According to the new Dell Technologies survey, 50% of IT leaders in the Philippines say their organizations know what it takes to digitally transform a workforce. After such a rapid change though, many employees are now facing a challenge to keep up the pace. The survey had 10,500 respondents across 40+ countries including the US, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Brazil, UAE, and the Philippines to name a few.
The results of Dell’s study highlight how the recent period of rapid transformation is leaving businesses and their workforce in need of time to recharge, reflect, and refine before embarking on new or iterating projects.
Despite the progress and efforts of the past few years, the research highlights how there is still a potential for transformation to stall as 67% of respondents in the Philippines (compared to the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) 72% and Global 64%) believe it is their people’s resistance to change that can lead to failure.
49% of Philippine respondents (APJ: 62%, Global: 53%) fear they will be shut out of the evolving digital world due to a lack of people with the right vision to capitalize on the opportunity.
“To build a better future that works for all, we need to recognize that business success and employees’ well-being are inextricably linked. Our latest research highlights that sustainable digital transformation happens at the intersection of people and technology. To achieve an effective breakthrough, organizations should consider a three-pronged approach. First, provide employees with consistent and secure work experiences, not defined by where they work. Second, help drive productivity by augmenting human capabilities with technology tools to allow employees to focus on what they do best. Lastly, inspire employees through an empathetic culture and authentic leadership.”
Amit Midha, Dell Technologies President, Asia Pacific & Japan, and Global Digital Cities
Now is the time for organizations to assess before embarking on new digital transformation projects. Additionally, the workforce must be supported and has clarity on the next stage of implementation.
“Most organizations around the world – including the Philippines – realize the need to digitally transform, but they find digital transformation hard, and their people don’t always embrace change. This human-technology friction is only compounded by the pandemic; and what we end up with is businesses that are more digitally resilient, but many of their people are exhausted. Today, businesses aspiring for sustainable success need to be asking themselves how they can thoughtfully and purposefully help their people navigate further change.”
Ronnie Latinazo, Dell Technologies Philippines Country General Manager
Dell Breakthrough: Benchmarking Readiness for Digital Change
Dell and independent behavioral experts studied survey respondents’ appetite for digital change and found that 8% of the Philippine workforce (APJ: 7%; Global: 10%) are pursuing modernization projects. Around 36% of Philippine respondents (APJ: 46%; Global: 42%) are slow or reluctant to embrace change.
Here’s is the global workforce is comprised as per the study:
| 1 | Sprint: Will chase innovation and trailblaze technological change. | Philippines: 8% (APJ: 7%; Global: 10%) |
| 2 | Steady: Poised to adopt technological change, selected by others. | Philippines: 55% (APJ: 41%; Global: 43%) |
| 3 | Slow: Inclined to hold back and observe / deliberate. | Philippines: 36% (APJ: 46%; Global: 42%) |
| 4 | Still: Tend to anticipate problems and resist proposed technology innovations based on perceived risk. | Philippines: 2% (APJ: 6%; Global: 5%) |
The Dell Breakthrough study charts a path forward. It shows opportunities for businesses to focus and keep pace with transformation with breakthroughs happening at the intersection of people and technology along three frontiers:
- Connectivity
Businesses performed worked to connect, collaborate, and conduct business online during the pandemic, but they are not finished.
Around 82% of Philippine respondents (APJ: 78%; Global: 72%) say they need organizations to provide the necessary tools and infrastructure to work anywhere. Additionally, they worry their people might be left behind because they don’t have the right technology to shift to a highlight distributed model.
Businesses also need to make work equitable for people with different needs, interests, and responsibilities. This includes 91% of employees in the Philippines (APJ: 82%; Global: 80%) that would like their organization to do any of the following:
- Clearly define their ongoing commitment to flexible work arrangements and the practicalities of making it work – Philippines: 51% (APJ: 46%; Global: 40%)
- Equip leaders to effectively and equitably manage remote teams – Philippines: 48% (APJ: 42%; Global: 42%)
- Empower employees to choose their preferred working pattern and provide the necessary tools and infrastructure – Philippines: 52% (APJ: 46%; Global: 44%)
- Productivity
Businesses can delegate repetitive tasks to automated processes to free-up people to focus on enriching, higher-value work.
At present, 36% of Philippine respondents (APJ: 32%; Global: 37%) say their work is stimulating and not repetitive. With the opportunity to automate more repetitive tasks, 71% of respondents in the country (APJ: 74%; Global 69%) would look forward to learning new skills and technologies. Among these could include leadership skills, courses in machine learning, or focusing on strategic opportunities to elevate their role.
- Empathy
At their heart, businesses must build a culture, modeled by empathetic leaders that treat people as their greatest source of creativity and value.
The research shows there is still work to do and empathy has to inform decision making. Among these include simplifying technology for 59% of Philippine respondents (APJ: 52%; Global: 49%) who often feel overwhelmed by complex technologies.
If you want to read more on the Dell Breakthrough study, click here. Meanwhile, if you want to read the Dell Perspectives articles series, click here.
Ram found his love and appreciation for writing in 2015 having started in the gaming and esports sphere for GG Network. He would then transition to focus more on the world of tech which has also began his journey into learning more about this world. That said though, he still has the mentality of "as long as it works" for his personal gadgets.
