Adobe’s The Future of Digital Work: India report reveals the factors that enable and constrain productivity and the digital tools and processes that are most important to a productive and gratified future workforce.
“The report reiterates the importance of digital technologies and tools in enhancing knowledge workers’ productivity. While workers are recognizing the relevance of these tools, organisations are continuously challenged to keep pace with the latest innovations,” said Girish Balachandran, Senior Director and Head of Digital Media Business at Adobe India.
He added, “the transformative impact of automation and artificial intelligence on work cannot be understated, as they have the power to revolutionise traditional work paradigms. Today, generative AI is presenting exciting possibilities to improve document workflows, amplify efficiencies, and elevate the overall quality of output. With due preparedness, organisations can forge a future where productivity is truly empowered, unlocking the full potential of every worker. This journey towards a technology-driven future promises to reshape work dynamics and enable unprecedented levels of achievement and fulfilment.”
According to the data, the current state of digital work has found that digital literacy is high with 82 percent of knowledge workers stating that digital technologies play an essential role in day-to-day work. Almost 8 in 10 rate their digital literacy higher than the global average.
Of all technologies, knowledge workers overall are most likely to agree they can’t live without digital documents (76 percent), technology to support collaboration (73 percent) and video conferencing (67 percent). As hybrid work becomes more prevalent, leaders tend to rely more on collaboration and video conferencing, while employees tend to lean towards instant messaging platforms and digital approval tools for their communication and workflow needs. Despite the increasing adoption of digital technologies, paper-based work continues to be used in many workplaces. More than 5 in 10 (55 percent) knowledge workers say that at least half of their work is paper based, while 12% say they are fully paperless.
Workers embrace generative AI for accelerated, engaging and meaningful work
Efficiency and quality are at the forefront of employee minds when it comes to generative AI, with respondents highlighting the myriad benefits this brings, including accelerated work processes (96 percent), elimination of redundant tasks (91 percent), more time for engaging and meaningful work (96 percent), and the production of high-quality output (94 percent). However, only 59 percent of respondents reported that their companies currently use generative AI.
With the astounding benefits associated with generative AI it’s no surprise that 88 percent of workers anticipate regular utilisation of generative AI in the coming years, showcasing their confidence in its value. While the majority of knowledge workers (88 percent) and leaders (94 percent) believe their companies should leverage generative AI, 6% of respondents still remain hesitant. The top barriers hindering its adoption include security concerns, executives’ resistance, and a lack of comprehensive understanding.
Both leaders and employees recognise the positive influence of AI on their work (64 percent), with 33 percent considering it nothing short of miraculous, and 57 percent of workers declaring AI as having completely revolutionised their work for the better. The research suggests that more businesses have adopted AI solutions than the workforce is aware of, with double the number of leaders (83 percent) acknowledging their organisation’s use of AI compared to employees (66 percent). Leaders, in particular, reap the benefits of AI, experiencing increased speed, time savings, and eliminating mundane tasks.
Impact takes the lead as Indians want a 4-day work week
Traditional notions of productivity in the workplace are shifting as Indians redefine success in the workplace, prioritising impact alongside volume and speed. On average, knowledge workers are almost 2x more likely to equate productivity with doing more impactful than simply doing more or focusing on efficiency. This paradigm shift is being spearheaded by employee themselves (90%) emphasising the importance of impactful work. A resounding consensus indicates that a 4-day work week would aid productivity. This viewpoint is also shared by leaders.
While the global average demonstrates that external factors like inflation and economic uncertainty impact productivity for 72 percent of knowledge workers, Indians show a slightly higher figure at 74 percent. Rental or housing crises were rated the least disruptive factors to productivity, garnering only 26 percent of the respondents’ concerns.
Adapting to the evolving landscape, the Indian knowledge workers relies more on digital tools and platforms than ever, with 89 percent acknowledging the importance of technology in enhancing productivity. 89 percent of knowledge workers agree that poor technology tools negatively affect their productivity. Of these, 24 percent say it’s killing productivity. Globally, employees point to the lack of automation as their top productivity killer
Poor technology tools are costing companies up to 6 months of work a year
Leaders (93 percent) and employees (87 percent) overwhelmingly agree that poor technology tools can hurt productivity, with 40 percent of leaders saying they are losing 2-4 hours a day due to poor technology, resulting in up to a loss of 25 weeks (6 months) per working year. Substandard technology is also noted as significantly eroding the bottom line. 44 percent of all workers believe poor technology tools negatively impact profitability by 20 percent or more.
Poor technology also has a significant impact on talent retention. When workers encounter technology at work that constrains productivity, 62 percent said they would look for a tech-based solution to use on their own, 14 percent would look for another job, and 16 percent said they would ‘quiet quit’ or tune out. 40 percent of employees are considering quitting their job in the next 6 months because of work technology holding back productivity. This can be as high as 57 percent for full-time remote workers. Most knowledge workers also stated that access to technology heavily influences their decision to accept a job offer, with the majority saying it’s critical (34 percent) or a top consideration (50 percent).