UK employees believe poor communication between staff and an overload of electronic information is making them less efficient than their counterparts in Europe, according to research.
A survey of 38,000 workers in 200 countries, conducted by software giant Microsoft, found that a “lack of team effectiveness” (37%) and “ineffective meetings” were the biggest time-wasters.
Almost two-thirds of respondents reported that the inability to find electronic documents quickly when needed affected their productivity.
Nicola Casey, information worker lead at Microsoft, said: “Our productivity is increasingly shaped by our ability to communicate and collaborate with our colleagues and less by our ability to process tasks alone.
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
“The growing volume of information that workers are now expected to manage requires far greater integration than ever before. These combined changes present both a management challenge and an infrastructure challenge for all British businesses,” she added.
Businesses need to employ a management strategy that allows employees to create teams quickly, Casey said.
