Riverbed, a leader in unified observability, today announced the results for the public sector from its Global Employee Digital Experience Survey (DEX). The report reveals that government agencies are transforming to improve the digital experience of employees and citizens, enabling them to achieve key objectives such as increasing staff productivity, recruiting and retaining talent in the public sector, and fulfilling tasks. This transformation is also essential to overcome the many challenges in the sector, including the acceleration of hybrid work and skills shortages as the workplace and workforce change at an unprecedented pace.
Evolution at the pace of current employees
Every industry is facing a talent shortage, and the public sector is no exception. As senior staff members retire, a new generation of digitally native Millennials and Generation Z workers enter with high expectations for technology and digital experience. In fact, 86% of surveyed public sector leaders believe they will need to provide more advanced digital experiences as a new generation of employees enters the workforce.
New areas of investment include unified observability platforms, which can offer exceptional DEX by providing visibility, AI, and practical insights on complete infrastructures; 74% of IT respondents in the public sector believe that unified observability with increased automation can help bridge the skills gap. Additionally, new investments are expected to support the hybrid workforce, as 49% of public sector employees operate in a hybrid model, and 92% of surveyed public sector leaders say hybrid work improves their ability to recruit talent and stay competitive in the future. As a result, 83% of surveyed public sector leaders plan to invest in technology in the next 12-18 months to support this hybrid workforce.
Enhanced digital experiences are not considered merely a luxury. The survey showed that 58% of public sector leaders believe there would be a disruptive or reputational impact on their organization if the DEX needs of younger generations were not met, while 63% agree that these employees would consider leaving the government organization if they did not enjoy seamless digital experiences.
The role of the public sector CIO is changing
As CIOs are consulted on significant strategic decisions affecting hiring and productivity, they are expected to take on a more prominent role within the leadership team. 81% of surveyed public sector decision-makers recognize the growing relevance of IT within their organization’s leadership team. Additionally, 89% of respondents agree that IT is more responsible for driving innovation now than it was three years ago. Indeed, there is pressure on IT and its leaders to make smart investments and implement technologies that support the cause and mission rather than add additional complexity.
Decision-makers express increased interest in AI and cloud
Further research on government digitization by Deloitte indicates that governments’ ultimate goal should be to move from ‘doing’ digital to ‘being’ digital, which means ‘elevating the human experience.’ Human-centered design and advanced technologies such as AI, cybersecurity, and cloud are used to radically improve service delivery by transforming governmental operational models. McKinsey agrees, stating that ‘by digitizing processes and making organizational changes, governments can improve services, save money, and enhance citizens’ quality of life,’ and the Global Government Forum names digital transformation as one of the top four priorities for 2024.
This aligns with the results of the Riverbed survey, as 80% of surveyed public sector leaders plan to accelerate the adoption and implementation of digital experience. Additionally, the survey confirmed that cloud (44%), AI (38%), and automation (33%) will become critical priorities in the next 18 months. Unified observability uniquely merges all these technologies by providing holistic visibility in physical and virtual environments, along with additional functionalities to increase productivity through AI and automation. Eighty-eight percent of surveyed leaders agree that unified observability is important (45% consider it critically important) to deliver DEX, and 87% note that there must be greater investment in unified observability solutions that provide practical insights for a better digital employee and customer experience.
“In government organizations and agencies, digital experience is more critical than ever,” said Jeff Waters, Senior Vice President of Federal Sales at Riverbed. “However, with the changing dynamics of the workforce, Riverbed’s Global DEX Survey found that delivering better digital experiences is becoming more challenging for public sector leaders, with the vast majority facing at least one significant obstacle. Fortunately, these government organizations are investing in technology, including observability, AI, and automation, to address these challenges. With Riverbed’s unified observability portfolio, government and public sector organizations can gain practical insights and leverage automation to make data-driven decisions that support their mission and improve the digital experience for citizens and government employees.”
Methodology
Riverbed’s 2023 Global Employee Digital Experience Survey consulted 1,800 IT decision-makers (ITDM) and business decision-makers (BDM) in 10 countries and seven industries, including 320 public sector leaders. The survey was conducted by Sapio Research in May 2023 to explore generational expectations, hybrid work, the role in IT evolution, and challenges and strategies for delivering exceptional DEX.