Tech makes society less humane, says survey

Technology is making society less humane, said a survey. The latest Randstad Workmonitor survey reveals findings regarding the consumption of technology and the criticality of having a seamless balance of 'tech' and 'touch' at the workplace today. A majority of survey respondents (75 per cent) mentioned that they feel technology makes society less humane.

A higher number of female respondents (80 per cent) had this view this than males (71 per cent). Also, 71 per cent mentioned that the omnipresence of technology at the workplace makes them feel less connected to their co-workers and 75 per cent mentioned that even outside work, they feel disconnected from people in the real world owing to the pervasiveness of technology. More female respondents (over 75 per cent) agreed with the above two statements than males.
 
A very high percentage of the survey respondents (91 per cent) stated that they feel face-to-face meetings are the best way to interact with someone. However, 87 per cent of the respondents also pointed out that today, owing to technology, they have very few face-to-face interactions with their clients and 75 per cent even mentioned that technology indeed limits personal interactions with their colleagues as well. A higher number of female respondents (over 80 per cent) agreed with the above two statements than males.

Moorthy K. Uppaluri, MD & CEO, Randstad India said, "While keeping up with technology is imperative in today's business environment, corporates must ensure that this does not replace human interaction. The ideal scenario would be when we can bring both these together to a harmonious balance to achieve the organizational objectives. Therefore, it is vital for organizations to help their employees understand how to strike the right balance between 'tech' and 'touch' at the workplace amidst all the technological innovations that are happening."

This quarter, 57 per cent survey respondents from India mentioned that they have changed their jobs in the last six months, which is an increase from 45 per cent from the last quarter. This trend is reflected really high within employees in the age group of 35 - 44 years (65 per cent) followed by employees within the age group of 25 - 34 years (57 per cent). The actual job change is seen higher in females (59 per cent) than males (46 per cent).

The Workmonitor's Mobility Index, which tracks employee confidence and captures the likelihood of an employee changing jobs within the next 6 months, provides a comprehensive understanding of sentiments and trends in the job market. Besides mobility, the survey addresses employee satisfaction and personal motivation as well as a rotating set of themed questions.

The study is conducted online among employees aged 18-65, working a minimum of 24 hours a week in a paid job (not self-employed). Minimum sample size is 400 interviews per country. The Survey Sampling International (SSI) panel is used for sampling purposes. In India, more than 600 interviews were conducted.