New Research Sheds Light on the Risks and Realities of Fragmented Workforce Communication in the AI Era

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Global survey of 2,000 workers and IT leaders offers a unique glimpse at the real-world effects and risks of communications breakdowns and misaligned tools, especially for frontline workers

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OTTAWA, Ontario — Mitel, a global leader in business communications, today released its State of Workforce Communication report. Based on research by Vanson Bourne, it reveals a significant gap in today’s era of widespread AI adoption. Revealing that while workplace communication is mission-critical, tools are misaligned with how teams execute, forcing employees to quietly compensate at measurable cost to productivity, security, and service quality.

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The global survey of 2,000 IT decision-makers (ITDMs) and desk and frontline employees across diverse industries, including healthcare, public sector, retail, manufacturing, financial services, and hospitality, found that nearly two-thirds (63%) of workers feel pressured to “make it work” with systems that are not designed for their needs. This situation creates friction in productivity and service delivery while increasing operational and financial risks associated with limited control over data custody, performance, and business continuity.

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In parallel, 93% of ITDMs consider communication tools integral to everyday business operations, yet only 34% of workers say those tools are highly effective. This highlights a gap between how communication tools are deployed and how employees actually work.

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“Organizations are making significant investments in AI, communication infrastructure, and modernization. Yet more than half of employees report that these tools fall short at the moments that matter most. The challenge is not a lack of technology, but a lack of alignment with the realities of work. In fast-moving, high-pressure, and increasingly mobile environments, communication must be immediate, reliable, and context-appropriate — or it risks breaking down precisely when it is needed most. What also emerges from this study is a simple but critical insight: control and employee experience are not competing priorities, but deeply interconnected ones. Closing the experience gap is now essential to reclaiming control and ensuring that communication investments translate into real-world performance and impact,” said Eric Hanson, CMO at Mitel.

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Communication Tools are Failing a Mobile, Frontline Workforce

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While 93% of IT leaders consider communication tools strategically critical, Mitel’s report highlights the complexity of delivering consistent, effective communication across a distributed, mobile, and frontline-driven workforce. 89% of IT leaders acknowledge that some parts of the workforce are better served by communication tools than others. This points to a gap between intention and reality that is reflected in the day-to-day experience of desk and frontline workers. Over six in ten (63%) feel pressured to “make it work” when communication systems are not designed for their needs, reaching 71% for frontline workers.

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One of the key drivers lies in tool overload: the study reveals that workers are navigating increasingly fragmented communication environments, often relying on an average of seven disconnected tools to complete even routine tasks.

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The Hidden Cost of Communication Gaps

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Over half of workers (57%) say they waste time switching between communication tools and 50% of frontline workers feel increased pressure during busy or critical moments.

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These inefficiencies extend beyond internal workflows, directly affecting service delivery, operational consistency, and, in some cases, safety. The burden is highest for frontline workers, where communication failures carry greater consequences. Over half (54%) of these workers report delays in completing tasks or responding to situations, 46% say that it impacts quality of service, and 35% even report that it creates safety risks for customers, patients, or staff.

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These workarounds also introduce significant security risks to organizations. The report reveals that when faced with communication issues, workers are finding their own ways to keep work moving. Over three-quarters (76%) use non-approved communication channels for work-related purposes, increasing risks such as data exposure, compliance breaches, cybersecurity threats, and a loss of visibility and control, according to 90% of ITDMs. This behavior is even more pronounced among frontline workers, who are over twice as likely to use non-approved tools often to respond to their customers and patients quickly and effectively when sanctioned tools fall short.

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Workers Embrace AI’s Potential, But Face Adoption Hurdles

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While business leaders are prioritizing AI investments to improve efficiency and modernize operations, adoption across the workforce remains uneven, and many workers feel unsupported. The report highlights that 52% of workers regularly use AI tools, but only 33% feel very comfortable using them in their day-to-day work. At the same time, 66% consider their organization does not adequately support AI use, introducing a new emerging risk: Shadow AI.

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It is evidenced by the fact that half of workers turn to non-approved AI tools, outpacing their organizations as they move to drive functional productivity and operational velocity. In the meantime, IT leaders indicate growing concerns around incorrect or misleading outputs (76%), whether AI use meets regulatory or compliance requirements (75%), and how data is stored, used and protected (75%).