Home tech office tech: Many employees rate their home technology as better than what they have at work, as a result 26% of those surveyed are bringing their own tech into work every single day.

But for companies trying to recruit tech savvy younger workers, this isn’t just an interesting finding concerning the balance of home tech office tech; it could be mission critical. According to Chris Labrey, Managing Director – UK & Ireland — for Econocom, the company which compiled the survey, “HR may need to influence the IT department.”

He added that according to the survey “four out of five 16-24 year olds, may ask in an interview ‘what technology would I use’?

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“Companies trying to attract talent need to think about these issues.”

The survey also found that:

• Employees rate their home technology as better than what they have at work: Personal smartphones (53%), laptops (46%), tablets (46%) and desktop computers (38%);
• Businesses are failing to meet even basic technology expectations, with a quarter (27%) not having access to a laptop, and 26% a work smartphone;
• Technology affects productivity and morale – 55% said faster technology would make them more productive, 43% would feel more valued and 38% motivated to work harder;
• Technology plays a role in attracting talent, with 58% saying workplace technology would influence new-job decisions.

Home tech office tech: subscription versus asset sweating

In an interview with Information Age, Labrey speculated that: “There is still a culture of asset sweating within companies, not only from a technology point of view but from a historical architecture point of view, too. For example, a lot of companies, such as legal practices, still use Blackberries.”

By contrast, it is becoming more common for individuals to consume their tech on a month by month basis: “Consumers often subscribe to an iPhone 8, for example, but companies may buy one and operate a three-year deprecation policy.”

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Labrey said: “I think that the refresh cycle for a private smart phone used is two years typically, but for a lap top, it is a minimum of three years maximum of four, sometimes it is extended for another year. So the laptop may be two or three years older, than the device they use at home.“

He also suggested that for younger, would be employees, provisions of services such as Spotify or Netfix can be a consideration.

Labrey also said: “The device with which employees interface with the employer can be more important than we thought, in fact this can almost define the company they work for.” He explained: “If you work remotely or from home, the primary interface with the company is the device you use.”