Salesforce Report: Governments Need to Optimize Experiences Across Digital Channels to Meet Changing Expectations of the Public

Similar to trends seen in other industries, citizens are clamoring for government organizations to offer more of their services online. And while technology like social media is often blamed for eroding trust in democracy, digital services like social media appear to be a critical — and growing — tool for governments to share information and meet constituent needs.

Why it’s important: Global trust in government institutions is generally on the decline, which exacerbates the perception that modern government isn’t working for its constituents. For example, according to the new Salesforce Connected Government Report: 

• Only 16% of constituents believe that the government has successfully used technology to improve their experiences.
• An average of only 18% of constituents believe the customer experience is prioritized in their engagements with the government.
• About 1 in 3 said trust impacts their willingness to share personal information with their governments.

Opportunity: The report also found that accessible and trusted technology may offer governments a means of meeting — and exceeding — constituent expectations:

• 1 in 4 Gen Z’ers are already using social media as a primary source of information about public services. 
• More than half (54%) of respondents say it is easier to get help from the government online than in-person.
• Respondents ranked transparency (53%), ease of engagement (44%), and accessibility (44%) as the three most important attributes in rebuilding trust in their national and local governments. 

The Salesforce perspective: Nasi Jazayeri, executive vice president and general manager of Salesforce Public Sector, explains:

• “Without trust, institutions struggle to function effectively and meet the needs of constituents, address societal challenges, and promote economic prosperity.”
• “Taking a holistic, people-centered approach to digital transformation can transform the currently strained relationship between people and government organizations, strengthening institutions and delivering better results for the constituents they serve.”
• “The real-time delivery and broad-reaching impact of digital services like social media presents an opportunity for governments to leverage digital channels to share time-critical information during crises, get ahead of developing issues, and build trust with authentic and clear communication.”

What to watch: Emerging technologies have the potential to revolutionize how constituents engage with the government — and most people are open to or excited about that prospect. 

• Most respondents (82%) are open or indifferent to accessing government services online.
• Nearly three quarters (72%) are open or indifferent to online electoral voting.
• Most (60%) are open to using AI in government services. 

The last word: “Optimizing digital experiences will not only allow public sector organizations to keep up with the times — it will help them stay ahead,” said Jazayeri.

Go deeper: 

• Download the report here.
• Read why government leaders are looking to the cloud to accelerate the public sector’s digital transformation. 
• Learn why digital solutions are necessary to improve employee experience and drive mission success.
• Go here to learn more about Salesforce for the Public Sector. Visit this page to learn more about digital tools for the Public Sector, including pricing and availability. 

Methodology

This report is based on a series of five double-blind surveys conducted over the course of 2021 and 2022. Each survey polled over 5,000 respondents 18 and older from North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific regions.

• Wave 1: 5,101 global respondents surveyed April 2021
• Wave 2: 6,077 global respondent surveyed July 2021
• Wave 3: 11,134 global respondent surveyed November 2021
• Wave 4: 5,574 global respondent surveyed March 2022
• Wave 5: 8,000 global respondents surveyed in June 2022