Asana Anatomy of Work Index 2022: Work About Work Hampering Organizational Agility

Rhea-AI Summary

Asana, Inc. (NYSE: ASAN) released its annual Anatomy of Work Index, revealing that 58% of employees' time is lost to work coordination. While workers dedicate 33% of their day to skilled work, a notable 36% decrease in time spent on strategy was reported. Burnout remains significant, with 63% of employees experiencing it, and 84% of Gen Z workers facing similar challenges. Employees are wasting 6 working weeks annually on duplicated tasks and unnecessary meetings. The findings highlight the need for clearer processes and support for mental health in evolving work environments.

Positive

• 33% of the workday is now dedicated to skilled work, a 27% increase year over year.
• Only 15% of employees are missing deadlines, down from 26% the previous year.

Negative

• Time spent on strategic planning decreased by 36%, now comprising less than 10% of the workday.
• Workers waste 6 weeks of work each year on duplicated tasks and unnecessary meetings.
• Burnout levels are still high at 63%, with 84% of Gen Z reporting burnout in the last year.

Almost 1 in 4 workers experienced burnout 4 or more times in the past year

Employees waste 6 working weeks each year on a combination of duplicated work and unnecessary meetings

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Asana, Inc. (NYSE: ASAN)(LTSE: ASAN), a leading work management platform for teams, today released its annual Anatomy of Work Index, an in-depth analysis into how people spend time at work. While hybrid and remote work trends have afforded greater flexibility for employees, the majority of their day — 58% — is still being lost to work coordination rather than the skilled, strategic jobs they’ve been hired to do.

With greater ability to focus at home, individuals are dedicating 33% of their day to skilled work, a 27% increase year over year. However, time spent on strategy comprises less than 10% of their working day, a staggering 36% decrease from last year. (Photo: Business Wire)

More than two years of pandemic-era work has dramatically changed how employees spend their time. With greater ability to focus at home, individuals are dedicating 33% of their day to skilled work, a 27% increase year over year. However, time spent on strategy comprises less than 10% of their working day, a staggering 36% decrease from last year, reflecting the challenges organizations have in getting distributed teams on the same page to plan for the future.

With these upwards and downwards trends, it's no surprise that employees' own view of how and where they maximize their day has evolved. Workers ideally want a near equal split of time spent in the office (19 hours) and at home (20 hours) each week. More than ever, the office is being favored for collaborative-centric activities like onboarding, 1:1 meetings with their manager and strategy sessions, while home is the preferred location for their skilled job.

Conducted by Global Web Index (GWI) on behalf of Asana, the Anatomy of Work Index 2022 surveyed the behaviors and attitudes of 10,624 knowledge workers across Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, the U.K., and the U.S., to understand what’s working—and what's not—in the new era of organizational agility.

Moving Forward (and Backwards) Into the Future of Work

Today, the lines between work and life are blurrier than ever. Regardless of whether organizations choose an in-person, hybrid or fully remote model, a lack of clarity, coupled with increasing digital distractions, are continuing to fuel challenges for workers around the world.

While employees are missing fewer deadlines — 15% versus 26% last year — they're struggling to balance priorities and establish clear boundaries. For example, employees waste 6 working weeks each year on a combination of duplicated work and unnecessary meetings. With 37% saying that they don’t have a clear start or finish time to their working day — rising to 53% for Gen Z employees — there's a need to implement consistent guidelines and processes to better manage both remote and in-person collaboration.

Additional global findings include:

• Managers spend the most time every day on work coordination (62%) followed by the C-Suite (60%)
  • As an organization grows so does work about work. Employees at medium and large companies spend 59% of their day on it. That’s 5% more time than small businesses
• Too many meetings (24%) and uncertainty over what to prioritize (22%) are leading to missed deadlines
• Overall, workers are using slightly fewer apps per day (9) than last year (10), but they still feel overwhelmed by them. Compared to one year ago:
  • 42% are spending more time on email
  • 40% are spending more time on video calls
  • 52% are multitasking more during virtual meetings
  • 56% feel they need to respond immediately to notifications
• Despite nearly half of employees (47%) finding it easier to concentrate at home, 41% feel more isolated when working remotely

Between grappling with work about work and navigating never-ending pings and notifications, burnout remains a persistent challenge for global employees. While overall levels of burnout have improved slightly — decreasing from 71% to 63% — the problem is pervasive among younger workers with 84% of Gen Z reporting burnout in the last year. And with almost 1 in 4 workers experiencing burnout 4 or more times, 42% experiencing burnout and imposter syndrome simultaneously and 40% believing it’s an inevitable part of success, organizations need to do more to set clear boundaries and prioritize employee well-being.

“The unprecedented disruption of the pandemic has fundamentally shifted the way we live, including re-thinking work and our relationship with it,” said Anne Raimondi, Chief Operating Officer, Asana. “As we transition into the new era of agile work, it’s crucial for organizations to connect their teams around clarity of purpose and a shared sense of accomplishment to ensure employees feel seen, heard and valued. In doing so, we can emerge from the burnout and bottlenecks of the past two years to chart a new path forward in the future of work.”

Despite the adaptations organizations have made since the onset of the pandemic, the survey findings illustrate the vast differences and opportunities to redefine work around the world:

• Australian workers are the most likely to say better mentoring and training could alleviate burnout and imposter syndrome — 45% are experiencing both at the same time
• Despite French employees spending the most time in the office (27 hours) they're also missing the most deadlines each week (25%)
• Germany is spending the least time on work about work (53%), though time spent on strategy has also halved to 7% (versus 14% last year)
• Japanese workers are spending the least time in unnecessary meetings compared to other markets (2 hours a week)
• Singapore is spending the most time on work about work (69%) — rising year over year while work about work has decreased globally
• U.K. workers spend the least amount of time in the office per week (18 hours) and miss the fewest deadlines
• Employees in the U.S. experienced burnout an average of 2.3 times in the past year — the highest globally

The New Era of the Agile Workplace

Today, organizations have a tremendous opportunity to reflect on the challenges of the past and the progress being made as they embrace the future of the agile workplace.

One in five workers say mental health resources and clarity on organizational goals would alleviate the impact of burnout and imposter syndrome. Additionally, employees say they could save 5.4 hours per week — equivalent to 6 working weeks (257 hours) a year — if processes were improved.

"In 2022 and beyond, leaders must constantly assess what their employee needs are and what sentiment on their team is like," said Dr. Sahar Yousef, Cognitive Neuroscientist, UC Berkeley. "The companies who will thrive in the new era of agility will be the ones who continue to evolve and, as a result, attract and retain better talent because they listen and adjust accordingly. Organizations that don’t will be left in the dust."

Asana’s Anatomy of Work Index 2022 and more information about the findings are available for download: https://asana.com/resources/anatomy-of-work

About Asana

Asana helps teams orchestrate their work, from small projects to strategic initiatives. Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, Asana has more than 119,000 paying customers and millions of free organizations across 190 countries. Global customers such as Amazon, Affirm, Japan Airlines, and Sky rely on Asana to manage everything from company objectives to digital transformation to product launches and marketing campaigns. For more information, visit www.asana.com.

Research Methodology

In October 2021 quantitative research was conducted by GWI on behalf of Asana, to understand how people spend time at work. Asana and Global Web Index co-designed the questionnaire and surveyed the behaviors and attitudes of 10,624 knowledge workers across Australia, France, Germany; Japan; Singapore; the U.K., and the U.S.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220405005399/en/

Alexandra Tadeu

press@asana.com

Source: Asana, Inc.

FAQ

What are the key findings of Asana's Anatomy of Work Index 2022?

The index revealed that 58% of employees' time is lost to coordination, with burnout affecting 63% of staff globally.

How much time do employees waste on unnecessary meetings according to Asana?

Employees waste an average of 6 working weeks each year on duplicated tasks and unnecessary meetings.

What percentage of time do employees spend on skilled work?

Employees spend 33% of their day on skilled work, marking a 27% increase from the previous year.

What trends are affecting employee burnout rates according to the report?

Despite a slight decrease in overall burnout from 71% to 63%, 84% of Gen Z workers reported experiencing burnout.