Increasingly, employers are recognising the value of the digital employee experience in ensuring that employees are as productive as possible wherever they are working and helping to keep talented employees happy.
In these uncertain economic times, businesses look to become more productive. Increasingly, the digital employee experience (DEX) is recognised as an important part of achieving this.
“The DEX isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s a make-or-break factor for productivity, morale and even staff retention,” says Boom Collaboration co-founder Holli Hulett. “If employees are stuck with clunky tools, low-quality endpoints or frustrating tech, their engagement and efficiency takes a hit. A poor DEX doesn’t just slow people down, it creates a ripple effect. Remote meetings drag because people aren’t seen or heard clearly. IT teams get bogged down with preventable support issues.”
Oliver Ridley, chief product and technology officer at Haiilo, says DEX is now business critical. “The modern workplace has become too complex,” he explains. “People spend more time navigating systems than doing meaningful work, and that drains productivity and morale. When tools are fragmented, employees feel overwhelmed. When work flows smoothly, they feel focused, valued and able to contribute at their best.”
David Popay, lead consultant at Apogee digital services, says that as it becomes the norm for everyday businesses to run on data rather than intuition, the DEX has become a fundamental part of measuring performance. “We rely on devices and platforms in almost every facet of our working day – so when they fail, they create friction that inevitably impacts productivity, service levels and morale,” he says.
“In this data driven era, this is not an issue that can be confined to the IT team. There are few departments that won’t rely on these devices – not to mention those who aren’t based in-office. The Office for National Statistics has found that about 40% of UK workers are remote or hybrid, and their performance needs to be quantified like any other.
“Employee experience isn’t a vague, holistic value anymore. It’s directly tied to business performance. Without guaranteed access to the tools and support that enable them to perform, even relatively small frustrations can have a disproportionate impact on day-to-day output.”
What makes a good DEX
Sof Socratous, head of Logitech for Business Europe, says a good DEX feels consistent and intuitive. “People should be able to move between locations and spaces without having to waste time troubleshooting or feeling disadvantaged depending on where they end up working from,” he says. “It should support productivity in a way that feels natural, while also making collaboration easy and equitable.
“That can be as simple as having the right personal tools in place. For example, reliable wireless peripherals like keyboards and mice create a more comfortable, consistent setup wherever someone is working.
“That also means going beyond individual devices and designing the whole environment to work together. Personal workspaces need to be comfortable and consistent, meeting rooms need high-quality audio and video so conversations flow naturally and booking systems need to be simple and reliable so employees can access the spaces they need without frustration. When these elements work together, employees spend less time navigating systems and more time doing meaningful work regardless of working location.”
Jessica Harrison, sales director at EPOS (UK and Ireland), adds that voice is an important factor. “More and more digital work tools are accessed by voice,” she says. “EPOS headsets have a proven track record of delivering the highest possible industry performance, including our BrainAdapt technology that reduces the amount of effort the brain requires
to process and differentiate sound,” she adds.
Oliver says that a good DEX makes working lives easier. “It’s a workplace where information is easy to find, tools work together, and people don’t waste hours switching, searching or navigating,” he says. “It feels calm, connected and intuitive, like one joined up system, not a pile of disconnected platforms.
“But most organisations still approach DEX backwards: they add more tools instead of fixing the underlying system. Very few design the workplace from the employee outward. Those who do see immediate impact.”
Holli agrees that simplicity is often key, adding that customers want equipment that is easier to install, manage, set-up and get started. “One cable connection with multiple camera and device compatibility on any device is the holy grail,” she says. “Simplicity now outweighs features because if equipment becomes too complicated it won’t get used.”
Trends
A desire for simplicity is just one of the overarching DEX trends currently. Sof says a big trend is the shift from standardisation to a more human-centred approach to workplace technology. “Businesses recognise that a single, uniform setup doesn’t reflect the reality of modern work,” he says. “Employees have different workstyles, preferences and expectations and customers are increasingly looking for technology strategies that reflect that. That is driving interest in more tailored, persona-based environments, where choice and flexibility sit alongside consistency and control.
“There is also a much stronger emphasis now on equal experience. Businesses are under pressure to make sure remote and in-office employees have the same opportunity to contribute, especially in collaborative settings. That is pushing demand for more joined-up workplace design.”
Jessica notes that with the return to the office, more people being in the office creates more noise and distractions. “From our own research, this is the number one issue for office professionals,” she says. “EPOS headsets, through adaptive noise cancelling technologies can address this, while ensuring users don’t feel trapped and isolated in a personal bubble.”
Reseller conversations
DEX should be an integral part of resellers’ conversations with customers. Sof says resellers should have broader conversations about how people actually work and what kind of environments will help them perform at their best, rather than focusing on individual products. “The most valuable discussions start with where friction exists today, looking at where employees are losing time, where collaboration is breaking down, whether the office experience actually supports the way people work and what is making life harder for IT teams,” he says.
“There is also an opportunity to talk about more persona-based environments. Not every employee works in the same way or needs the same setup to be productive. Helping customers think through those different needs, while still maintaining consistency, security and manageability, is where resellers can add real value.”
Holli says that resellers should focus on simplicity. “Solutions that just work, no matter the platform, device or workspace,” she says. “The best technology takes the guesswork out of connectivity, so employees can spend less time troubleshooting and more time getting things done. When people have the right tools at their fingertips, they feel empowered, stay focused and collaborate more effectively. This is the baseline need for a positive DEX.”
Oliver agrees, adding that resellers should encourage customers to stop thinking in terms of ‘tools’ and start thinking in terms of ‘systems.’ “The key question isn’t ‘What can we add?’ it’s ‘What can we simplify?’” he says.
“They should focus conversations on reducing friction, improving findability, unifying communication and helping employees stay in flow. Importantly, highlight that good DEX is measurable. The right platform can show where teams get stuck, how information moves and where engagement is rising or fading. That’s where real ROI comes from.”
Future
It is expected that DEX will become a bigger strategic priority going forwards. “Organisations will move away from fragmented stacks toward unified digital homes that bring communication, knowledge, tools and AI together,” Oliver says.
“Demand will increase, not because companies want more features, but because complexity has become a strategic blocker. The winners of the next decade won’t be the ones with the most tech; they’ll be the ones with the cleanest systems, where work moves with momentum and people feel genuinely supported.”
Holli says that when employees feel disconnected or unheard, they start disengaging – and eventually, they look for a company that gets it. “DEX isn’t just about the tools; it’s about culture and making people feel empowered, included and set up for success,” she says. “It will definitely continue to grow.”
David notes that the government’s SME Digital Adoption Taskforce indicates that businesses see productivity gains of 7-18% per technology adopted. “It goes on to suggest that even a 1% productivity uplift across UK SMEs could add £94 billion annually to GDP,” he says.
“Those numbers strongly suggest that more proactive, insight-led workplace management is a very profitable investment. The pressures to improve business productivity aren’t going away, and we’ll increasingly see a shift away from simply supplying devices and more towards businesses wanting to optimise their entire workplace experience over time.
“We are also seeing a broader shift towards more proactive and experience-led workplace management. Businesses want to understand not only what is happening across their device estate, but how technology is affecting the people using it. Those that can help customers connect those things will be in a very strong position.”
