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.
“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.
