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Majority of employees say AI will improve their working lives but see no strategy for implementation
05.02.2020

Majority of employees say AI will improve their working lives but see no strategy for implementation

Ricoh Europe’s Future of Work report shows shifting attitudes towards technology

London/Wallisellen, 05 February 2020 – Next generation machines will revolutionise the workplace of the future with 54% of employees believing employers will use AI and other technology to improve the working experience. Furthermore, only 28% are worried about technology such as AI and robotics replacing their job – dispelling myths around the doom filled march of the robots.
The optimism for jobs to be enhanced by technology is echoed in Ricoh Europe’s Future of Work report which explores how technology, collaboration and sustainability should be front of mind for those businesses looking to future proof success. The report is supported by research of 3,000 European workers.
In positive news for employers – almost three quarters (72%) of European workers claim they want to contribute more to their organisation’s performance. Technology will enable this contribution as more time-intensive administrative functions are performed by machines, enabling employees to place a greater focus on strategy and more meaningful, revenue-generating tasks.
David Mills, CEO, Ricoh Europe comments: “Collaboration with machines doesn’t just improve worker’s ability to focus on more rewarding tasks, it changes how we work with each other. Armed with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate the future of work, employees will not only be more productive, but more creative too. This will largely come through greater opportunities for collaboration driven by the integration of technology.”
In fact, 78% of office workers expect their employer to provide tools to work more collaboratively with colleagues regardless of location, enabling greater flexibility and the transferring of skills.
“The need for human-based work won’t disappear. Employers must understand that technology is not a silver bullet to profitability. A fruitful relationship between humans and machines can only be truly successful if workers are part of the journey and involved in new ways of working from the off,” adds Mills.
As technology rapidly alters how people work, employers need to provide the tools and training to get the most out of their employees. 69% of European workers believe the best workplaces invest in digital technologies for upskilling staff. Meanwhile, 60% of employees trust their employer to invest in technology to meet the workforce requirements of the future – emphasising how much attitudes towards technology at work have shifted in recent years.
However, only 38% said their employer has a strategy in place to integrate technology such as AI and robots in the workplace and has communicated this with employees. This reinforces the importance of communication and training in improving employee engagement and fostering company loyalty.

A closer look across Europe:

Employees believe employers will use AI and other technology to improve the working experience for humansEmployees are worried about technology such as AI and robotics replacing their jobEmployers have a strategy in place to integrate technology such as AI and robotics into the workplace and communicates thisEmployees expect their employer to provide tools to work more collaboratively with colleague regardless of location
UK47%25%31%75%
France55%33%42%79%
Germany45%22%37%74%
Italy62%25%48%82%
Spain66%43%46%78%
Netherlands52%19%26%83%
Learn more about the importance of putting people first in the Future of Work by downloading the full report at www.ricoh-europe.com/insights.

About the report:The Future of Work report analyses more than 100 sources to bring together best-in-class thinking and use cases on how work will shape employment. It finds that technology will fuel new modes of collaboration between humans, human and machines and machines with other machines (automation). 

About the research: 3,000 office workers were polled between 30 August and 5 September 2019 by Opinium Research LLC. 500 Respondents were sourced from the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands. 

|About Ricoh|

Ricoh is a leading provider of integrated digital services and print and imaging solutions designed to support digital transformation of workplaces, workspaces and optimize business performance.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh’s global operation reaches customers in approximately 200 countries and regions, supported by cultivated knowledge, technologies, and organizational capabilities nurtured over its 85-year history. In the financial year ended March 2023, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 2,134 billion yen (approx. 16.0 billion USD).

It is Ricoh’s mission and vision to empower individuals to find Fulfillment through Work by understanding and transforming how people work so we can unleash their potential and creativity to realize a sustainable future. 
For further press information, please contact: Ricoh Switzerland Ltd.
Tamara Martelli
Regional Communications Manager
Hertistrasse 2
8304 Wallisellen
Phone: +41 44 832 31 89
E-mail: tamara.martelli@ricoh.ch
Website: www.ricoh.ch/en
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