The delivery of positive digital employee experience correlates with improved business outcomes and this is shaping how organizations innovate and compete, says a new global study Digital Employee Experience done by the enterprise software company VMware.

The study also uncovered key perception gaps between IT decision-makers and employees when it comes to the topic of digital empowerment within their organizations in the Asia Pacific (APAC) and the need for HR to step up to support IT in delivering positive digital employee experiences.

The study, which surveyed 1,600 respondents from Australia, Japan, India, Singapore and China, found that while the vast majority of APAC IT decision-makers (95%) agree that IT provides employees with the digital tools they need in order to be successful in their job, 46% of employees surveyed do not agree with this. The perception gap presents a challenge to APAC organizations looking to harness digital transformation initiatives for improved business performance, highlighting the need for IT and HR to collaborate further to realize the true value that digital employee experience brings.

In Singapore, where technology heterogeneity has become ubiquitous to the workplace, organizations are still struggling with the delivery of the optimum digital employee experience. According to the study, employees in Singapore cited reasons including the lack of understanding of what employees want and need (52%), the lack of technical skills (47%) and lack of senior support (33%). Employees surveyed in Singapore also indicated that they do not have much freedom when it comes to choosing their preferred device or system for work purposes – between Android or iOS (43%) and between a MAC or PC (51%). This is higher than the regional average of 38% and 39% respectively.

“Almost eight in ten Singaporeans are now online and as Singapore continues to go full steam ahead with its smart nation push, it is imperative for organizations to prioritize the digital employee experience today so the workforce is well-equipped to keep up with the digital economy of tomorrow,” said Adrian Hia, Country Manager, VMware Singapore. 

The study also found that 86% of APAC employees agree that HR should have more responsibility for the digital employee experience within their organization. This is higher than other regions including EMEA (80%) and North America (74%). Most respondents (95%) also recognize that HR and IT could work better together to improve the digital employee experience, indicating that a closer collaboration between the two departments is imperative to delivering superior experiences.