By 2028, more than 20% of digital workplace applications will use AI-driven personalisation algorithms to generate adaptive experiences for the worker, according to Gartner, Inc.

Digital workers satisfied with work applications are nearly three times more likely to report being much more productive compared with those who are not satisfied.

Yet, a Gartner survey of 5,141 employees conducted from April through July 2024 found that only 23% of digital workers are completely satisfied with their work applications in 2024, down from 30% in 2022.

“The apps used for work should feel as intuitive and empowering as the most popular consumer apps,” said Tori Paulman, VP analyst at Gartner.

“That’s exactly what employees are craving—a seamless, personalized, and omnichannel digital experience that mirrors the ease and consistency of mainstream consumer applications.

“Yet, over the past ten years, the gap between consumer and enterprise app experiences has widened. Many work applications remain isolated, inconsistent, and rigid, leaving much to be desired in terms of user experience.”

Gartner has provided five direct actions for workplace applications and bridge the gap with consumer-like experiences.

Implementing Best Practices

Focusing on AI-driven personalisation within workplace applications is essential. These tools should analyse workstyles to provide personalised insights, prioritise tasks, and automate workflows, all tailored to enhance each employee’s productivity.

Ensuring Transparency

This means clearly communicating how digital workplace algorithms function, as well as adhering to ethical guidelines. Detailing the decision-making processes and implementing strong data privacy and security measures to protect employee information and building trust is also essential.

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Prioritise Key Outcomes

Leaders should identify critical business goals, such as improving customer service first-call resolution. This also includes determining which employee roles will benefit most from AI-driven personalisation and explore how adaptive user experiences can reduce friction and boost productivity.

Define Clear Requirements

During vendor selection, leaders should prioritise applications that feature AI-driven adaptive user interfaces, personalised task management, and designs centred around the employee experience to ensure intuitive and effective tools.

Monitor and Adapt

Leaders should also regularly assess the effectiveness of AI-driven personalisation. This can look like collecting employee feedback and making continuous improvements to ensure these tools align with evolving employee needs and organisational objectives.

“In the realm of digital workplace applications, these algorithms can be game-changers for productivity by understanding and observing workers’ behavior, preferences, and past interactions to provide crafted recommendations,” said Paulman. “The power of these algorithms brings valuable insights to the surface, streamlines information, prioritizes tasks for workers, and even automates workflows to save time and make core work easier.”