The Question Is Virtual Office Space: Productive Or Disruptive?
A recent survey asked 1000 business professionals to share their opinion and experiences with remote work stations. The study included members of all levels of corporate decision maker’s structure and all types of industries from technical to retail. Taken into consideration are issue pertinent to both company structure and individual motivation.
What motivates someone to go into a formal office setting vs. telecommuting daily? This discussion will offer a modern day look at productivity. Real face to face time vs. video conferencing and other modes of media communications, it may surprise you to learn that 41% of the workforce is interacting on social media.
Option to Function Remotely
The question was asked “Does your company allow employees to work remotely?” A game changing 65% of those surveyed said yes while only 35% said no. So just what does this really mean to overall productivity and how much time are remote workers spending on social media, during prime productivity hours.
Let’s take a closer look at the brake down from small to large companies. Small company workers surveyed indicated that 62% offered employee the opportunity to work remotely and 38% did not. Among medium companies 55% allowed work to be done remotely and 45% did not. Large companies offered the greatest chance to work remotely with 69% allowing remote work stations and 31% keeping their employees all in house.
Out of the 65% who were allowed to work remotely 27% took advantage of the opportunity and only worked remotely, 26% choose to remain in the office and 47% worked both form the office and remotely. Staying true to form among small companies 37% choose to work remotely, 21% remained in the office and 42% worked both in the office and remotely. Medium sized company structures saw 24% of employees choose to work remotely, while 31% stay in the office and 45% do a little of both. Large companies saw the greatest jump in workers moving remote work back into the office then out again with 49%, while 27% felt more comfortable working in the office structure and 24% worked remotely exclusively.
You may find it hard to believe if you do not work for a government departmental on any level, but an amazing 70% of government employees work remotely where as only 12% of individuals in education work remotely. It seems education needs to catch up with the current work trends at least at higher educational levels. Next on the agenda is what actually motivates individuals to get up get professionally dressed and go into the office.
The number one reason is conventional and obvious “because it is expected of me.” Of those not required to come into the office 23% stated that they thrived and worked better with face to face contact with other coworkers and team members. 18% choose to work from the office because it improved their personal productivity, 9% said to be a team player and a small 3% said they like to get out of the house.
Improved Productivity?
The overall picture that developed form the survey was that 67% felt that remote work improved their productivity, while 26% where neutral and 7% felt less productive. An amazing 69% felt literally liberated by remote work 7% disagree that it is liberating and 24% are neutral.
When it comes to the concept of isolation an amazing percentage of individual feel isolated. Taking a closer look 31% where neutral when it came to this question, while 35% agree that working remotely is isolating 34% disagreed. One thing is clear the digital age is here and is here to stay.
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