If you are reading this article from the comfort of your home office, you are experiencing a reality that, until recent years, was the exception for a small minority of workers. Today, many companies across multiple industries are facilitating hybrid or remote work in one way or another, making the home office a more common setup than it once was. However, even as technology makes remote work easier, workers feel disconnected from their colleagues.
This disconnection may be caused by location, as we find ourselves more physically distant from our colleagues. Yet amid the growing “return to office” movement and fears that remote and hybrid working could be detrimental to staff, it turns out that the feeling of disconnection between colleagues is caused by something entirely different.
The hidden barrier to employee connection
A recent Workato study found that only 26% of UK workers felt it was more difficult to communicate with colleagues virtually, and even fewer said not being in the office with colleagues hindered their ability to collaborate . Data shows that location has very little impact on our ability to feel connected with our colleagues. British workers feel alienated from their colleagues for a completely different reason; there is simply too much work to do and not enough time.
The unachievable workload and the way it is managed is robbing UK workers of time that could be spent building relationships with colleagues, whether they are in the same room or a completely different location. This lack of connection impacts employee engagement, leaving them isolated and teams struggling to collaborate.
Administrative tasks contribute to a significant time crunch for UK workers, particularly highly repetitive tasks such as internal emails and note-taking; time that could be better spent communicating with colleagues. The study found that almost half of workers felt they would need an extra 30 to 60 minutes each day dedicated to team building, to feel closer to their colleagues. With limited resources and only a certain number of hours available in the working day, UK businesses are struggling to find a balance between optimizing time and driving employee engagement – a challenge that could have a significant impact on the long-term success of their teams.
The role of automation in team connection
Creating more free time at work doesn’t mean employees will work less: they will work smarter. When organizations look to deploy automation technology, they not only improve efficiency by significantly reducing the time spent on repetitive tasks, but also the impact on the people responsible for those tasks. Automation paves the way for big-picture thinking, giving employees the space to think about their career goals, reflect on improvements within the business, and plan for future resourcing challenges or obstacles. By moving from task-based to values-based work, organizations can instill a mutual sense of empowerment at all levels of an organization, in a common effort to strengthen the business and contribute to its long-term success.
While the benefits of automation are undeniable, it’s no good if workers aren’t on board with the changes. So what do workers think about automation? The feedback is extremely positive. UK workers are seeing the productivity benefits of automation tools, and the quality of their work is also improving. Specifically, with the use of automation tools, more than 4 in 5 people in the UK believe that automation is part of the solution to saving time for more complex jobs, and 85% believe that it is part of the solution to improve productivity.
Implementing automation allows businesses to invest in human relationships to increase worker efficiency and productivity. The benefits go beyond just improving outcomes; Employees across the UK view automation as an essential tool to boost the quality of their work, create stronger relationships with teammates, and spend time connecting with team members on a personal level.
When a business is made up of a strong, happy team, it naturally creates a ripple effect that leads to happy customers; a win-win solution for everyone.
Building a workplace conducive to connection and collaboration
As organizations continue to explore what the future of work will look like, many need to consider how they will foster an environment that enables UK workers to be creative, collaborative and connected. Recognizing automation as a path forward to improve work, people and culture is crucial to the success of businesses, regardless of industry or size. Leaders now have the opportunity to invest significant time, resources and money in their employees to better promote a sense of belonging.
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