Despite speeches on cultural transformation and well -being in the company, the data shows another reality: only 8.5% of European employees feel completely done in their job. In Spain, the percentage barely improves: only 10.5% say they feel fully satisfied in their work environment. This is revealed by a survey by Opinion Matters for Ricoh, with the participation of 7,000 office workers from seven European countries.
This study sheds light on the factors that determine professional realization today, among which flexibility, a good balance between personal and work life, satisfactory human relationships and the availability of adequate technological tools. On the other hand, repetitive tasks, lack of professional development opportunities and obsolete technologies are presented as some of the main ballasts.
In an increasingly volatile labor market, not having adequate resources can accelerate the escape of professionals. This is noted by Josep Costa, responsible for automation solutions in Ricoh: “Today, it is key that organizations be receptive to employee expectations because, according to our study, almost half of European employees (43.5%) admits that there are more than 50% probability that they change their work in the next twelve months”.
One of the most mentioned loyalty factors by respondents is access to technology that facilitates their work and reduces mechanical tasks. 21% claims improvements in tools such as artificial intelligence, automation software or cloud solutions, while 26.7% want more training to understand and take advantage of the technological mix at their disposal. In Spain, these figures are even higher: the European average exceeds three percentage points.
Automation, key to release potential
Beyond work comfort, the report suggests a strong correlation between feeling and contributing to impact to daily work. Almost a fifth of the respondents (19%) states that they would stay in their company if they had more room to generate value, and another 20% would do it if I felt greater realization in their position. In that sense, the automation of tasks emerges as a direct route to release time and talent.
Currently, 35.6% of European workers already use automation solutions, while another 31.5% would want their company to incorporate them as soon as possible. In the case of Spain, this second group amounts to 32.7%. “When employees dedicate much of their day to repetitive tasks, the organization loses innovation and growth opportunities. The solution is to eliminate those tasks to free talent”underlines Costa.
Realization, productivity and permanence
The data reinforces an idea: workers who feel made are not only more productive, but also more likely to stay. And technology, far from being a simple operational tool, plays an increasingly strategic role in that equation. Companies that understand this connection could be better prepared to retain talent and build more sustainable and motivating labor cultures.
