KUALA LUMPUR: As hybrid work models continue to dominate in Asia Pacific (Apac) including Malaysia, a new study by Zoom Video Communications has revealed that generative artificial intelligence (AI) is crucial in improving employee collaboration and connection.
The survey, performed in conjunction with employee experience and digital workplace expertise company ReworkedINSIGHTS, showed that nearly 60 per cent of Apac leaders report declining employee engagement under current hybrid setups.
The study found that 84 per cent of organisations in APAC have adopted flexible work arrangements, with hybrid (58 per cent) and remote (26 per cent) models being the most common.
Productivity is a top priority for 87 per cent of leaders in the region, and 83 per cent of employees report feeling more productive in hybrid or remote settings.
While hybrid work is widely favoured, many companies are still exploring different hybrid models, with scheduled and flextime hybrids being the most popular.
Additionally, 97 per cent of Apac leaders have increased workplace flexibility over the past two years.
However, more needs to be done to engage employees. Six in 10 leaders in the region report a decline in employee engagement attributed to hybrid models.
"Leaders today are faced with a new challenge of finding the best-fit hybrid model while keeping up with the evolving expectations of a multi-generational workforce and the impact of rapidly advancing technologies," said Zoom head of Apac Ricky Kapur.
To address such challenges, generative AI has emerged as a key driver of future workplace success with 85 per cent of APAC leaders believing that it has made their workforce more productive.
"Leaders and employees may have slightly different opinions and concerns, but both groups accept that this technology is part of the future.
"Moving forward, increased education on the benefits, use cases, and how they can mitigate risks must be done before teams can fully unlock the true value of AI for their workforce."
Ricky added that as organisations seek to reduce friction in the transition to hybrid ways of working, AI is a critical tool to help employees collaborate better and feel more connected to each other.
"Beyond direct productivity benefits, leaders should look toward exploring more AI use cases to engage, inform, and connect employees. This will be key to building and maintaining company culture amid changing workplace dynamics," he said.
"Ultimately, building a successful, future-ready workplace requires organisations to continuously adapt to employees' feedback and evolving preferences.
"Having the right technology in place that can adapt and evolve with the organisation at the same time, including AI tools that are both scalable and right-fit, is also a key piece to the puzzle.
"In other words, organisations must keep employee engagement and experience at the core as they embrace workplace flexibility in order to thrive in the future of work," he added.
The study, released at Zoom's Employee Experience Summit 2024, gathered insights from over 600 IT and C-suite leaders and nearly 1,900 knowledge workers globally, including 604 from Apac.