Combating Tech Fatigue: How HR Can Aid Staff in 2023

The pandemic-driven shift to work-from-home has created a fine line between being technologically enriched and technologically exhausted. And many workers have already crossed the line.

According to a study, 29% of workers say they are moderately fatigued, 23% say they are extremely fatigued, and 28% are somewhat fatigued.

According to the same study, 52% and 36% of remote workers said having to stare at a screen for long periods and limited movement during meetings are the biggest reasons behind their Zoom fatigue.

This is just the tip of the iceberg because the number of platforms and devices the modern employee is required to use in the workplace has increased exponentially. 
This, combined with the need for employees to learn new systems and navigate competing tools, has undoubtedly increased the chance of digital fatigue. 
Thus, the HR department has to come up with effective ways of helping staff combat tech fatigue.
So, how does HR achieve this?
In this blog post, we’ll discuss five effective ways you can help your team in combating tech fatigue.
But before that, let’s understand this term better.

Is Your Company's Culture
Working Against You?

Find out how to improve your company
culture with our short quiz.

Take the Quiz

What is Tech Fatigue?

Tech fatigue otherwise known as digital fatigue or tech exhaustion, which since the pandemic has been known as Zoom fatigue, can be described as a state of mental exhaustion and disengagement that occurs to workers who use a number of tech tools and applications simultaneously like AI-text-video-generators and communication tools.

Technology fatigue also occurs when one spends too much time on screen.

This condition is relevant in today’s workplace given the number of digital tools, platforms, and devices the current remote worker is required to use.

What are the Common Symptoms of Tech Fatigue?

To come up with effective strategies for combating tech fatigue, it’s important to understand the common signs of the condition.

Since it’s a state of mental exhaustion, the symptoms are pretty much the same.

They include:

• Decreased energy levels especially when you wake up in the morning

• Lack of motivation to work

• Difficulty concentrating and falling asleep

• Frequent headaches or migraines

• Low mood

• Irritability

How HR Can Aid Staff in Combating Tech Fatigue

Let’s learn how HR can help staff in combating tech fatigue.

1. Start With Your Company Work Culture

Factually, most companies' work culture is focused on productivity. After all, the more productive employees are, the more profits the company generates.

But this isn’t always a healthy approach because companies might focus on profits and results, more than their workers’ well-being.

Workers are subjected to long hours and are required to use numerous digital tools and platforms to improve productivity. As a result, their mental health is neglected.

From video calling tools like Zoom and Skype to emails and messaging apps, the current employee has to juggle different platforms and apps to communicate effectively with other staff and clients.

Consequently, this creates an environment where fatigue is inevitable because employees are more likely to experience stress and burnout.

How can HR help in combating tech fatigue in this case?

The HR department should ensure the company’s work culture isn’t only focused on making profits and driving results but is also mindful of the mental well-being of staff.

HR leaders should encourage other company leaders to establish measures that help staff in combating tech fatigue.

For instance, instead of having cameras on during online meetings, HR and other company leaders should encourage staff to use phone calls, particularly in a hybrid work setting.

HR should encourage managers and supervisors to help alleviate tech pressures by not sending emails that require immediate response, especially after working hours.

Try Workmates
Interactive Demo

Click through it yourself with
interactive demo.

Try It Now

2. Ensure Technology Enhances Employee Engagement 

When used appropriately, technology can improve employee productivity by minimizing monotonous work and speeding up operations. 

For example, additive manufacturing framing the future and enhancing the productivity of tech friendly employees.

However, technology can hinder employee engagement and hurt productivity. 

Figure this—technology cannot be effective when it’s obsolete, breaks trust, or causes confusion.

For instance, using surveillance software in the workplace can break trust and bring enmity between staff members and employers.

Additionally, requiring employees to use multiple digital tools concurrently to complete a task can also decrease engagement.

Ultimately, when technology is obsolete and no longer supports employees in accomplishing their tasks proficiently, they end up getting stressed and frustrated.

HR leaders should ensure every kind of technology used by employees helps them undertake their jobs more efficiently without hindering engagement. For instance, with Workmates, they’ll have the tools they need to connect and engage with each other. Additionally, you can recognize them for their efforts with announcements and rewards, boosting their engagement and loyalty.

3. Recognize Your Remote Employee’s Needs

According to the 2022 State of Remote Work survey by Buffer, 49% of workers say they operate under a fully remote work structure:

Image via Buffer

As you can see, a huge number of employees are working remotely.

But here’s the challenge.

Not all remote workers are knowledgeable about effective strategies for combating tech fatigue.

HR leaders should be mindful of the challenges remote employees face when addressing tech fatigue.

According to the Buffer survey mentioned above, 37% of remote workers say their company supports them by implementing a no-meeting day:

Image via Buffer

This is an effective strategy for combating Zoom fatigue.

What this means is that HR should be mindful of remote workers to help them address technology-related challenges that are driving tech fatigue.

What more?

HR can schedule the technology adoption training season after a discussion and confirmation from employee. HR can discuss about the health issues, mental issues, children issues to know the real remote employee real work life balance.

It helps employers to adopt the technology in more effective ways and employee feel good if they learned new technology with a sound mind set.

4. Audit Your Tech Stack Regularly 

One of the most effective strategies HR can use when helping employees in combating tech fatigue is to audit your tech stack at least once per year.

This can potentially help uncover major causes of tech fatigue among employees. 

For instance, you might discover that employees do not need to use certain digital tools concurrently. Or you might find out that too much communication via multiple channels overwhelms employees.

Sending employees numerous emails can cause distractions and hinder their productivity.

As a rule, HR leaders should audit their tech stack and ensure employees use technology that’s essential for their job. Anything redundant needs to go.

Social Intranet Software that Encourages Employee Communication

Finally, a Better Intranet Experience Your Employees Will Love.

Learn More

5. Offer Sufficient Training

Employees are likely to feel stressed when they can’t figure out how to use certain technology tools or platforms.

This is one of the reasons for tech resistance at the workplace among employees because not all employees will be comfortable or understand how to use tech tools and devices.

Offering sufficient training is also another effective strategy for aiding staff in combating fatigue.

It helps employees understand how to use the technology effectively for the intended work.

And this is especially important when introducing new technology in the workplace or upgrading to new technology.

It’s also essential for HR leaders to explain the reason for introducing new technology.

If employees understand that the new technology is introduced to make their work easier and enhance their productivity, they will be happy to adopt it.

Besides, HR leaders must also seek feedback and input from employees before implementing any tech.

This will help you understand what tech your staff appreciates and which ones they are experiencing difficulties with.

Conclusion

There's no doubt that technology has benefited businesses in a variety of ways. In fact, during the pandemic, technology ensured that companies didn't close down completely.

However, increased adoption of technology at the workplace can be a blessing in disguise because it can create stress and burnout. 

Unfortunately, combating tech fatigue can be a challenge for most employees. Thus, HR leaders have a role to play in aiding their staff combat this condition.

So, go ahead and start using these strategies to help your team overcome this condition. It can play a great role in lifting your team’s spirits.

Find Out How Much You Can Save by Switching to Workmates.

Other HR Teams made the switch from Workplace
and save upwards of 60%

Calculate Now

Author Bio:

Gaurav Sharma is the founder and CEO of Attrock, a results-driven digital marketing company. Grew an agency from 5-figure to 7-figure revenue in just two years | 10X leads | 2.8X conversions |  300K organic monthly traffic. He also contributes to top publications like HuffPost, Adweek, Business 2 Community, TechCrunch, and more.