Ricoh Europe's "Future of Work" study shows that attitudes towards new technologies such as AI and robotics have changed positively
Technology is seen by the majority of workers as an enrichment in the workplace. This is shown by the current Ricoh study "Future of Work". 54 percent of employees believe that employers will use technologies such as AI to enhance the workplace experience. The majority of employees are optimistic about the future: only 28 percent of employees are worried that they will be replaced by technologies such as AI and robotics in the workplace.
The Future of Work study examines why companies that want to remain successful in the future should focus on new technologies, collaboration and sustainability. The study is based on a survey of 3,000 employees in Europe.
Good news for employers: almost three quarters (72%) of employees say they want to contribute more to the performance and success of their organisation. Technology will make this possible, as more time-consuming administrative tasks can be performed by machines, allowing employees to focus more on strategically relevant and value-adding tasks.
David Mills, CEO of Ricoh Europe, explains: "Working with machines not only allows employees to focus on more creative tasks but also changes the way we work together. When workers are equipped with the knowledge and skills for the working world of the future, they will not only be more productive but also more creative. This is made possible by integrating technologies that open up more opportunities for collaboration".
In fact, 78 percent of office workers expect their company to provide tools that enable them to work more closely with colleagues, regardless of where they work, and that enable greater flexibility and knowledge transfer.
"There will still be work that machines cannot do. Workers must understand that technology is not a miracle cure that guarantees profitability. Human-machine collaboration can only be truly successful if workers are part of the process and are involved from the outset in the introduction of new ways of working," Mills continues.
As new technologies rapidly change the way people work, it's important that companies provide the tools and training to get the most out of their employees. 69 per cent of employees in Europe believe that the best workplaces invest in digital technologies to train their workforce. Today, 60 per cent of workers trust that their company will invest in technologies that will meet the demands of the jobs of the future. This underlines the extent to which attitudes towards technology in the workplace have changed in recent years.
However, only 38 percent of employees reported that their company has a strategy for integrating technologies such as AI and robotics in the workplace, and this strategy has been communicated to them. This demonstrates the importance of communication and training to improve employee engagement and promote loyalty to the employer.
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