Why do IT teams hate their software?

Bloatware, or as we affectionately call it, junkware, has always been a problem for businesses across the globe. These unused and hidden programs that never see the light of day on our smartphones and laptops and yet take up all the space and cripple the performance of the devices are costing businesses billions of dollars every year.

A recent study on the ‘State of Workplace Technology’ by Freshworks revealed that IT professionals in the US estimate their organization could save an average of $32,095 annually if it reduced its IT spend to only include absolutely necessary software/features – a savings of nearly 25%.

The notion of “less is more” can’t be more appropriate in today’s IT context. Employees’ expectation of workplace technology has changed significantly in recent years. They want more of less: less bloat, less waste, and less complexity. With so much riding on IT to propel the business forward and keep employees from being burned out, IT leaders must pay heed to improving the IT profile at the workplace.

Why bad software is bad for your business

Let’s look at the stat below before we get to the ‘why’ part of this discussion.

54% say their organization pays for software their IT teams never use.

The Freshworks study highlighted that, on average, IT professionals say they have 14 different applications available for use on their work computer, but they’re only using half of them. This kind of software clutter is undermining productivity and profitability. 

Perhaps even more worrisome is that many IT workers are not speaking up, leaving bloatware to rage on. Seven in 10 (70%) IT workers hesitate to voice feedback on their company’s software. Why? They don’t want to be seen as a complainer.

Employees pick better software over better benefits

60% of IT pros say they hate using outdated legacy software that isn’t easy to use. To make matters worse, some even feel their software decisions reflect how their company values them: 

For some, it’s gotten so bad that they would even trade premium work perks for a simpler stack. We asked IT workers what benefits they would be willing to give up in exchange for better software. The top answers were: 

  • More vacation days — 44%
  • More parental leave — 41% 
  • More sick/wellness days — 33% 
  • Fully remote work option — 33%
  • Flexible schedules — 28% 
  • A four-day workweek — 27%

The pandemic and remote work have elevated mental health to everyday issues, especially in tech. More than four in five (82%) IT pros are burnt out and over a third (36%) say they are the most burnt out they’ve ever been in their career. More than half (56%) say that their burnout impacts their initiative and motivation at work.

So, what can organizations do to help reduce burnout in IT pros? Provide better benefits and easy-to-use software

Final thoughts

As you can tell from the research insights, bloated software doesn’t just cost your company big bucks. What’s more worrisome is that you’ll be left with a talent pool that’s constantly burned out and demotivated to carry out everyday work owing to the terrible tech stack at the workplace. More features don’t necessarily mean you can get more work done. For all you know, there are easier ways to get the job done with just the right amount of tech at your disposal. IT leaders must have the employees’ interests at heart when choosing the right software to run their business.

To know more about how bloatware affects productivity at the workplace, download the latest research report by Freshworks