Technology and changing employee expectations are transforming the workplace and redefining what a workday is, according to new research from *Intermedia*.
For instance, 71% of the professionals surveyed for Intermedia’s Workplace Communications Report said that mobile apps for email, calls, chats, video conferencing and file sharing give them peace of mind by providing timely updates on work projects. Two thirds (66%) feel that work apps allow them to be more efficient.
More than half (51%) regularly begin their workday by checking emails and taking calls on their commute, with 19% saying this allows them to get their day started on the right foot and 39% reporting that work completed on their commute allows them to spend less time in the office.
Meanwhile, video conferencing and other communication technologies are saving employees travel time and helping companies to cut costs. Three quarters (75%) of organisational leaders said their work travel has been reduced due to expanded video conferencing capabilities, and 59% of knowledge workers said they always prefer using video conferencing over work travel.
Looking ahead, new technologies such as virtual assistants and voice-activated tools are likely to become the norm in our work lives.
Knowledge workers told Intermedia that voice-activated virtual assistants would be helpful for tasks such as calendar updates and voice prompts for calendar reminders (48%), taking notes based on conversations (45%), and transcribing voice prompts into text to be sent in emails (44%).
“As technology continues to advance and facilitate the future of work, it’s time for organisations to recognise the future of employee expectations as well,” said Costin Tuculescu, VP of collaboration at Intermedia.
“From mobile applications to video conferencing to email and voice assistance, employees want technology that works for them, not the other way around. Organisations that create a work environment that leverages the unified communications technologies that employees want to help them all work together seamlessly will be the ones that succeed in their digital transformation.”
Tags: Future of work, Next Generation Connectivity, Smart Cities
