Poor audio and video quality is the biggest cause of misunderstanding while using communication tools and making working life harder according to over one third (35 per cent) of UK knowledge workers.
That’s a key finding from a new Jabra study, which also revealed 33 per cent of respondents noted chaotic conversations with multiple people speaking at once a detrimental force.
“Too many UK workers are still being held back by poor-quality audio and video – spending valuable time clarifying conversations, second-guessing what was said, or worse, missing key details altogether,” said Nigel Dunn, vice president and managing director, EMEA North at Jabra. “Misunderstandings caused by unclear speech, people talking over each other, or glitchy connections don't just derail meetings, they chip away at confidence, strain working relationships and can even lead to individual’s stalling in their careers. It’s what we call ‘muted potential’ in action.”
Miscommunication in the workplace has a real human cost. According to the study, 25 per cent of workers feel like they are let down and misunderstood by their communication tools; 24 per cent say they spend extra time clarifying their point; and 18 per cent admit to missing important details and deadlines. This can have a knock-on effect, causing one in five (22 per cent) of workers to feel embarrassed or lose confidence amongst their peers.
For individual workers, being misunderstood can negatively affect their perception at work, subsequently impacting career progression and professional relationships, the report found. Indeed, 13 per cent say that poor communication is causing a strain on their professional relationships with colleagues and 14 per cent believe this is holding them back in their careers, causing them to miss out on professional opportunities (14 per cent).
Despite AI tools becoming more prevalent in the workplace – providing the ability to delegate everyday tasks such as meeting transcription – there is an underlying wariness amongst UK workers, the study concluded. The overwhelming majority (93 per cent) of British workers still trust people more than using AI tools. Half (55 per cent) of British workers also trust human-sourced information more than AI generated content.
“Many people still place more trust in human communication than AI despite its potential to boost productivity,” said Dunn. “But to truly benefit, we need to start with the basics and enable employees to communicate clearly with total confidence that they can be heard accurately, whether speaking to a colleague, a virtual assistant or relying on transcription tools.”