All-new SMB data on work/life balance, satisfaction, AI usage and more

One in three U.S. employees would prefer to consult an AI assistant for HR support over a real human interaction citing quicker response.

A staggering 88% of employers and 71% of employees in small businesses are now harnessing AI on the job. Even when it comes to HR-specific tasks—tasks like payroll, benefits, and interpersonal questions—which have traditionally been very human-to-human in nature, 66% of U.S workers employees are turning to AI for help.

Employers report an acceptance of use that seems to outpace the level of use of AI reported by employees. For example, when it comes to benefits-related queries, 59% of employers approve of AI use at a moderate or extremely acceptable level, but just 41% of employees use it “almost every time” or more. This applies to both general work situations and more personal-in-nature HR questions. For example, when asked about the acceptance and frequency of use for personal HR questions, 49% of employers accept AI use, while only 35% of employees use it.

In today's fast-paced and ever-evolving work environment, maintaining a healthy work-life balance has become a top priority for employees and employers alike. However, recent statistics from our research survey, State of the Workplace 2024, revealed a significant disparity in the satisfaction levels between these two groups. While 61% of employers1 report being satisfied or very satisfied with their work-life balance, only 52% of employees share the same sentiment. This figure drops alarmingly to 38% among Gen Z employees.

Employees feel most engaged when they are given interesting work and assignments. The impact of employee engagement has been rigorously studied, finding impacts on productivity, profitability, absenteeism, turnover, and customer loyalty. It’s in the companies’ best interest to invest in ways that can improve engagement at work. And in the case of small businesses, it may be as simple as providing interesting work, to drive a sense of productivity and influence.

Employees hint at ways employers can engage them:

Baby Boomers:

71% are driven by a belief in the company mission
Gen X:

74% cite a “sense of productivity/ accomplishment as a motivator”
Millennials:

76% say “compensation/incentives drive their engagement”
Gen Z:

69% of Gen Z employees are engaged by interesting work/assignments

Take your understanding of the State of the Workplace Research Report 2024 to the next level. Join our two-day virtual event to hear industry experts explain cutting-edge trends and strategies and explore the data from the report.