Zoom’s Global Collaboration Report reveals leaders face significant challenges in managing time and communication, with AI emerging as a key solution for productivity 

Ineffective collaboration and other productivity challenges are costing organisations around the world over $16,000 per manager annually, according to a new study commissioned by Zoom and conducted by Morning Consult. The research revealed that more than half of the surveyed Australian leaders believe they could engage in more productive activities if a meeting were cancelled. Faced with these challenges, leaders are increasingly turning to AI, with 74% of leaders around the world reporting improved productivity as a result of leveraging AI. 

In today’s fast-paced work environment, collaboration inefficiencies can drain valuable time and hinder productivity. To help address this, Zoom, in partnership with Morning Consult, has released their 'Global Collaboration in the Workplace' report. The report surveyed nearly 8,000 leaders and employees across 16 countries, including 750 respondents from Australia, to explore the impact of apps, tools, and preferred working methods on collaboration and productivity. 

Team Leaders Shoulder the Load of Collaboration 

The study found that leaders spend significantly longer than employees on collaboration tools like meetings and email. In fact, the study found that 44% of Australian leaders feel their time is overspent on in-person meetings, while 46% and 45% feel the same about emails and virtual meetings respectively. Fully remote leaders are hit even harder, with over two in five dedicating 3 hours or more to virtual meetings in an average workday. Task-switching also slows leaders down, with 43% needing 10-15 minutes to refocus between tasks. 

The Cost of Poor Collaboration Adds Up 

About one-third of Australian team leaders spend one hour or more each day resolving collaboration challenges. These include participating in meetings that lack clear outcomes or solutions. Additionally, 40% of Australian team leaders frequently spend more than one hour on resolving misunderstandings or miscommunications within their teams, a problem encountered by only 19% of employees. Leaders also follow up more often than employees with teammates regarding the status of a project or task, which 31% of team leaders report doing regularly, compared to just 19% of employees. 

Ultimately, bad collaboration, like resolving misunderstandings or miscommunications, is draining productivity, making it crucial for organisations to streamline communication and workflows—and leaders agree. Forty percent of Australian leaders would rather invest their time in strategic initiatives or enhancing processes and workflows, if they had more time in their day. 

In-Person Meetings: Productive or Overused?

In-person meetings are valued for their ability to drive quicker decisions and foster better engagement, with 41% of leaders and 49% of employees in Australia preferring this format. However, despite their popularity, many leaders believe that meetings are overused—56% said they could be more productive ifthey dedicated thattime elsewhere. 

Leveraging other asynchronous collaboration formats, such as instant messaging, whiteboards, and project management software, could help create a more balanced approach to collaboration. Additionally, using these tools to better prepare for meetings and taking action after meetings may enable team members to maximise the potential of their in-person meetings more effectively. 

“By using other collaboration formats, organisations can optimise their in-person meetings, helping to ensure that face-to-face interactions are reserved for critical discussions while routine tasks are handled efficiently. This strategic approach maximises overall productivity and empowers teams to work smarter, not harder,” said Bede Hackney, Head of ANZ Zoom. 

AI: A Game-Changer for Productivity 

To combat these challenges, organisations should embrace a balanced communication strategy that includes both synchronous and asynchronous platforms. AI is a key enabler, offering solutions to common productivity barriers and help with optimising workflows. Similar to the findings in Zoom’s 2023 AI in the Workplace report, leaders are more likely to use AI than employees and are more bullish on its benefits. Sixty-three per cent of Australian leaders use AI daily or several times a week, compared to just 29% of employees. Additionally, 68% of Australian leaders believe AI has the potential to enhance productivity, while only 44% of employees share this sentiment. Australian leaders whose teams integrate AI into their roles report even more favourable outcomes compared to the global average, with 84% saying their teams are more productive when using AI (compared to 83% globally). 

“AI is revolutionising productivity for Australian leaders. By seamlessly integrating AI into daily workflows, organisations can significantly reduce miscommunication, allowing leaders to reclaim precious hours lost to inefficient collaboration. This shift not only enhances productivity but also helps drive better outcomes across the board," added Hackney. 

Want more insights? Read our report 

Access the full Global Collaboration in the Workplace report for a data-driven look at the biggest collaboration challenges facing teams today and how AI affects productivity. The report also provides exclusive insights into how teams can work better together. 

Methodology 

The above report is based on data from an online survey commissioned by Zoom and conducted by Morning Consult from June 13 to June 28, 2024, among 7,969 full-time knowledge workers (5,100 end-users, referred to in the report as employees; and 2,869 team leaders) in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Germany, France, Japan, Singapore, India, Australia, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Saudi

Arabia, UAE, and Sweden. The data for employees and leaders were weighted to demographically reflect the makeup of full-time employed adults in each country. 

Get more information at zoom.com.