Letter From the Team

In today’s fast-paced business environment, where meeting customer needs and achieving company goals are constant priorities, it’s easy to overlook that a significant portion of our work revolves around communication. From managing emails and strategizing in team meetings to engaging in quick exchanges over Slack, effective communication is the cornerstone of success. However, with the proliferation of communication tools and channels, the rules for effective interaction seem to be in constant flux.

Generative AI has emerged as a powerful force in this arena, with the potential to revolutionize workplace conversations and strengthen relationships with colleagues and clients. Gen AI is poised to play a crucial role in achieving operational excellence by streamlining communication, automating routine tasks, and enhancing the quality of written interactions. This will allow businesses to concentrate on their core objectives, whether that’s delivering exceptional value to customers or driving innovation.

Our latest report, created in collaboration with The Harris Poll, offers an insightful analysis of the current state of workplace communication and the transformative impact of generative AI. The report reveals two key realities businesses must navigate: AI can provide a significant competitive advantage through improved productivity, collaboration, and efficiency. Conversely, improper adoption or neglect of AI can exacerbate the costs of poor communication, introduce biases, and pose serious security and privacy risks.

As with any new technology, it is crucial for innovators, early adopters, and business leaders to approach generative AI with a well-informed perspective. Equipped with the right partners, tools, and knowledge, businesses can harness the potential of gen AI to drive success. We hope this report will inspire leaders and employees to embrace the opportunities of generative AI and prepare for the promising future ahead.

— The Grammarly Team

Executive Summary

This year, we will focus on enhancing, rather than increasing, communication for businesses that leverage generative AI. In our third annual State of Business Communication report, we reveal that businesses are at a crucial juncture in their communication strategies. The direction each business takes will hinge on its ability to scale effective communication across its workforce and transition from experimenting with AI to adopting standardized practices.

Every aspect of communication is on the rise

Most professionals acknowledge that over the past year, there has been a rise in both the frequency (78%) and diversity of communication channels (73%) in the workplace. Knowledge workers, in particular, now devote a staggering 88% of their workweek to managing communication across various channels. This increase in communication activity highlights that, despite technological advancements, the surge in communication is contributing to greater overall workloads.

Unlock the insights you need to streamline workplace communication in 2024. Download the full report to discover how your business can navigate the growing demands of communication and harness the power of generative AI for improved productivity and efficiency.

Related guide: The Ultimate Guide to Business Communication | Grammarly

The Table of Contents of “2024 State of Business Communication” Report:

• Letter From the Team
• Methodology
• Executive Summary
• Section 1: The Workforce Has Entered Communication Overload
  • 1.1 Communication dominates our time at work
  • 1.2 We’re communicating in more places than ever before
  • 1.3 Half of our workweek is consumed by written communication
• Section 2: Business Success Hinges on Effective Communication
  • 2.1 Effective communication impacts the bottom line
  • 2.2 Poor communication drags both well-being and performance
  • 2.3 We need tools that help us communicate better, not more
• Section 3: The Gen AI Era: From Experimentation to Optimization
  • 3.1 We’re experimenting with gen AI a lot at work
  • 3.2 Gen AI improves our quality of work (and life)
  • 3.3 AI boosts business productivity and cost savings
  • 3.4 Challenges loom on the path to AI optimization
• Section 4: Business Transformation Depends on Overcoming AI Fluency Gaps
  • 4.1 Leaders far outpace workers in gen AI use
  • 4.2 AI fluency gaps divide the workforce
• Section 5: The Path Forward: A Standardized Approach to Effective Communication
  • 5.1 Step 1: Align AI education to how people work
  • 5.2 Step 2: Invest in the right technology
  • 5.3 Step 3: Prioritize standardization
  • 5.4 Step 4: Build an enterprise-wide AI culture
• A Look Forward
• Appendix:
  • Demographic Deep Dives
  • Deep Dive: Customer Support Knowledge Workers
  • Deep Dive: Sales and Marketing Knowledge Workers
  • Deep Dive: Human Resources Knowledge Workers
  • Deep Dive: Generational Highlights
  • Deep Dive: Neurodiverse Knowledge Workers
  • Deep Dive: LGBTQIA+ Knowledge Workers

Number of Pages:

• 40 pages

Pricing: 

• Free

Methodology

This study, conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Grammarly from September 29 to October 3, 2023, surveyed 1,002 knowledge workers and 253 business leaders. It also draws on data from similar studies conducted from October 14 to 31, 2022, with 1,001 knowledge workers and 251 business leaders, and from October 1 to 12, 2021, with 1,001 knowledge workers and 251 business leaders.

Please note that this online survey is not based on a probability sample, so theoretical sampling errors cannot be calculated.

“Generative AI” or “gen AI” refers to artificial intelligence systems capable of creating text and other types of content. Year-over-year percentage changes and differences between groups are reported as percentage point changes and are statistically significant.