management ranks have lower satisfaction levels (22%) due to the nature of their roles and work environments. There is significant variability in DEX levels across departments, reaching 68%.
    
4. Role of IT and HR: IT, intranet, digital and HR teams play a crucial role in improving employees' technological skills. 69% of companies have an intranet platform, while 74% express a strong interest in skills development.
    
5. Technological Progress: The survey shows that more companies are recognizing the importance of the importance of digitization and efficient use of technology resources to remain to remain competitive. The implementation of DEX strategies is strategies, reflecting the ongoing trend in technological technological evolution.

Digital Employee Experience (DEX)

The Digital Employee Experience (DEX) Survey, which has been conducted annually since 2019, has recently taken place again in 2023. The Australian company Step Two defines DEX as "the sum of all digital interactions in the workplace." This survey aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how employees are equipped with digital tools and how effectively they can use and interact with them in their daily work routines.

While companies generally focus their efforts on providing a better customer experience, DEX seeks to prioritize the development of the digital skills of company employees. Increasing the workers' mastery of their various digital tools significantly improves the quality of service offered to customers of the companies for which they work. Hence, the great relevance of knowing the figures, percentages, and statistics provided by this annual survey.

Survey Insights

Fortunately, the good news is that as the years have passed since the survey was first conducted, the number of participants has increased, both in Australia and the rest of the world. This year, the 95 responses received represent more than 300,000 employees from global enterprises.

Source: Digital employee experience (DEX) survey (2023) by Step Two

Out of them, 43% of the participating companies are based in Australia and New Zealand, 31% in Europe, 16% in North America, 6% in the United Kingdom, and 4% in other regions. This shows that more and more companies are joining this arduous quest to know the employees' opinions and feelings regarding digital resources.

In fact, without a doubt, one of the most encouraging data from this year's survey is the growing trend seen in companies to know and recognize the digital experience of their employees, as that interest went from 11% in 2019 to 22% in 2023. Not bad. However, there is still much to be improved in the future.  As in previous years, the latest survey was conducted under the parameters of the DEX Enterprise Framework.

This means that the data can be analyzed from a sufficiently broad perspective, which, in turn, allows these figures to be compared with those generated in previous years to generate much more accurate comparative charts and graphs.

One of the most striking data collected during this survey is the fact that, although there is a growing interest in giving importance to employees' feelings about their experiences with the various digital resources they have, as more and more companies are actively participating in the survey, this year there was a decrease in the percentage level of importance concerning the growing trend that had been seen over the last few years. In 2021, that trend had reached 44% (the highest level) of people who had marked DEX as very or extremely important to them.

However, in 2023, that percentage dropped dramatically to 34%. But it was not all dramatic declines this year. While the level of importance given to DEX is not what one would like, there was a noticeable increase in the percentage of people in companies who at least consider DEX somewhat relevant, from 35% in 2021 to 41% in 2023.

This demonstrates that the great efforts that companies are making, especially companies like Ideo, dedicated to the IT industry, are paying off. Although there is still much to do and improve, these figures are encouraging and hopeful.

Organizations’ Business Drivers

It is worth noting that while most companies prioritize customer service (CX), with 69% reflecting its importance, they also place a high value on improving employee productivity, with 68%.

Source: Digital employee experience (DEX) survey (2023) by Step Two

Digital transformation is also a key focus, with 61%, while 59% of companies focus on employee commitment. This emphasis on employee satisfaction reflects broader business transformation efforts, with 45%, innovation at 42%, changes in the work environment at 39%, and talent management or employee retention at 36%.

Companies have recognized the importance of ensuring that all employees, regardless of department, feel satisfied and comfortable using the technological tools provided to them to perform their duties.

Varied Workplace Dynamics

By the way, since we mentioned the different departments of the companies, it is not surprising that the highest DEX levels shown this year correspond precisely to office employees, with 33%. They are followed by mobile or out-of-office employees with 24%. This makes sense because, as we all know, after the global health emergency, remote jobs increased.

This, in turn, required an increase in the supply of digital resources and an arduous effort to increase digital literacy levels. Surprisingly, employees with a leadership or management rank represent only 22% as the highest level of satisfaction. This does not mean employees with high-rank positions are not interested, engaged, or happy regarding DEX. These low levels are more due to the nature of the work, the type of tasks, and the work environment to which they belong.

Trends and Challenges in the Digital Era

Unfortunately, this year's report shows an increase in the variability of levels, reaching 68%. This indicates that depending on the department and the type of tasks performed, the gap between the most and the least literate employees can be broad in some cases. We clarify that this gap corresponds strictly to what concerns digital matters.

For this reason, the IT, Intranet, Digital, and HR teams play a fundamental role in the development of the technological skills of all employees. The good news in this regard is that this year's survey showed that 69% of the companies evaluated have an intranet platform, and only 2% do not have one, which is encouraging because, sooner or later, this overwhelming majority will drag the remaining 2% if they do not want to stay technologically obsolete.

It is worth noting that, in most cases, the low level of DEX is not due to a lack of interest but rather because of a low budget for technological development. Additionally, other factors, such as organizational complexity or limited clarity of vision, can also impede progress in this area.

HR's Vital Role

The HR department is essential in ensuring that employees' technological skills are developed and improved.

Many companies have implemented distance learning platforms that enable employees to undergo training at their convenience. This highlights the increasing importance placed on skills development, as evident in this year's survey, where 74% of respondents expressed their overwhelming interest in it.

Conclusions

In conclusion, we can say that the figures and percentages obtained during this survey are, in general terms, encouraging, as we can see that more and more companies have realized that, in today's highly competitive market, digitization and the proper and efficient use of technological resources are the keys to staying competitive and successful.

Therefore, the growing interest in DEX and, above all, the implementation of strategies are becoming frequent elements in companies, no matter how small or large they are. Undoubtedly, this trend will continue to grow as technological development is far from slowing down. On the contrary, IT and software development companies are becoming more creative and perfectionist in creating platforms and programs and making them more accessible and tailored to the needs of companies of all types.