New Eagle Hill Consulting worker survey finds U.S. companies are falling short on unlocking technology’s full potential
Despite widespread use of technology in the workplace, employees say automation and AI adoption lag far behind expectations
Arlington, VA, August 14, 2025 – A new 2025 Technology Enablement Survey from Eagle Hill Consulting finds that most U.S. employees use workplace technology and believe it can improve productivity. However, the survey also finds that organizations are falling short in terms of maximizing their investment by not adopting a people-centric approach, which leads to delivering the automation and AI capabilities employees want and need to work smarter.
The survey of more than 1,400 U.S. workers reveals:
- 79% use technology in their day-to-day work.
- 69% say technology makes their job easier.
- 64% believe automation of repetitive tasks would boost productivity.
- Only 38% say automation has eliminated tedious tasks in the past year.
- Just 20% report their organization has improved automation in the past year.
- 41% say their organization is not prepared for increasing automation trends.
The data also reveal significant generational challenges. Only 56% of employees aged 58+ say technology makes their jobs easier, 13 percentage points below the general workforce. Meanwhile, 43% of workers aged 58+ say they receive inadequate support during tech rollouts, compared to 33% overall.
Additionally, workers report that AI adoption remains slow. Sixty-seven percent of employees aren’t using AI at work, but more than half of these non-users want to learn. With AI emerging as a critical driver of business performance, 41% of employees report that their organization is ill-prepared to adapt to its growth.
“Employees clearly see the promise of technology, automation, and AI, but too often these tools are rolled out without aligning them to actual workflows or providing adequate support, especially for seasoned employees who hold critical institutional knowledge,” said Melissa Jezior, president and CEO of Eagle Hill Consulting. “Organizations that put people at the center of their tech strategies by involving employees early, redesigning processes, and addressing generational needs will see the greatest returns in productivity, morale, and long-term success.”
The survey also found that when technology improvements are deployed, employees report the top benefits include helping workers access information faster (33%), completing tasks more quickly (32%) and improving work quality (28%).
The survey underscores the importance of pairing new technology with redesigned business processes. When new processes accompany technology rollouts, employees are more than twice as likely to report gains in speed, access to information, and work quality.
Read more in Aligning technology with workforce needs for maximum impact.
Read five ways to bridge the enablement gap with a people-centric strategy.
The 2025 Eagle Hill Consulting Technology Enablement Survey was conducted by Ipsos in May 2025 and included 1,436 respondents from a random sample of U.S. employees, plus an augment of government employees. Respondents were asked about their experiences and views related to workplace technology, automation, and AI.
Eagle Hill Consulting LLC is an award-winning business that provides unconventional management consulting services in the areas of Organizational Performance, Business Intelligence, Technology Enablement, Talent, and Change Management. The company’s expertise in delivering innovative solutions to unique challenges spans across Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and global nonprofits. Eagle Hill has offices in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, Boston, MA, and Seattle, WA. More information is available at www.eaglehillconsulting.com.
Media Contact: Susan Nealon | 703.229.8600 | snealon@eaglehillconsulting.com
