Many workers aren't sure how much their companies are set up to help them be productive

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Lenovo report finds one in two IT leaders want to tackle employee experiences this year
89% of companies need a digital overhaul to benefit from AI
Lenovo says slow down, simplify and personalize first

Fewer than half of employees think their current digital workplace solutions effectively support productivity, engagement, and innovation - raising questions about how well organizations support workers.

According to new research from Lenovo, only one in three (36%) believe their systems support employee engagement ‘very effectively’, with half (49%) of IT leaders citing creating a productive and engaging employee experience as a top priority this year.

Despite the promises artificial intelligence holds, Lenovo says there’s a lot of work to be done before companies can fully benefit from the tech.

Enhancing the employee experience with technology

Four in five (79%) IT leaders believe that AI will allow employees to focus on more meaningful work, however Lenovo says that an overwhelming majority (89%) of organizations must overhaul their digital workplace to unlock the full potential of AI.

Although there are some use cases for AI tools in collaboration, such as virtual co-authoring and real-time translation, the tech has more value in unlocking worker creativity, innovative work, and problem-solving by automating repetitive tasks. AI-driven insights also promise to streamline workflows, improve efficiency and accelerate normal daily operations.

Additionally, IT leaders are acknowledging that a highly personalized digital workplace is essential (63%), but they’re struggling to move past current one-size-fits-all approaches due to a lack of configurable devices and applications.

“Transforming your workplace is essential to using AI effectively,” said Lenovo Digital Workplace Solutions VP and GM Rakshit Ghura. “AI changes the rules of productivity, but to realize its potential, IT leaders must work alongside their executive teams to rethink how AI can augment their organization’s value-creation levers and competitive differentiation.”

Looking ahead, Lenovo is advising companies to simplify and personalize their employee experiences with tailored tools and workflows. The next step is to automate some IT processes to free up resources for higher-value tasks, and then to employ generative AI to drive further innovation.

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With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!