Workers could save over 10 hours a week by reducing the volume of tech tools and apps, survey finds

monday.com,  a work operating system (Work OS) where organisations of any size can create the tools and processes they need to manage every aspect of their work, today released findings from its global workforce survey. The study looked at workers’ sentiments around productivity, time management and automation amidst the current challenging economic landscape. Top-line results show that 72% of those surveyed in the UK believe the right tools are crucial to successful productivity despite 20% of British respondents feeling they don’t have access to the right tools. 

This comes despite UK workers being cited as using the highest number of software and technology tools, showing that employees are at risk of technology overload and burnout. When looking at software and technology used globally, workers reported using 10.5 applications on average, and 76% globally agreed that consolidating their company’s toolset should be a high priority. 

When looking at challenges around productivity, managing an excessive number of technology apps and tools was cited as a key concern, with UK workers citing that consolidating their tools could save them up to 10 hours. The only productivity challenge to top this was trying to keep on top of administrative tasks. 

However, 84% of workers worldwide believe workflow automation could boost productivity and change their daily working lives within the next 3 years (78%). This is echoed by the majority of respondents who are optimistic about their company’s long and short-term success, with 78% expressing confidence in their ability to deploy new technologies to improve work processes and productivity. Furthermore, 83% of UK respondents believe enhancing productivity is crucial in preventing employee burnout, underscoring the strong correlation between productivity levels and employee well-being. 

“Many employees in the UK are struggling to cope with the sheer volume of digital tools and apps. As the study shows, we are at a point in time where technology overload is becoming a very real problem for British workers,” said Will Hale,Sales Regional Director for EMEA at monday.com. “It can be a difficult balance to strike, but the right technology has the potential to boost productivity, enable collaboration and reduce administrative tasks. We are already seeing the rise and benefits of automation based platforms as just one example, but it is critical that businesses find a way to streamline and consolidate tech adoption and that they invest in the right platforms and tools to enable greater productivity and enhance employee morale.”

The study was created in partnership with independent research companies RepData LLC and DM2. The survey analysed 4,000 workers across – Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.