- Workers who use automation and AI feel happier and have a better work-life balance
- 82% that like the tools they use hit their KPIs vs 62% of those that don’t like them
- Three-quarters are optimistic about AI’s possible impact on their future professional life; only 8% fear it will shrink teams
Pipedrive, the intelligent revenue platform for small businesses, has released a report which uncovers how AI is directly correlated with happier workers and better working experiences, including the work-life balance.
AI adoption has grown at pace. 35% are using AI tools in the workplace already, the same rate as those using email marketing automation –a comparatively much more mature technology– underlining a rapid adoption of AI.
But on the whole, AI tools are being used more by smaller companies. 42% of those companies with up to 10 employees have adopted the technology, versus 37% of those with 11-100 employees and 23% for those with over 100 employees. A quarter of all respondents have introduced AI-based approaches to their sales process.
AI tools enable happier employees & healthier revenues - but not all tech is created equal
Workers who use automation feel happier and have a better work-life balance. On a 5-point scale of happiness (5 being very happy and 0 being very unhappy) those who use automation tools on average were 3.8/5 Vs 3.5/5 who don’t for workplace happiness. That equates to a 6% happiness lift. Similarly, those who use CRM software on average claimed 3.8/5 vs 3.6/5 for those who don’t use CRM software.
And the findings divulge how automation is not only contributing to office morale but also the business bottom line; 82% of respondents who like the tools they use hit their sales KPIs, vs 62% of those who don’t like them.
Staff positive about AI’s impact on their future work
Over three quarters of respondents (76%) were optimistic about AI’s possible impact on their future professional life. Only 8% fear AI could shrink their teams. But a majority, 83%, believe there are areas where AI will have less importance. These include building relationships with customers (59%), selling (34%) and team management (33%). Only 7% would entrust AI to relationship building and team management at present.
Flexible working creates happier and more productive workers
78% of respondents said their workplace offers remote working opportunities and 72% offer flexible working hours. Of those that do, 68% claimed that since flexible work models had been rolled out their mental well-being had improved (28% stayed the same; 2% declined). Women felt this impact most strongly (74% vs 66%). 77% said this flexibility also boosted their performance.
Of all the company wellbeing offerings –-such as team building activities, access to fitness classes, employee assistance programmes, and so on–- remote working and flexible work hours far outstrip the value to employees than any others.
Dominic Allon, CEO of Pipedrive says: “We’ve all been hearing how AI will make teams more productive, more accurate and more insightful - so it’s fantastic to unveil our latest findings which reveal the technology’s positive impact on employee happiness. Companies should also sit up to the fact that automation has a significant positive correlation to the worker’s ability to hit their KPIs. But it’s important to note that not all tech is good tech. There is a 20% difference between workers hitting their professional goals from those who like their tech and those who don’t. In today’s climate many businesses are reducing budgets; leaders would do well to understand exactly the sentiment of their tech investments from those that use them daily to ensure smart spending.”
The report surveyed 948 respondents from 85 countries.