It found that workers, on average, spend 14.3 hours each week on data tasks including data entry, analysis and report generation, taking them away from high value tasks.
The Multiverse Skills Intelligence report highlighted that works feel they are wasting 4.3 hours a week on data tasks on average, equating to 10 per cent of their total working time.
The report also found that staff are relying on Excel for the majority of their data tasks, with many lacking understanding or avoiding tools such as Python.
Derek Mackenzie, CEO of Investigo said: “In challenging economic times, building a national talent pipeline of candidates equipped with the latest digital skills is crucial to boosting the jobs market and driving growth. Companies need tech talent in order to thrive, and currently many businesses are struggling to recruit and train candidates in core areas such as data analysis, automation and predictive modelling.
With the severe lack of data skills across the UK workforce costing the country £57.2 billion per year, nearly nine-in-ten business leaders believe their organisation has significant skills gaps, and half of employees said they lack the necessary skills, it is evident that a much greater focus is needing on developing high skilled opportunities for future generations in the technology industry.”
Businesses are aware of the data gap facing their organisation, with almost nine in ten business leaders reported that their organisation is facing a significant skills gap.
Sachin Agrawal, Managing Director, Zoho UK , said: “Building digital skills throughout the workforce is essential to the UK’s ongoing aim to cement itself as a global technology superpower. It’s clear there’s still a lot of work to be done, with 9 in 10 business leaders stating their organisation has a significant skills gap. Businesses need access to skilled staff to maximise the benefits of their technology solutions, especially when it comes to the rapid development and adoption of tech such as AI, which rely heavily on data foundations.”
“Solving the skills gap requires a collaboration between government, industry and education to identify the most in-demand skills, such as data, in order to build a pipeline of talent. Bootcamps focusing on key skill sets including data, cloud computing and software development can enable the next generation to develop sought-after skills, as well as help others to reskill and upskill in line with technology advancements."
"The SaaS industry can contribute by continuing to provide software which is designed to help democratise data and use of data in business, for all, not just for technical experts. Organisations should also educate and train employees to get the most out of digital tools, so all staff can use data in different ways relevant to their roles to enhance success."
"These steps will help to safeguard the future generation of tech talent, potentially enabling them to become leading innovators to contribute to the UK’s tech superpower status.”