Workers are spending as much as half of their day (3-4 hours) doing non-productive work or manual tasks that could be automated, according to the latest Employee Experience Benchmark Report by Kore.ai.
It believes that automation and even generation AI could play a role in improving efficiency towards so-called ‘microtasks’, in turn freeing up workers to spend more time doing meaningful work.
The study of 1,000 white-collar office workers from across the UK found that employers are failing to give workers the right tools to enhance productivity – the same narrative that has come from tens of other studies in recent months with the rise of AI.
Some technology isn’t helping workers
Clearly, the tools that are being deployed by some companies are insufficient. Around one-third (31%) rate the tools they use day-to-day as either average or bad in terms of how they simplify their workload.
The figures are broken down by sector, highlighting that around half of finance tools (52%) and HR tools (47%) aren’t up to scratch.
Tasks holding workers back from their full productivity potential include finding information or documents (50%), raising invoices and POs (49%), raising IT tickets and getting status updates (48%), and basic HR queries (44%).
Company Founder and CEO Raj Koneru commented: “From the survey, it’s clear that employees are crying out for advanced AI-powered experiences to be empowered to get tasks done quickly, efficiently and accurately.”
Looking forward, the study reveals another metric designed to highlight its key message. More than three-quarters (76%) respectively say that having access to the right tools and technology and knowing that you’re productive at work both lead to the highest levels of job satisfaction.
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