In theory, more tools mean more productivity. In practice, more tech can mean more tabs, more notifications, and more time spent tracking work instead of doing work.
But how true is this in the era of AI agents and productivity gains? Have things finally turned around for the burned-out white-collar worker who pivots between platforms all day?
We surveyed 954 knowledge workers across sectors to find out.
Tool sprawl: Over half of workers use 3+ tools for project management alone
As workflows have gotten more complex, the tool stack surely follows: workers use an average of 7 tools on a regular basis, and for many, at least half are project management tools, with 52% saying they used 3+ project management tools. A surprising 27% use 4+ project management tools, begging the question, “Why?”
About a third of these tools have an AI integration of some sort; workers also averaged about two specifically AI tools.
All of this can lead to tool sprawl, where the amount of required tools and platforms exceeds the productivity capability of a worker. Nearly 2 in 5 (38%) suffer from tool sprawl, and for those who are required by their employers to use AI, it’s worse: 44% say they suffer from tool sprawl, and 42% say AI contributes to said sprawl.
Burnout higher among workers required to use AI tools
This sprawl can lead to burnout, which has a higher incidence for forced-AI workers at 46%, compared to 43% for opt-in AI users and 40% for non-AI users. A quarter overall feel dread when a new tool is introduced on the job, and 46% say their tool stack isn’t well thought out.
31 minutes a day is lost to tool sprawl; less than half a day is considered productive
One of the most frustrating aspects of tool sprawl is switching tools or platforms frequently, potentially disrupting focus and reducing deep work abilities. Half polled say they “constantly” switch tools between tasks, and this leads to losing an average of 31 minutes daily to do switching tools. This contributes to the perception that only about 45% of their given work day is truly productive.
In fact, 17% say that they spend more time tracking their work than doing it. Agency employees and project managers will likely especially empathize there. 1 in 3 say they have at least 3 tools that have overlapping functions; this also contributes to a feeling of tool sprawl.
45% are overwhelmed by notifications and roughly half say these notifications hinder their workflow.
When it comes to types of tools that contribute to tool sprawl, there are some clear standouts:
- Internal communications platforms 46%
- Project management 41%
- File Storage 41%
- Scheduling 35%
- AI 28%
Most beloved and hated work tools
Which tool takes the dubious crown of most reviled? We analyzed Google search volume for queries like “[insert tool here] sucks” or similar hate-Googles disgruntled workers might scream into the search bar; here were the results:
Most hated work tools, by search volume
- Workday (290 monthly searches in the US for “Workday sucks”)
- Microsoft Teams (200)
- Salesforce (120)
- Excel (90)
- SharePoint (80)
- Jira (50)
- Zoom (70)
- Slack (60)
- Outlook (30)
How tool sprawl affects workers
Nearly half (43%) of our respondents indicated they were burned out; this increases to 65% for those who suffer from tool sprawl. A big component of this burnout is the need to be “on” and responsive across multiple platforms as 57% said they felt pressured to be active or responsive on multiple tools at once.
This is frustrating for workers: 41% say their company pays for more tools than necessary. A third also say they struggle to focus due to how many tools they use. Half (49%) are required to use overlapping tools because they work across teams, and a more concerning quarter indicated that old tools were never sunset properly.
Operating a team that’s efficient and empowered with the tools they use is the goal of any leader; making sure the team isn’t overloaded is a way to ensure burnout is kept at bay, and workers are able to focus and do the work you hired them for. While AI tools promised to streamline productivity and reduce tool sprawl, it seems that they’re just adding another layer of tools onto an already bloated stack. Our talent at Howdy understands this and knows what to do to get stuff done without causing further tool sprawl. Want to learn more? Help us solve your staffing problems today.
Methodology
In April 2026, we surveyed 954 workers who indicated they used their computers for 75-100% of their job function. Ages ranged from 18 to 67 with an average age of 37; 50% women, 49% men, and 1% were nonbinary or chose not to disclose. 37% identified as working in tech.
Keyword and search volume data was pulled from Ahrefs on April 23, 2026. It reflected current rolling 12 month average searches that looked for queries like “workday sucks” or “i hate excel.”
