Work Tech And Why It Sucks

The WSJ has a nice article up about why the computer you may use at work is so much slower and infuriating than the one you have at home.

Essentially, the piece argues, corporations are far more disposed to one-size-fits-all solutions and the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” model (though what constitutes “broke” is up to interpretation). This reduces tech support/troubleshooting time.

Also, since the cost of computers has plunged and more people can afford one (or two, or three) in their homes, that spurs innovation in the personal computing space, not the corporate computing space. What great inventions geared at office workers have come out of the last decade? Bet you can count on one hand. (The Blackberry, er, um….)

What does this all have to do with jobs and recruiting? Behold:

The rise of the consumer market also means people have gotten a lot smarter when it comes to technology—and a lot less patient with substandard stuff at the office. Even with the weak economy, companies will find it harder to recruit savvy workers if they don’t let them use their favored technology.

And:

That said, many executives agree that change is in the air. Chris Turner, Unilever’s chief technology officer, says the pressure to relax IT policies is bubbling up, especially from young employees. “They look at your standard corporate desktop and say, ‘I can’t work with that,’ ” Mr. Turner says. “If you can make it an attractive thing that they want to work with, that’s a hugely powerful thing.”

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