A recent study by experience management company Qualtrics reveals that workers in Hong Kong are among the most receptive globally to using artificial intelligence (AI) for certain tasks at work.
Based on survey responses from nearly 37,000 employees globally, including over 1,000 in Hong Kong, the Qualtrics Employee Experience Trends Report found that 51% of local employees are positive about utilising AI as a personal assistant for workplace tasks such as writing and contacting internal support – a figure higher than the global average of 42%.
The study also uncovered room for improvement in Hong Kong’s employee experience (EX). While the indicators of an optimal EX at work have now stabilised since the pandemic at 56%, indicators like intent to stay (61%) and wellbeing (65%) lagged the global averages of 65% and 72% respectively. These trends are reflected across the Asia-Pacific region, with EX scores declining in Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, and stalling in Singapore, highlighting the need for organisations to refocus towards people-centricity.
“As economies focus on improving productivity, employee experience is one of the most important levers to prioritise in Hong Kong and across the region,” said **Dr Cecelia Herbert, Principal XM Catalyst, Qualtrics XM Institute**. “There is a well-established connection between employee engagement and organisational performance – from innovation and profitability, through to better customer service and employee health outcomes. Organisations that maintain their people-centric focus, and effectively enable their teams to do great work, will be the standout performers in years to come.”
Alongside highlighting the state of EX in 2024 in Hong Kong, the dedicated team of EX experts at Qualtrics analysed findings in the study to reveal emerging trends in the workplace:
1. Employees would rather AI assist them than manage them
Workers are more comfortable with AI in the workplace when they have a sense of control over it, such as for writing tasks (67% of employees would use AI for this), as a personal assistant (64% of employees), and contacting support functions (58%). In situations where decisions are being made about them, workers are much less comfortable – like performance evaluations (44%), and hiring decisions (36%).
2. Some time in the office is better than none – unless it’s five days
As the debate continues over how many days employees should spend in the office, Qualtrics research shows the key indicators of a positive EX are often highest for employees with hybrid work schedules. Employees in hybrid working arrangements are the most likely to say their experience exceeds their expectations and report higher levels of well-being.
3. Frontline employees are unhappy, poorly supported and the least trusting
Frontline workers, like cashiers and restaurant servers, are critical to business results and often the only direct connection a customer has with a company. Compared to all employees, morale and satisfaction are lowest among these employees; they don’t feel their basic pay and benefits needs are being met and they lack support to effectively do their jobs but don’t feel they can propose changes to the way things are done.
4. The ‘new job’ honeymoon phase has vanished
Historically, employees were more engaged for at least their first year in a new role. However, new hires now have lower levels of engagement, intent to stay, wellbeing, and inclusion compared with more tenured employees.
Qualtrics’ data reveals how important the first several months of a new job are to build committed and loyal employees, yet only 41% of HR leaders prioritise onboarding new employees to fully integrate them into the company. With many of these new employees excluded from annual engagement surveys, organisations may be missing critical information for retaining their newest hires.
5. Employees are comfortable sharing work emails and chats for an improved employee experience, but more ambivalent about social media posts being used
Employees today are comfortable with their employer listening passively to work emails, work processes like interview notes, virtual meeting transcripts and chat messages to improve their experience. In fact, 61% of workers are comfortable with their organisation using email data to better understand and improve their experience at work. They are less comfortable with companies using social media posts, whether anonymous or not – only 39% of employees are comfortable with social media being used.
By shedding light on these workplace trends through extensive global surveys, Qualtrics aims to help organisations prioritise EX and adapt to evolving workforce needs and technologies. This will be critical for businesses seeking to boost retention, productivity and performance in the future of work. Read the full 2024 Employee Experience Trends Report here.
