Employees Want Wearable Devices, Overwhelmed by Technology

Eight in 10 full-time employees would be motivated to use company-provided wearable tech allowing employers to track their health and wellness data.

While some workers are overwhelmed by information and technology, more than six in 10 (61 percent) workers believe that work overload is most harmful to their productivity, according to a study released by cloud-based talent management provider Cornerstone OnDemand in collaboration with Kelton.

The study found that eight in 10 full-time employees would be motivated to use company-provided wearable technology that allows employers to track their health and wellness data.

Some would agree to this in exchange for benefits such as an extra 5 percent end-of-year bonus (67 percent), reduced health insurance premiums (57 percent), or discounts to exercise programs (36 percent).

Nearly the same proportion of employees (76 percent) would be willing to use wearable technology that tracks job performance and productivity.

In return, respondents said they would be open to incentives such as an extra vacation day for each month of data collected (54 percent), a flexible or remote work schedule (46 percent), or a workweek reduced by 5 percent (41 percent).

“On the health and fitness side, there’s a wide range of technologies being employed like the Fitbit, the Jawbone Up band, and the Nike Fuelband,” said Michael Housman, chief analytics officer for Cornerstone OnDemand. “There are also apps you can download for your phone that track the number of steps you’ve taken, your caloric intake, and the number of trips you’ve taken to the gym. On the data side, companies like Audax Health are creating ways to integrate all of these data streams into one interface and then gamify the experience to encourage people to engage in healthy behaviors.”

While only 12 percent of those surveyed currently use wearable technology for work, more than seven in 10 (71 percent) wearable users say it has helped them become more productive.

That number is expected to grow, with 72 percent of employees believing that wearable technology in the workplace will eventually become standard.

Survey results also indicate growing demand, as 66 percent of workers would be willing to use wearable technology if it helped them do their job better—an increase of 7 percent from last year.

“Right now, we’re hearing employees complain about clunky interfaces, information overload, and productivity decreases caused by some of this technology,” Housman said. “My personal opinion is that we’re still at a relatively early stage in this evolution, but we’re already seeing huge gains each year, and I believe the hardware and software will become smarter and more effective over time.”

When it comes to workplace distractions, 43 percent of employees say that impromptu visits by coworkers are the biggest productivity killer.

The work environment employees say fosters the most productivity is an enclosed office (37 percent), followed by partitioned cubicles (23 percent) and open desk layouts (19 percent).

However, more than one-quarter (26 percent) of respondents said they feel unable to disconnect from work outside of office hours or even while on vacation.

About two-thirds (65 percent) of respondents said that, given the right technology, in-person meetings could be completely replaced. Despite this, only 19 percent are currently allowed to work remotely.

“There’s no question that technology is making significant inroads in the workplace and will continue to do so,” Housman said. “Employees are using more hardware, downloading more software, and are now being asked to use wearable devices as well. But whether technology becomes more of a burden or more of a help depends on whether it makes employees healthier, more engaged, and more productive.”

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