The traditional “desk job” is disappearing.
Today, technology turns any space into a workstation. Any screen with an internet connection is a potential conference room. The “one-size-fits-all” computer is gone, replaced with a range of device options. It’s no wonder the youngest workers see the deskbound “9-to-5” job as obsolete.
Workplace 2.0 is here. Your organization needs to be ready, or risk falling behind.
In fact, 82% of millennials say the quality of technology available influences their choice of employer. Among millennials, 42% say they would quit a job that offered sub-standard tech.
In the article below, we look at how workers feel about the next evolution of work and how your organization can adapt and thrive.
The Office is Everywhere
The definition of “the office” has changed. Mobile technology and cloud services allow workers to be productive no matter where they’re working: home, the local coffee shop or a shared space. In fact, last year our study found 62% of workers felt they were more productive working away from the office.
Modern workers may be embracing remote work, but not all employers are following suit. While 84% of workers want the flexibility to work from home, only 21% of employers allow it.
Meanwhile, 85% workers say it’s important for their employer to provide the technology to support remote work. Over a third feel their employer doesn’t offer tools or applications that enable them to access work files and apps from any location.
What’s the takeaway? Organizations should consider supporting more flexible workdays and locations. The alternative is losing talent: 74% of workers would leave their job for another that offered more frequent work from home, while 32% have already quit a job for more flexibility.
Collaboration, Not Complexity
In Workplace 2.0, collaboration is critical.
A 2017 study found 94% of workers rely on collaboration to get things done. Half of all workers spend 10 hours per week collaborating with others, while 25% spend 20 or more.
Technologies like instant messaging, video conferencing and remote desktop make it possible to connect and create from any location. In fact, 83% of workers use technology to connect with colleagues in another room or office every day.
But not all collaboration experiences are created equal. Our study also found 78% of employees encountered at least some technical difficulties with collaboration tools.
In the span of one month, we found 31% reported someone struggling to join a remote meeting session and 28% had a participant dropped. Almost 1-in-3 had experienced poor connection quality while 1-in-5 had trouble using a technical feature like screen-sharing. These problems result both in a frustrating user experience and potential productivity loss.
At the same time, many workers found they didn’t know how to get the most out of collaboration technology. When new collaboration tools are rolled out, just 15% of workers received more than three hours of training. Meanwhile, almost a third get little to no training.
Organizations looking to maximize the adoption of collaboration tools should consider in-depth support and ongoing training on features and functionalities.
The End of “One-Device-Fits-All”
Not all workers fulfil the same function. Why should we expect them to use the same devices?
Dell found 82% of workers believe a device tailored to their job would make them more productive. Meanwhile, over 80% of workers are dissatisfied with the technology they have.
For this reason, over half of employees admitted to using a personal device to complete work-related tasks instead of the one provided by their employer.
Their reasons? We found 37% of workers saw their personal device as better-suited to the task. At the same time, 30% felt working with their own device was more efficient and 14% said the device provided by their employer was outdated.
Device dissatisfaction presents a danger. Quality of technology is a deciding factor in the choice of the employer for two-thirds of workers. Meanwhile, 40% of workers have quit a job because of sub-standard technology. Dell has found a third of employees feel they have better technology at home than they have at work.
Organizations should consider procurement and hardware refresh strategies that take employee functions and preferences into account.
New Kids on the Block
Millennials are already the largest cohort in Workplace 2.0. By 2025, they’ll represent 75% of the entire workforce. To compete for top millennial talent, organizations will have to deliver on their expectations.