Workers are enduring more tech upheaval than ever – but it seems to be paying off | Daily Reports Online
- Workers feel energized, not exhausted, by new tech and AI tools
- Companies need to respond even quicker to prevent shadow AI use
- Employees also want to feel heard at work
Three in four (72%) UK workers say they’ve experienced organizational change over the past year, with the most common change being new technology (42%), outpacing restructuring (35%) and leadership changes (33%), but a new study from Qualtrics says this might be a good thing.
The report notes technology change might actually be energizing employees, not exhausting them, with tech change broadly resulting in higher engagement rather than burnout.
Much of the change is driven by AI, which rose employee engagement nine points – half of UK employees now frequently use AI tools at work.
New tech at work is actually keeping workers active
Artificial intelligence is now proving vital across faster task completion (73%), improving work quality (62%) and boosting productivity (52%), but Qualtrics says companies might not be evolving quickly enough, remarking a rise in shadow AI where only around one-quarter (26%) of the 2,000+ UK employees surveyed say they exclusively use company-provided AI tools.
“Humans are saying yes to AI but we need to offer employees more support with using it in the right way,” Employee Experience Strategy Director Simon Daly wrote.
Qualtrics also found that employees who feel listened to are more likely to stay in their companies. Their wellbeing nearly doubles from 44% to 86% when organizations listen more frequently, yet despite the desire for more human interaction and top-down listening, few workers reported this actually happened.
“The companies thriving through change are the ones checking in regularly with their people, understanding what support they need, and then following through with action,” Daly added.
Looking ahead, while it’s clear that providing updated and more suitable tools really helps workers to feel energized, employers must also take the time to reaffirm that human connection and ensure the tools they’re providing are adequate.
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