HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ) today disclosed the second annual HP Work Relationship Index (WRI), a comprehensive study exploring the world’s relationship with work. The survey, which polled 15,600 respondents from various sectors in 12 countries, reveals that work is not working too well: only 28% of knowledge workers have a healthy work relationship, an increase of one point compared to last year’s results. However, new findings highlight two potential solutions to improve how people relate to work: AI and personalized experiences.
“The adoption of AI continues to transform how we work, and its use is growing globally and in Brazil,” says Ricardo Kamel, general manager of HP Inc in Brazil. “In addition, personalized work experiences are increasingly necessary, and company leaders need to invest in emerging technologies and develop their interpersonal skills to meet workers’ expectations.”
Personalized work experiences can lead to healthier work relationships
In its second year, the survey continued to analyze aspects of people’s relationships with work, including the role of work in their lives, their skills, capabilities, tools, workspaces, and their expectations regarding leadership. This year, HP’s Work Relationship Index reveals a significant universal need for knowledge workers: personalized work experiences.
At least two-thirds of workers have expressed a desire for personalized work experiences, including tailored workspaces, access to preferred technologies, and flexible work environments. These experiences are crucial for improving job satisfaction and have positive implications for both employees and companies:
- 64% of knowledge workers say that if their work were tailored or customized to meet their personal needs and preferences, they would be more invested in the company’s growth.
- 69% of knowledge workers believe this would improve their overall well-being.
- 68% of knowledge workers stated this would encourage them to stay longer with their current employers.
This desire for customization is so strong that 87% of knowledge workers would be willing to give up part of their salary for it. On average, workers would be willing to give up to 14% of their salary, with Generation Z workers willing to give up to 19%.
AI opens up new opportunities for knowledge workers to enjoy their work and increase productivity
The use of AI among knowledge workers has increased to 66% in 2024, compared to 38% last year. Workers using AI are seeing benefits, including a healthier relationship with work:
- 73% feel that AI makes their jobs easier, and nearly 7 in 10 (69%) are customizing AI use to be more productive, indicating that AI could be a key ingredient in unlocking a more personalized work experience.
- 60% afirm that AI plays a key role in improving the balance between work and personal life.
- 68% say AI opens up new opportunities for them to enjoy work.
- 73% agree that a better understanding of AI will make it easier to advance in their careers.
Additionally, knowledge workers using AI are 11 points happier with their work relationship compared to their non-user counterparts. Thus, there is an urgency to get AI into the hands of workers as quickly as possible, as non-AI users have shown an increase in fear of job replacement by AI, with 37% expressing concern, a 5-point increase from last year.
Corporate leaders have low self-confidence; female leaders emerge as a positive highlight
While on a global scale the index shows little change, countries that have seen an increase in their individual work relationship index have shown a slight improvement in the top six factors of a healthy work relationship – most notably in the areas of Leadership and Achievement. This year’s index revealed that trust in senior leadership remains a critical factor in a healthy work relationship, but there is a disconnect between recognizing the importance of human skills (e.g., mindfulness, self-awareness, communication, creative thinking, resilience, empathy, emotional intelligence) and leaders’ confidence in delivering them:
- Even though over 90% of leaders acknowledge the benefits of empathy, only 44% feel confident in their socio-emotional skills.
- Only 28% of workers feel consistent empathy from their leaders, despite 78% highly valuing it.
However, this year’s survey revealed a positive point: female leaders. On average, female business leaders are 10 points more confident in their technical skills (specific knowledge, computing, presentation, etc.) and notably 13 points more confident in human skills than male leaders. Additionally, the confidence of female business leaders in both skills has grown in the past year (10 more points in human skills, 4 more points in technical skills), while confidence among male business leaders remained stagnant in human skills and decreased in technical skills (3 points less).
For more information on the HP Work Relationship Index, visit the WRI website and to access the full report, please visit the HP Newsroom.
Methodology
HP commissioned an online survey to Edelman Data & Intelligence (DXI), which collected the data between May 10 and June 21, 2024, in 12 countries: USA, France, India, UK, Germany, Spain, Australia, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Canada, and Indonesia. HP surveyed a total of 15.6 thousand respondents – 12 thousand knowledge workers (one thousand in each country); 2.4 thousand IT decision-makers (two hundred in each country); and 1.2 thousand corporate leaders (one hundred in each country).
