THE CHANGING WORLD OF WORK
Digital Whitepaper
Executive SummaryIdeas of flexible working have moved beyond
the option to work from the office or from
home, to being able to work anywhere. The
reality of anywhere working, however, varies
widely across companies and countries.
To get a better understanding of the
expectations of today’s workers and what
the future of work holds for them, Polycom
commissioned research on global trends
and attitudes towards anywhere working.
This paper summarises the key findings.
The research highlights that nearly two
thirds of the global workforce currently take
advantage of anywhere working. The most
popular reported benefits of anywhere
working are perceived to be its contribution
to a better work-life balance and productivity,
which topped the list among respondents.
THE SHIFT FROM FLEXIBLE TO ANYWHERE WORKING
ANYWHERE WORKING ON THE RISE
Culture is key
Age does matter
Apprehensions of anywhere working
Conquering concerns
Technology means teamwork
HOW DO WE ACHIEVE TRANSFORMATION ACROSS NATIONS?
METHODOLOGY
3
4
4
5
6
6
7
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9
The survey also reveals some common
concerns about anywhere working, such
as the fear of being perceived as less
hardworking. It also reveals the difference
between the approach to anywhere
working of more experienced 45 – 60
year old employees and their millennial
counterparts (18 – 30 years old).
For anywhere working to be successful,
the right technology, in particular video
collaboration technology, is crucial. One of
the advantages of anywhere working is its
ability to adapt to the individual and their
needs. While this flexibility contributes to
its effectiveness and appeal, there must
be some core technology in place to
make today’s vision a long-term reality.
3
Conversations about the role of flexible
working in “the future of work” have shifted.
It’s no longer enough to simply have the
option of working from home or the office.
We want to be able to work anywhere.
Primarily this expectation of anywhere
working has been driven by millennials
(18-34 year olds), who have grown up
using mobile devices. However, attitudes
are shifting across all age groups. Most
of us have been using laptops, tablets
or smartphones as essential parts of our
daily lives for over two decades. Naturally,
we expect to have the same mobility
when it comes to our working life.
THE SHIFT FROM FLEXIBLE TO ANYWHERE WORKING
Organisations that want
to attract and retain top
talent in the fast-developing
app economy need to
adapt their culture and
technology to accommodate
this shift in attitudes¹.
Organisations that want to attract and
retain top talent in the fast-developing app
economy need to adapt their culture and
technology to accommodate this shift in
attitudes¹. To get a better understanding of
the expectations of today’s workers, Polycom
commissioned research on global trends
and attitudes towards anywhere working.
This paper summarises the key findings².
1. Flexible Working: Goodbye 9 to 5, Institute of Leadership and
Management. 2013.
2. Work Anywhere Global Survey, Morar Consulting. 2017
ANYWHERE WORKING ON THE RISE
Yes, and I work in this way often
Yes, and I work in this way from time to time
Yes, but I cannot becuase my request was denied
Yes, but I don’t take advatage of it because I prefer an o�ce routine
Yes, but I don’t qualify because my role means I need to be on-side at all times
Yes, but I dont’ because I think it will harm my career prospects to work remotely
Yes, but I don’t do it because they don’t provide the right technology to work productively from anywhere
No
Germany
US
UK
Canada
France
China
Russia
Singapore
Japan
10%
9%
10%
15%
28%
29%
24%
20%
21%
33%
38%
41%
54%
36%
32%32%
29%
29%
22%19%
26%35
%
34%
29% 31%
32%
28%
32%34%
31%
12%
29%
Brazil
India
Australia
43%
15%
32%
8%
DOES YOUR COMPANY OFFER FLEXIBLE WORKING*?
Currently, nearly two thirds of the global
workforce take advantage of anywhere
working. Compared to May 2012, when
only 14% benefitted from remote working,
this is a huge and relatively fast shift in
working culture . Our research of over
24,000 respondents across 12 countries
suggests this trend is evident across the
globe. The research also provides insights
into attitudes about anywhere working
across different cultures and age groups.
CULTURE IS KEY
Not all cultures approach work in the
same way, so variations in preferences
from country to country are inevitable.
The research revealed that Brazilians
are ahead of the curve, with 80% of
employees adopting anywhere working -
more than any other country surveyed.
At the other end of the spectrum is Japan,
where only 35% of companies offer any
form of flexible or anywhere working policy.
This contrast in culture is not completely
unexpected. Historically, the Japanese
work culture has rewarded long hours and
‘presenteeism’ (being physically present
in the office), and in 2014 the Japanese
government even put measures in place
to prevent ‘karoshi’ – death by overwork4.
Fortunately, this shows that the attitude to
work is changing, but the survey results
show that compared to the rest of the
world the shift is much slower for Japan5.
The survey also explored what different
cultures perceive as the top benefits of
working anywhere. The most popular
reported benefit of anywhere working is its
contribution to a better work-life balance.
Countries including China (72%), Canada
(70%) and Australia (68%) all agreed that this
is the main advantage. Another key benefit is
productivity, which topped the list of benefits
among respondents from Brazil (75%).
Some common concerns about anywhere
working were also revealed in the survey
responses. More than half (62%) of all
respondents (and more than two thirds of
Russian and Indian respondents) said their
biggest concern is being perceived as less
hardworking if they adopt the practice.
There are, however, other factors that impact
attitudes around anywhere working besides
culture. Different age groups also highlighted
different attitudes to anywhere working.
3. Flexible Working Provision and Uptake Survey Report, CIPD. 2012.
4. Japan: one fifth of employees at risk of death from overwork –
report, The Guardian. 2016. And Japanese still suffer ‘death by
overwork’ as long hours persist, FT.com. 2016.
5. Is Japan’s culture of overwork finally changing?, BBC News
Online, 2016.
5
16–29
30–44
45–59
> 59
You can work anywhere and be more productive
61%
59%69%
64%
You save money on travel
25%28%
20% 20%
You have more time to exercise/
enjoy hobbies
29%
27%
38%
32%
39%
You avoid the stress of commute
into the o�ce
36%
22%
29%
You have the choice to take control of your
work-life balance
70%
74%73%
68%
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE OF FLEXIBLE WORKING?
AGE DOES MATTER
The research highlights the difference
between the approach to anywhere
working of respondents of 45-60
years old and millennials (around
18-30 years old) in particular.
Just over half (51%) of 45-60 year olds
said they regularly take advantage of
anywhere working, compared to 70%
of millennials. This may be a result of
these two categories gravitating towards
different working cultures that offer different
opportunities for anywhere working, as
just 15% of millennials said their employers
do not offer anywhere working, compared
to 36% of their parents’ generation.
Alongside this, it may not be coincidence
that the most popular industry for
millennials to work in is technology,
while for 45-60 year olds, the top named
industry is manufacturing, which is more
likely to require workers remain on site
due to the nature of the job compared
to technology firms, which adopt more
modern communication technologies.
When it comes to reasons for working
anywhere, while both age groups agreed
that getting the right work-life balance is
the key advantage of anywhere working,
the 45-60-year-old category is more
bothered by the stress of travelling to
work than millennials. Around 35% of
the more experienced workers said that
avoiding the commute is an advantage of
anywhere working compared to just 22% of
millennials. Wellness is also a consideration
for many respondents, as 39% of millennials
see having more time to exercise as an
advantage of being able to work anywhere,
compared to 30% of 45-60 year olds,
who do not prioritise this as highly.
APPREHENSIONS OF
ANYWHERE WORKING
Naturally, the survey also revealed some
concerns around anywhere working. The
main worry (62%) is the perception that
colleagues will believe an individual is not
working as hard if they are not in the office.
However, when we look at different age
groups and levels of seniority, other
concerns emerge. Over half (59%) of 45-60
year olds worry that anywhere working will
cause them to work longer hours. The fear
of over-working or an ‘always-on’ culture
can be a big deterrent for this age group,
and is one that needs to be addressed by
business leaders if anywhere working is to
become an accepted culture in businesses.
Those in managerial and C-Suite positions
also tend to worry about being perceived
as less hard working but one of the key
findings in the research when looking at
seniority is concern around distractions.
40% of those in more senior positions
said that one of their biggest concerns
was that they will be distracted, with
CXOs being most concerned (36%).
CONQUERING CONCERNS
A common theme underlying concerns
around anywhere working is a lack of trust.
Employers need to trust employees, and
employees need to trust each other. And
all workers need to trust themselves. A
first step in enabling this trust is ensuring
workers are measured by output, not
by hours worked or presenteeism.
Respondents were asked how their
companies could improve trust amongst
workers and improve perceptions of
anywhere working to overcome the
concerns highlighted in the research. The
most popular recommendations were to:
• Equip workers with technology that
is easy to use and which connects
them to their colleagues (62%).
• Ensure the same policies are applied
to everyone in the business, regardless
of seniority or situation (60%).
• Provide guidelines on how to
manage anywhere working (53%).
Globally, 91% agreed that technology is
a key factor in improving relationships
and fostering better teamwork.
These responses suggest that
workers and leaders see the value of
investing in technology to get more
out of individuals and teams.
65%
30%
64
62 62
63 63
61
53
52
62
57
30
31
35
38
32
CEO/VP+
Director/Senior Manager
Manager
Junior Manager
Graduate Role
Others in the company won’t think I’m working
as hard as them
I might end up working longer
I don’t trust myself to get started/stay focussed
DOES YOUR COMPANY OFFER FLEXIBLE WORKING*?
Communication is widely enhanced by
the use of video. Voice-only calls, email or
instant messages (IM) lack the face-to-face
engagement that is essential to building
rapport, team spirit and productivity. Video
can help bridge that gap while also enriching
other types of interaction. For example,
the survey found that people who use
video collaboration tools often are more
likely to pick up the phone and chat to
someone to solve a quick question (46%),
rather than IM (37%). Furthermore, 49% of
workers worldwide said they considered
their tone in emails more carefully if they
spoke to the recipient on video as well.
TECHNOLOGY MEANS TEAMWORK
The right technology, in particular video
collaboration technology, is crucial for
successful anywhere working. 75% of those
surveyed said that they use collaboration
technologies regularly to communicate with
stakeholders based elsewhere. While there
are variations in preferences around how
respondents communicate, all countries
apart from Japan are using collaboration
technology regularly. Brazilians, for example,
are particularly committed to keeping in
touch, with 64% of respondents from Brazil
saying they use video to communicate
several times a day. This is not an isolated
theme: 37% globally said they use video more
than once a day to collaborate, and 89%
said that they use it at least once a month.
Video is also recognised as a significant
element of relationship building when
it comes to anywhere working, and
64% of respondents said that video
conferencing technology made it easier
to build relationships. In big countries like
India or China, where teams are more
dispersed, this is particularly important:
64% of Chinese workers and 72% of Indian
workers noted feeling that they know
their colleagues more personally thanks
to the regular use of video technology.
People who use video
collaboration tools often are
more likely to pick up the
phone and chat to someone
to solve a quick question
(51%), rather than IM (46%).
Furthermore, 49% of
workers worldwide said
they considered their tone
in emails more carefully if
they spoke to the recipient
on video as well.
8
One of the advantages of anywhere working
is its ability to adapt to the individual and
their needs. This flexibility contributes to its
effectiveness and appeal, but there must be
some core technological elements in place
to make today’s vision a long-term reality.
Deploying a solid unified communications
(UC) network, which includes conferencing
solutions, allows organisations to
empower their employees to truly work
anywhere. Video is clearly a front-runner
in helping workers with both productivity
and relationship benefits. And of course,
with digital transformation speeding
up globalisation of the app economy,
applications are now essential to enable
team members, so they can access anyone
anywhere from any device, such as an app to
enable quick access to a video conference
or smart-pairing. Innovations such as smart-
pairing allow people to continue conference
calls when they walk into a room, are also
important to enable workers to experience
the difference with anywhere working.
Collaboration technology should make
wherever you work feel like an extension
of the office. If there is high-definition
video conferencing available in the office
building, or an immersive studio, the
application on the user’s smartphone or
tablet should also feature HD. If content
sharing can be done live through the
office systems, so should their laptop be
able to share instantly and seamlessly.
Polycom is a leader in providing
organisations with collaboration solutions
that enable the workforce to work anywhere,
anytime, as easily and productively as if they
were still in the office building. However,
the technology is only the first step in true
‘human collaboration’. To succeed in actually
adopting a work anywhere culture globally,
we need to ensure workers understand how
to use these tools, not only to improve their
productivity and output, but also to enhance
their job satisfaction and work-life balance.
HOW DO WE ACHIEVE TRANSFORMATION ACROSS NATIONS?
MethodologyThe survey commissioned by Polycom Inc.
was conducted by Morar Consulting. Sample
Data collected from 25,234 consumers of
12 countries, which included: United States,
Canada, Brazil, Japan, Germany, United
Kingdom, India, Singapore, Russia, France,
Australia and China. 55% of those surveyed
had job titles managers or above. 58% of
surveyed are responsible for care in some
capacity, and 68% surveyed are parents.
To learn more about how collaboration can empower your workforce,
please visit www.polycom.com/your-workspace
and find out what will best suit your needs.
© 2017 Polycom, Inc.
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