With discussions about the pros and cons of telecommuting taking place throughout organizations around the world, Kona, the social collaboration platform from Deltek, released the results of a survey showcasing public sentiment on this issue and how workers are adopting technologies to work, communicate and collaborate better together.
According to the survey results – conducted in conjunction with SodaHead.com:
- Seventy percent of workers would rather telecommute than work in the office. For workers between the ages of 35 – 44, the numbers jumped to 81 percent, while only 66 percent of those between the ages of 18 – 24 wanted to work remotely. In addition, 70 percent of parents would rather work from home.
- In offices that allow employees to work remotely, jealousy is present. The survey found that 57 percent of respondents said that working remotely spurs jealousy among remote colleagues. For workers over the age of 65, the numbers jump to 65 percent. Sixty percent of parents and 75 percent of those that earn over $100K per year are jealous of co-workers that telecommute.
The three most common issues typically associated with telecommuting include:
- Ongoing connection to and interaction with team members, regardless of their location or the project
- Ability to aggregate relevant information, in context, with anyone who’s appropriate.
- Keeping the workflow moving forward, whether you’re in transit or just checking-in while away from the (remote or traditional) office.
With major advances in social business tools and platforms, the survey reveals that many companies and workers are not taking advantage of technologies that can make working remotely more productive and collaborative. Sixty-four percent of respondents feel that email is an effective way to communicate within a group, 20 percent still use “paper and pen” to keep track of group activities and 22 percent keep track of everything “in their head.”
“Innovation combined with the right leadership, processes and people allows businesses to be more adaptable to the needs of their teams, spurring a more productive environment -- whether that’s a traditional, virtual or hybrid work setting,” said Scott DeFusco, Deltek’s vice president of product strategy and management for Kona. “Using a social collaboration platform enables team members to be more connected and engaged. [Such platforms] unlock the potential of people and businesses by being the virtual equivalent of an open office environment.”
By using these platforms, internal and external members can collaborate with more control around communication in the context of the projects and groups they are associated with each day. This helps employees (and others like partners, contractors, vendors and customers) become more productive and teams more successful, individually and together.