As UK businesses continue to navigate economic challenges and test differing workplace dynamics, the report uncovers critical inefficiencies, rising workloads, and employee dissatisfaction – issues set to shape workplace trends in 2025.

In Wrike’s report, UK knowledge workers reported that their workloads have grown by nearly a third (29%) from 2023-2024. With increasing workloads, workers in this category are now spending almost four hours a month of their own time making up for hours lost attending meetings, duplicating work, and completing unnecessary tasks.

On top of utilising their own time to make up for hours spent on low-impact tasks, employee satisfaction is low. Just over half (55%) believe that their work is high impact, with only one in three (31%) comfortable turning down tasks.

In response to the Impactful Work Report, Wrike has shared four emerging trends that UK businesses must address to solve workplace pain points in 2025.

Flexible working is here to stay

Wrike’s Impactful Work report findings reveal that 40% of UK workers are in hybrid roles, with 20% working from home. With flexible working taking centre stage, seamless collaboration across teams is crucial, highlighting the need for intelligent centralised platforms for effective productivity, regardless of location.

AI adoption will accelerate

80% of UK knowledge workers agree that AI helps them do their job. However, only 11% have integrated AI into their workloads. With over a third (35%) of business leaders reporting that their work is AI-assisted, in 2025, businesses should prioritise AI adoption at scale to automate low-impact work, reduce repetitive tasks, and boost productivity.

Consolidating tools to simplify collaboration

Almost three in five UK knowledge workers (58%) want fewer software applications to reduce inefficiencies caused by fragmented workflows. A staggering 80% of business leaders reported that consolidating work management software and creating a single source of truth has made their organisation more efficient.

“Wrike has been transformative for our business by streamlining processes and boosting overall efficiency,” said Dan Wallack, Senior Program Manager at Carvana. “As a Senior Program Manager, I particularly value the enhanced visibility and collaboration it brings to my role. With its robust set of features, including flexible reporting and seamless integration, managing large enterprise portfolios has never been easier. Wrike’s customisable workflows and efficient scalability help us stay productive and keep up with constant demands. It’s the best option I’ve come across after vetting various competitor software.”

Supercharging high-impact work

Across the board, almost three-quarters of all knowledge workers (74%) agree that placing greater emphasis on high-impact work is an effective way to address inefficiencies. High impact tasks include work that contributes to the business's strategy, growth, and revenue. According to Wrike’s Impactful Work Report, UK businesses waste £12,206.27 per employee annually on unnecessary work. The report findings are clear: UK businesses must tackle the imbalance, switching low impact, unnecessary tasks for high impact work to boost employee productivity and increase satisfaction.

De Lisa Patterson, Creative Director at Window Nation, shared how Wrike’s AI features transformed their team's workflow: “Wrike’s AI features have become indispensable in my daily workflow, enabling me to accomplish more in less time and with greater accuracy.”

Wrike allowed Window Nation to centralise project tracking, improve collaboration, and boost productivity, making it a critical part of their project management toolkit.

“Our research shows that businesses are at a critical juncture,” said Thomas Scott, CEO of Wrike. “Organisations that take decisive action to prioritise impactful work, consolidate tools, and embrace automation will not only see increased efficiency but also happier, more engaged employees.”

To download the full report, visit: https://www.wrike.com/2024-impactful-work-report/.