The mass layoffs, hiring freezes, the quiet quitting or the great resignation – it hasn’t been easy for today’s workforce, resulting in employee burnout, low productivity and host of other issues. A recent survey of 6400 workers across the world indicates that employees are increasingly turning to AI for aid.
The survey commissioned by UiPath, an enterprise automation software company, found that nearly 60% of respondents believe that automation can address burnout and improve job fulfillment, and 57% report that they view employers that use business automation to help support employees and modernize operations more favorably than those that do not.
This comes as 28% of global respondents report that they have been asked to take on more tasks in the past six months due to layoffs and hiring freezes. About the same number of employees (29%) around the world report being negatively affected by burnout.
The survey points to the emergence of the Automation Generation as more employees lean on AI tool to get their jobs done.
According to the survey, the Automation Generation does not represent a specific age or demographic, but rather, the professionals embracing AI and automation to be more collaborative, creative, and productive. This generation of workers wants these technologies to enrich their work and personal lives and prevent them from feeling like robots themselves.
Thirty-one percent of all respondents are already using business automation solutions at work. Of these workers comprising the Automation Generation, 87% feel like they have the resources and support needed to do their job effectively and 83% believe business automation solutions can help address burnout and enhance job satisfaction.
Younger employees are more receptive to the potential of AI-powered automation in helping them at work, with close to 70% of Gen Z workers thinking that automation would help them do their jobs better. Only about 44% of Baby Boomer respondents feel similarly.
Brigette McInnis-Day, Chief People Officer at UiPath, said,
“Disruption in the workplace and macroeconomic factors often mean employees are asked to bear that burden by doing more with less—but it doesn’t need to be that way. The employees of Automation Generation are embracing AI-powered automation so they can better manage their workloads, excel in their careers, and improve their work-life balance. Businesses that deploy AI in an open, flexible, and enterprise ready way are best positioned to attract and retain the types of employees that will help them thrive in an automation-first world. Automation is a key differentiator for companies to attract and retain by empowering employees and driving engagement.”
