New research from Lenovo has revealed that organisations are placing business and shareholder goals above employee needs when adopting new technologies.

The survey of 1,000 IT managers across the UK, Netherlands, France, Germany at the start of May found that just six per cent consider users as their top priority when making technology investments, with 47 per cent reporting that users struggled to embrace new software.

While successfully implemented technology should act as an enabler for employees and businesses to achieve greater things, a poor strategy can see technology become an inhibitor, according to the computer manufacturer's study. Almost half (48 per cent) of respondents reported a negative outcome where technology implementations have actively inhibited their teams’ ability to operate.

While 52 per cent of IT managers were optimistic about emerging tech’s ability to deliver improved productivity, 21 per cent of users reported that new technology has actually slowed down processes.

Giovanni Di Filippo, president of Lenovo’s EMEA Data Center Group, commented: “Times are changing rapidly, not only for businesses, but the technology industry as a whole - stripped of office walls, we are seeing organisations place greater emphasis on the wellbeing of their employees, and it’s heartening to see this shift in priorities from being all about the bottom line.

“If there is a change of heart and mind within the industry, taking a people-first approach to IT adoption, we will see positive change for both organisations and wider society."

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