Contrary to what digital leaders plan in the new hybrid-work era, a whopping 60 per cent of employees are still averse to trying out new technology at the workplace, saying that new software had occasionally or frequently frustrated them within the past 24 months.

According to a new Gartner report, in fact, 56 per cent of users said new software had made them wish management would bring the old system back.

The findings showed that 81 per cent of software users have taken some kind of action – positive or negative – after a notable experience with software.

“The democratisation and consumerisation of IT has resulted in employees who have more discretion over what software they use and how they use it,” said Craig Roth, research vice president at market research firm Gartner.

“Software product leaders often focus on adding new features to keep up with competitors, but this leads to overly complex products with poor user experience (UX),” he noted in the report.

Nearly 40 per cent of users have resisted using applications after a negative experience by using minimal features, avoiding or delaying use.

After a positive experience with an application, however, 41 per cent of users spent more time delving further into its features.

“Consumption of new features helps technology providers increase the stickiness of a product, but when users ignore advanced features, vendors have less influence to secure upsells or renewals and stay ahead of competition,” said Roth.

The report also found that users frequently share their opinions on software with peers, with IT and with business leaders, either proactively or in response to requests for input.

Social media is also becoming an important outlet for sharing opinions on software, with 10 per cent of respondents indicating they had left reviews on social media or review websites after a negative experience with an application.

When users were asked what actions software vendors could take to make them more likely to recommend their products to peers, IT or business leaders, the top answer was to make products easier to use, cited by 51 per cent of respondents.

The report also found that 34 per cent of users said their IT department allows them to choose most of the software they use.

“In some instances, users may also self-acquire software through personal or business credit cards, or users will be billed based on consumption, although these arrangements are not yet commonplace,” it added.