- Workers feel energized, not exhausted, by new technology and artificial intelligence tools.
- Companies must respond even faster to avoid the use of shadow AI
- Employees also want to feel heard at work
Three in four (72%) UK workers say they have experienced organizational changes over the last 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 could be a good thing.
The report notes that technological change may actually be energizing employees, not depleting them, and that technological change generally results in greater engagement rather than burnout.
Much of the change is driven by AI, which increased employee engagement by nine points – with half of UK employees now frequently using AI tools at work.
New technology at work actually keeps workers active
Artificial intelligence is now proving vital for completing tasks more quickly (73%), improving the quality of work (62%) and increasing productivity (52%), but Qualtrics says businesses may not be evolving fast enough, highlighting a rise in shadow AI, where only around a quarter (26%) of the more than 2,000 UK employees surveyed say they exclusively use company-provided AI tools.
“Humans are saying yes to AI, but we need to give employees more support to use it the right way,” wrote director of employee experience strategy Simon Daly.
Qualtrics also found that employees who feel heard are more likely to stay with their companies. Their well-being nearly doubles from 44% to 86% when organizations listen more frequently; However, despite the desire for more human interaction and top-down listening, few workers reported that this actually happened.
“Companies that thrive through change are those that regularly communicate with their people, understand what support they need, and then take action,” Daly added.
Looking ahead, while it’s clear that providing updated and more appropriate tools really helps workers feel energized, employers must also take the time to reaffirm that human connection and ensure the tools they provide are the right ones.
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