Futuresource Consulting has published its Evolution of Work Survey, based on research with 3,075 employees across France, Germany, India, Japan, the UK and the US, examining AI adoption, hybrid working, workplace technology and collaboration. The study found two-thirds of employees used an AI assistant for work in the past week, with 78 per cent reporting AI being used within their organisation, while 93 per cent of recent AI users applied it to research information, alongside content creation, idea generation and data analysis.
Taran Sahota, lead insights analyst at Futuresource Consulting, said: “AI has rapidly moved into everyday working life, yet organisational structures continue to lag behind. Employees are already using these tools for research, writing and analysis, and the opportunity is huge. However, there is still an organisational need to understand where AI fits, how it should be used and how employees are supported.”
Three-quarters of respondents work primarily from the office, yet 42 per cent would prefer a hybrid arrangement, with almost a third not currently in their preferred setup; satisfaction was lowest among fully office-based workers and highest among fully remote workers.
Joyce Wang, lead analyst at Futuresource Consulting, added: “The debate around office versus home has become too polarised. The reality is that employees make different choices for different tasks. The office continues to carry value for collaboration and relationships, while homeworking delivers flexibility and focus for tasks.”
The survey also examined devices and accessories used across office and home environments, including laptops, monitors, headphones and headsets, smartphones and webcams, alongside device portability, purchasing behaviour and gaps in homeworking setups. Hybrid and flexible employees carry an average of three device types between home and office, with three-quarters carrying a laptop and 51 per cent transporting headphones or a headset, while 69 per cent of part- or full-time home workers believe they are missing at least one device or accessory.
On meetings, Microsoft Teams and Zoom lead workplace collaboration platform usage, with 88 per cent of remote participants saying they feel able to participate equally in hybrid meetings alongside those in the room. However, almost half of office workers believe they attend too many in-person meetings, while 38 per cent of home workers say the same about virtual meetings.
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