A recent survey by UiPath, an automation software firm, found that around 60% of workers believe that AI-powered automation solutions can alleviate burnout and significantly improve job satisfaction. The survey also revealed that 57% of respondents have a more positive perception of employers that integrate business automation to support their employees and streamline operations. As workloads intensify, 28% of individuals report taking on extra responsibilities due to layoffs or hiring freezes. This has fueled an escalating dependence on AI tools for alleviation, contributing to the emergence of what has been called the “automation generation” — professionals who proactively adopt automation and AI to enhance collaboration, foster creativity and boost productivity, regardless of age or demographic.
The Impact of Business Automation Solutions
The survey found that 31% of respondents actively employ business automation solutions in their workplaces. This subgroup believes they have the resources and support they need (87%) to carry out their responsibilities effectively. Furthermore, 83% of these workers believe that business automation solutions can effectively mitigate burnout and enhance job satisfaction. Among the respondents who are already using business automation solutions, 80% believe that these solutions enable them to perform their jobs more effectively, and 79% hold a more positive perception of employers that implement business automation than of those that don’t.
The Automation Generation and Burnout
When questioned about the sources of their burnout and work fatigue, respondents highlighted working beyond scheduled hours (40%), pressure from managers and leadership (32%), and excessive time dedicated to tactical tasks (27%) as the primary causes. Respondents expressed their desire for automation to assist in tasks such as data analysis (52%), data input/creation (50%), IT/technical issue resolution (49%) and report generation (48%). AI-powered automation emerges as a solution to alleviate these leading causes of burnout, enabling workers to swiftly and effortlessly locate and analyze data while streamlining repetitive and time-consuming tasks.
Workers of the automation generation emphasize flexibility, career advancement and focused work time. In terms of where automation tools impact their jobs, respondents expressed the desire for enhanced flexibility in their work environments (34%), allocated time for acquiring new skills (32%) and dedicated hours for critical tasks (27%). Unlike the previous defining generational categories, the automation generation encompasses all ages and demographics. It is the professionals embracing AI to be more collaborative, creative and productive as well as using these technologies to deliver more satisfying, positive workplace experiences, enrich their personal lives and prevent them from overall feeling like robots themselves. They are looking for a renewed and revived sense of purpose in their work — and automation is helping them realize that.
The Future of Automation
According to Brigette McInnis-Day, chief people officer at UiPath, persistent economic uncertainty and the need for organizations to accomplish more with fewer resources will drive increasing demand for automation and AI-powered tools. She said that companies that adopt an open and adaptable approach to deploying AI are best positioned to attract skilled employees who can contribute to their success. The top resource the automation generation identified as the key aspect that would help them do their jobs better and/or advance was technical tools and software. 58% of respondents indicated they were looking for these technology tools to help them respond to today’s economic and labor market pressures. Business leaders should equip their workers with AI-powered automation tools to thrive in an automation-first world and alleviate resource constraints.
The survey conducted by UiPath indicates that the automation generation is embracing AI-powered tools to alleviate burnout and boost job satisfaction. Business automation solutions have a positive impact on workers, enabling them to perform their jobs more effectively and mitigating burnout. With the increasing demand for automation and AI-powered tools, companies that adopt an open and adaptable approach to deploying AI are best positioned to attract skilled employees who can contribute to their success.
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