The vast majority of UK workers still prefer to use a desktop or laptop over a mobile device to perform administrative tasks, which is probably a good thing seeing as just a third of businesses use mobiles for admin.

According to a survey of 1,246 UK workers, conducted by Opinium on behalf of ABBYY, 91 per cent of employees choose desktop or laptop over mobile when it comes to admin. At the same time, 43 per cent would like to be able to have the option of using mobiles, though only 35 per cent of businesses making this a possibility.

Despite there being a reasonable amount of openness about the use of mobiles in the workplace, 28 per cent of works still want to use pen and paper for admin – with 46 per cent of respondents finding this simpler than turning to technologies.

When it comes to desktop versus mobile, 48 per cent of workers choose desktop because it’s easier, and 41 per cent because it’s faster. On the other hand, 36 per cent see mobile as more convenient, and 37 per cent believe it’s faster.

“It’s very surprising to see that mobile and automation still aren’t being used to their full advantage, especially when we have these capabilities at our fingertips,” said Bruce Orcutt, SVP of product at ABBYY. “Businesses and software developers must continue to work to make mobile interfaces more user friendly, and boost their convenience, ease and speed. However, the onus is also on businesses to harness mobile solutions and evolve the way their staff work.

“As we prepare for the workforce of the future, based on a culture of convenience driven by mobile, organisations must champion smarter working practices, and educate staff on how to make the most of these platforms to drive productivity – and improve employee experience in the process.