According to a recent survey conducted by automation software company UiPath, a majority of employees (approximately 60%) believe that AI-based automation solutions can reduce burnout and significantly improve job satisfaction.
In addition, 57 percent of respondents expressed a more positive view of employers who integrate business automation to support employees and streamline operations than those who do not, reflecting their positive attitude toward such practices.
With increased workloads, 28 percent report additional responsibilities due to layoffs or hiring freezes. Globally, 29% of employees have experienced burnout. This is driving a growing reliance on the use of AI tools to alleviate burnout.
A key finding of the survey is that 31% of respondents are actively using business automation solutions in the workplace. The automation group believes they have the resources and support they need (87%) to effectively perform their job duties. In addition 83% of these workers believe that business automation solutions are effective in reducing burnout and increasing job satisfaction.
According to Brigette McInnis-Day, Chief Human Resources Officer at UiPath, more than half of respondents said they believe automation can solve burnout and improve job satisfaction. This is a clear indication that AI-based business automation technologies are already positively impacting business and technology workers, helping them spend less time on repetitive tasks and focus on more critical and satisfying work.
She emphasized that this view is further supported by the fact that 80 percent of respondents who already use business automation solutions believe they enable them to do their jobs more effectively, and 79 percent hold a more positive view of employers who implement business automation, compared to a more negative view of employers who do not.
The survey shows that employees worldwide are increasingly inclined to adopt automation and artificial intelligence tools to cope with tedious daily tasks. Specifically, respondents expect automation to assist with tasks such as data analysis (52 percent), data entry/creation (50 percent), IT/technical problem solving (49 percent) and report generation (48 percent).
When asked about the causes of burnout and fatigue, respondents cited work overruns (40 percent), pressure from managers and leadership (32 percent) and too much time spent on tactical tasks (27 percent) as the main causes, McInnis-Day said, "AI-powered automation becomes the solution to alleviate these major causes of burnout by enabling employees to find and analyze data quickly and easily while simplifying repetitive and time-consuming tasks."
The automation generation of workers emphasizes flexibility, professional development and focused work time. In terms of the impact of automation tools in their work, respondents expressed a need for flexibility in their work environment (34%), time allocated to gain new skills (32%) and dedicated time for important tasks (27%).
Not surprisingly, the survey shows that younger workers are more receptive to these new technologies. The vast majority of Gen Z (69%), Millennial (63%) and Gen X (51%) respondents are convinced that automation has the potential to improve their job performance.
Growing Demand for Automation and AI ToolsAccording to McInnis-Day, continued economic uncertainty and the need for organizations to achieve more with fewer resources will drive the growing demand for automation and AI tools. Companies that take an open and adaptive approach to deploying AI are most likely to attract skilled employees who can contribute to their success, she said.
"The most important resources identified by the automation generation are technology tools and software that can help them do their jobs better and/or advance," she said. "Fifty-eight percent of respondents said they are looking for these technology tools to cope with today's economic and labor market pressures."
She recommends that business leaders equip their workforce with AI-powered automation tools to thrive in an automation-first world and ease resource constraints.
"These findings provide strong evidence that introducing AI-powered automation throughout the organization is not only a smart investment, but one that aligns with employee preferences" McInnis-Day added, "As workloads increase and employees seek out work-life solutions that offer a healthy balanced careers, the integration of automation becomes critical to provide a more fulfilling and positive workplace experience."