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Employee interviews
Employees shared that their current experience with the bank’s internal tools feels disjointed and cumbersome. They have to navigate multiple systems, each with its own interface and user experience, to complete routine work-related tasks.
For example, submitting a timesheet, updating annual goals, or logging a service request all require going to different platforms, making the process fragmented and confusing.
This fragmented experience often leads to frustration, especially when employees are pressed for time, and can negatively affect how they feel about working at Nedbank.
GBS Group business services interviews
The GBS team has observed a growing trend in the queries it receives. According to GBS, many employees struggle to perform daily work‑related tasks due to the fragmented nature of the internal tools and platforms.
The team noted that employees often have difficulty locating certain tools or understanding where to go for specific tasks. As a result, staff frequently log queries with GBS simply to find the right system or resource. In other cases, employees have trouble navigating the tools due to a confusing user experience and poorly designed interfaces, prompting them to seek GBS support just to complete basic tasks.
This situation not only impacts employee productivity and experience, but also takes up a significant portion of the GBS team’s time and resources — time that could be better spent addressing more serious or complex requests.
Human Resources interviews
The HR department has also been inundated with requests from employees who struggle to complete basic HR‑related tasks, such as logging leave, downloading their payslip, or reporting an incident.
According to the HR team, many staff members have difficulty finding the right tool or form for these tasks, or navigating the platforms once they locate them.
As a result, employees often reach out to HR directly for help — even for routine activities — placing additional strain on the team. This situation not only impacts employee productivity and experience but also diverts HR’s time and resources away from higher‑priority and more complex issues.
As-is state
The images below illustrate how employees must navigate across four separate platforms to complete different tasks — such as accessing the org chart, logging a service request, setting goals, or submitting a work order. Each platform has its own interface and user experience, adding to the overall complexity and inconsistency.
Competitor analysis
As part of the research for building our employee portal, we reviewed platforms such as Zenefits, Namely and ADP. These products offer valuable insights into best practices for user experience, information architecture, and feature design in the HR and employee self‑service space.
Evaluating their approach to navigation, data accessibility and overall user experience helped identify opportunities for creating a more seamless and intuitive employee portal tailored to our organization’s needs.
Industry Context
This challenge extended beyond Nedbank. A 2023 Gartner survey found that 47% of digital workers struggle to find the information needed to effectively perform their jobs. Additionally, research shows that 90% of employees are frustrated by their workplace technology. The fragmentation and complexity of multiple workplace systems was a widespread problem affecting employee productivity across enterprises.
References: Gartner (2023) - "Gartner Survey Reveals 47% of Digital Workers Struggle to Find the Information Needed to Effectively Perform Their Jobs". Freshworks - "Survey: Nine in 10 Employees are Frustrated by their Workplace Technology".
