The Highly Virtual Workplace

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THE HIGHLY VIRTUAL WORKPLACE KELLY GLOBAL WORKFORCE INDEX 1 6 8 , 0 0 0 p e o p l e 3 0 c o u n tr i e s release: November 2012

description

This installment of the 2012 Kelly Global Workforce Index looks at the emergence of the highly virtual workforce, characterized by employees that are connected to their workplace around the clock by virtue of mobile technologies.

Transcript of The Highly Virtual Workplace

Page 1: The Highly Virtual Workplace

The highly virTual workplace

kelly Global workforce index™

168

,0

00 people

30 countriesrelease: November 2012

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The connecTed worker

32% 40% 36%

increased risk of

burnout

improved work-life balance

pressure to stay

connected

say there has been an improvement on work-life balance as a result of online technologies. Those in APAC have best integrated these technologies into their lives with 50% experiencing an improved work-life balance.

say the greatest pressure to stay connected comes from themselves. The second most common source of pressure comes from employers (26%).

believe that staying connected with work after-hours poses a risk of fatigue or burnout. The highest rate of burnout is in APAC, where 37% are adversely affected.

Non

e

More than 10 hours

6–10 hours

Less than 5 hours

49%

23%

16%

12%

amount of time spent each week “connected” to work outside of the

typical workday

improved productivityIn terms of efficiency and productivity, there is a narrow majority (53%) of respondents who believe that mobile technology has increased their effectiveness.

Am

eric

as

EMEA

APA

C

Gen

Y0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Gen

X

Bab

y B

oom

ers

Prof

essi

onal

/te

chni

cal

Non

-pro

fess

iona

l/te

chni

cal

2

“connected” time outside of the typical workday (by region)

No time spent

Time spent72% 89%

28%

74%

26% 11%

americas emea apac

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Section 1:

4 Introduction

5 The connected employee (by region)

6 The connected employee (by generation)

7 The connected employee (by worker type)

8 The connected employee: APAC

9 The connected employee: Americas

10 The connected employee: EMEA

11 Main pressures to stay connected

12 Amount of time connected with work (by region)

13 Amount of time connected with work (by generation)

Section 2:

14 Introduction

15 Impact on productivity (by region)

16 Impact on productivity (by generation)

17 Impact on productivity (by worker type)

18 Impact on work-life balance

19 Impact on job security

20 Impact on burnout

21 Appeal of telecommuting (by region)

22 Appeal of telecommuting (by generation)

23 Conclusion

conTenTS

The kelly global workforce index 2012

The 2012 Kelly Global Workforce Index (KGWI)

brings together the findings from almost 170,000

respondents from 30 countries. It shows the results

of diverse forces impacting the contemporary

workplace, including generational and geographic

diversity, technology, employee empowerment,

and the widespread use of social media.

This fifth installment of the 2012 KGWI looks at

the emergence of the highly virtual workforce,

characterized by employees that are connected

to their workplace around the clock by virtue of

mobile technologies.

The advent of smartphones and laptops, and 24/7

access to corporate IT networks has empowered a

generation of workers for whom the office is always

in their pocket.

The paper examines these workforce issues across

industry sectors, and globally, across the Americas,

APAC and EMEA regions. It also includes a

generational perspective, with a focus on the three

main workforce generations – Gen Y (age 19-30),

Gen X (age 31-48) and Baby Boomers (age 49-66).

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The uptake of mobile technologies has

transformed workplaces and the way that

employees interact with their work.

This report explores the pressures

faced by employees to stay connected

to their work outside normal working

hours. It examines both the benefits

and the downsides of this technology,

The around-The-clock workerEmployees everywhere are feeling the pressure to stay connected with their work in a world where technology is pervasive.

SecTion 1

as well as the impacts on productivity,

work-life balance and job security.

It shows that the impacts have been largely

positive, and that while productivity and

efficiency can be enhanced, the intrusion

into employee downtime can contribute to

fatigue and burnout if not carefully managed.

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The connecTed employee (by region)

Å Globally, more than a quarter

(27 percent) of respondents feel under

pressure to stay connected with work

outside of normal work hours.

Within APAC, the intensity is greatest,

with 35 percent required to maintain a

connection, compared with 28 percent in

EMEA and 21 percent in the Americas.

do you feel under pressure to stay “connected” with your work, online, and via email or phone, outside of normal work hours? (% yes, by region)The Connected Employee by region

AMERICAS EMEA

21% 28%

APAC ALL COUNTRIES

35% 27%

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The connecTed employee (by generaTion)

Å Even though younger generations

are more adept at accommodating

new technology, all generations are

feeling the pressure to maintain a

virtual connection to their work.

do you feel under pressure to stay “connected” with your work, online, and via email or phone, outside of normal work hours? (% yes, by generation)The Connected Employee by generation

28% 29% 26%

GEN Y GEN X BABY BOOMERS

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The connecTed employee (by Skill SeT)

Å The degree of pressure to stay

connected is directly related to the nature

of the work performed. Those workers

with a Professional & Technical (P/T) skill

set—sales, marketing, education, IT, legal,

science, finance and accounting, security

clearance, and healthcare—all experience

greater pressure than those in non-

Professional & Technical (non-P/T) roles

—administrative, call center and customer

service, light industrial and clerical.

Approximately one-third (32 percent)

of workers with P/T skill sets feel

under pressure to stay connected,

significantly more than those with

non-P/T skill sets (21 percent) .

do you feel under pressure to stay “connected” with your work, online, and via email or phone, outside of normal work hours? (% yes, by skill set)The Connected Employee by P/T and non-P/T

32% 21%

PROFESSIONAL/TECHNICAL

NON-PROFESSIONAL/

TECHNICAL

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The connecTed employee: apac

Å Across the globe, there is a trend

toward some of the most dynamic,

emerging economies, particularly

those in Asia, being the most likely to

have workforces feeling the pressure

to stay connected with work.

Leading the field are Hong Kong,

Singapore, Malaysia and India, all with

approximately 40 percent of respondents

conscious of the need to stay in touch

with their work outside of normal hours.

do you feel under pressure to stay “connected” with your work, online, and via email or phone, outside of normal work hours? (% yes, by country)

42% 40% 40% 39% 37% 31% 25% 22% 21%

Aus

tral

ia

New

Zea

land

Thai

land

Ind

one

sia

Chi

na

Ind

ia

Mal

aysi

a

Sing

apo

re

Ho

ng K

ong

The Connected Employee - APAC

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The connecTed employee: americaS

Å Of the three global regions examined

in the report, fewer workers in the

Americas report feeling pressure to

remain connected with their workplaces.

In both the United States and Canada,

slightly less than a quarter (23 percent)

are under pressure to remain online, but

this falls to 20 percent in Puerto Rico

and just 14 percent in Mexico, which is

the lowest of any country in the survey.

do you feel under pressure to stay “connected” with your work, online, and via email or phone, outside of normal work hours? (% yes, by country)

14%20%23%23%

Mex

ico

Pue

rto

Ric

o

Can

ada

Uni

ted

Sta

tes

The Connected Employee - Americas

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The connecTed employee: emea

Å In EMEA, the three countries where

employees face the greatest pressure

to maintain contact with their work

are Russia, Hungary and Poland.

EMEA, on average, has 28 percent

of respondents reporting pressure to

stay connected to their work. Many

of the smaller European economies

report higher levels than this, including

Belgium, Luxembourg and Netherlands.

The biggest economies including,

UK, Germany, France and Italy

are all below the average.

do you feel under pressure to stay “connected” with your work, online, and via email or phone, outside of normal work hours? (% yes, by country)

37% 37% 36% 32% 31% 30% 28% 27% 27% 26% 26% 25% 25% 24% 23% 21% 19%

Den

mar

k

Ital

y

Swed

en

No

rway

Irel

and

Po

rtug

al

Fran

ce

Swit

zerl

and

Ger

man

y

UK

Net

herl

and

s

Luxe

mb

our

g

Sout

h A

fric

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Bel

giu

m

Po

land

Hun

gar

y

Rus

sia

The Connected Employee - EMEA

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main preSSureS To STay connecTed

Å Where is this pressure to stay

connected with work coming from?

It is intriguing that the greatest pressure,

accounting for 36 percent of responses

globally, comes from individuals

themselves. It seems that employees

have an acute sense of the need to

stay connected with their work, even

during their so-called downtime.

The next most motivating factor

driving the connected employee is

employers, who account for 26 percent

of responses, followed by industry

culture (15 percent), customers/clients

(14 percent), other employees

(5 percent) and other factors (3 percent).

The pattern is consistent across the

Americas and EMEA but slightly different

in APAC. In Asia, more workers say that

employers are a source of pressure when

it comes to ensuring that their employees

are never more than a click away.

if you are under pressure to stay connected with work, where is the main pressure coming from? (by region)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

OtherOther employeesCustomers/clientsIndustry cultureEmployersSelf

Main Pressures to stay connected

All countries

APAC

EMEA

Americas

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amounT of Time connecTed wiTh work (by region)

Å Once, there was work time and

downtime. Now the lines are blurred. Most

employees are spending at least some of

their leisure time connected with their work.

Almost half of all respondents globally

(49 percent) say that they spend five hours

or less each week connected to their

work outside of the typical working day.

There is a further 12 percent who

spend 6–10 hours, and 16 percent who

spend more than 10 hours connected

to their work. Less than a quarter

(23 percent) say they spend no time.

Those in APAC are the most likely to be

using their downtime to keep in touch

with their work. Only 12 percent of those

in APAC report spending no time during

their off-hours connected to work, less

than half the rate in EMEA (26 percent)

and Americas (29 percent).

how much time do you spend each week “connected” to work via mobile technology outside of the typical workday? (by region)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

None> 10 hours6–10 hours< 5 hours

Amount of time connected with work - by region

All countries

APAC

EMEA

Americas

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Å Among the main working generations,

Gen Y and Gen X are the most likely

to be spending a part of their out-of-

work hours still connected, although

Baby Boomers are not far behind.

There are 22 percent of GenY and 21

percent of Gen X who report spending

no time at all connected to their work

during their off-hours, compared

with 30 percent of Baby Boomers.

how much time do you spend each week “connected” to work via mobile technology outside of the typical workday? (by generation)

amounT of Time connecTed wiTh work (by generaTion)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

None> 10 hours6–10 hours< 5 hours

Amount of time connected with work - by generation

Baby Boomers

Gen X

Gen Y

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On the one hand, there is increased

flexibility and efficiency for both

employees and businesses, but also

added employee workload, and

interruption to leisure or family time.

For many individuals, work is leaping the

traditional boundary of the workplace.

online TechnologieS—benefiT or curSe?Mobile technologies that connect employees with their work do provide benefits, but they are not without costs.

SecTion 2

For some, this is a blessing, freeing them

from the need to be anchored at a defined

location at a given time. For others, it just

means more work.

For employers and employees alike, getting

this balance right is undoubtedly the next

big challenge in the online work revolution.

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Å In terms of efficiency and

productivity, there is a narrow majority

(53 percent) of respondents who

believe that mobile technology has

increased their effectiveness.

Significantly, the greatest increases in

productivity appear to have occurred

in APAC, where 62 percent say they

are more efficient, compared with 50

percent in both the Americas and EMEA.

impacT on producTiviTy (by region)

To what degree do you agree that the use of mobile technology has improved your work efficiency/productivity (% agree, by region)Impact of productivity by region

AMERICAS EMEA

50% 50%

APAC ALL COUNTRIES

62% 53%

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Å Across the generations, mobile

technology appears to have had a more

positive impact on productivity and

efficiency among Gen Y (54 percent)

and Gen X (56 percent), but less so

among Baby Boomers (47 percent).

impacT on producTiviTy (by generaTion)

To what degree do you agree that the use of mobile technology has improved your work efficiency/productivity (% agree, by generation)Impact of productivity by generation

54% 56% 47%

GEN Y GEN X BABY BOOMERS

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Å The productivity gains arising

from use of mobile technology are

more pronounced among those

workers with Professional/Technical

skills (62 percent), than those

without those skills (43 percent).

impacT on producTiviTy (by Skill SeT)

To what degree do you agree that the use of mobile technology has improved your work efficiency/productivity (% agree, by skill set)Impact of productivity by P/T and non-P/T

62% 43%

PROFESSIONAL/TECHNICAL

NON-PROFESSIONAL/

TECHNICAL

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Å As well as the productivity

gains, there are also downsides.

On the question of work-life balance,

40 percent of respondents, globally,

say there has been an improvement

as a result of online technologies.

The outcomes are uneven across the

globe. Those in APAC appear to have

best integrated these technologies into

their lives, with 50 percent experiencing

an improved work-life balance.

In contrast, 44 percent of respondents

in the Americas have experienced

better work-life balance, and this

falls to just 34 percent in EMEA.

impacT on work-life balance (by region)

To what degree do you agree that the use of mobile technology for work has resulted in a more positive work-life balance? (% agree, by region)Impact of Work-Life Balance by region

AMERICAS EMEA

44% 34%

APAC ALL COUNTRIES

50% 40%

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Å The impact of mobile technology

on job security, in the eyes of

employees, is also equivocal.

When asked, 29 percent say that the

online technologies have improved their

job security. This is highest in APAC,

where 36 percent experienced improved

job security, compared with 30 percent in

the Americas and 25 percent in EMEA.

impacT on job SecuriTy (by region)

To what degree do you agree that the use of mobile technology has increased your job security? (% agree, by region)Impact on Job Security by region

AMERICAS EMEA

30% 25%

APAC ALL COUNTRIES

36% 29%

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impacT on burnouT (by region)

Å Perhaps the greatest peril of

online technologies in relation to

staying connected with work is

that, for some, the added workload

contributes to fatigue or burnout.

While there are clear benefits from

productivity improvements, nearly

one-third (32 percent) agree that

the use of mobile technologies has

contributed to fatigue or burnout.

The highest rate of burnout is in APAC,

where 37 percent are adversely affected,

higher than in EMEA (33 percent)

and the Americas (26 percent).

To what degree do you agree that the use of mobile technology has contributed to increased fatigue/burnout? (% agree, by region)Impact on Burnout by region

AMERICAS EMEA

26% 33%

APAC ALL COUNTRIES

37% 32%

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appeal of TelecommuTing (by region)

Å Perhaps the purest form of virtual

employee is the one who telecommutes

—working from home or in a remote

location, and rarely, if ever, having a

physical tie to an office or workplace.

Issues such as family-friendly work

arrangements, traffic congestion

and flexible hours have all made

telecommuting a viable option for

many organizations and employees.

Our survey shows that 60 percent say

they would consider telecommuting,

working mainly from home or away from

the office, if that option was offered.

The greatest appeal is in the Americas,

where more than two-thirds (68 percent)

would consider telecommuting,

significantly more than in APAC

(59 percent) and EMEA (56 percent).

would you consider telecommuting (working mainly from home or away from the office) if that was offered to you? (% yes, by region)Appeal of Telecommuting by region

AMERICAS EMEA

68% 56%

APAC ALL COUNTRIES

59% 60%

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appeal of TelecommuTing (by generaTion)

Å Among the generations, there is a

distinct leaning toward telecommuting

among older workers. Almost two-

thirds (65 percent) of Gen X and Baby

Boomers would consider telecommuting,

compared with only 55 percent of Gen Y.

would you consider telecommuting (working mainly from home or away from the office) if that was offered to you? (% yes, by generation)Appeal of Telecommuting by generation

55% 65% 65%

GEN Y GEN X BABY BOOMERS

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Not so long ago, it was predicted that

technological advances would give us all

more leisure time. In hindsight, that seems

quaintly naïve. As this study shows, most

are juggling the competing pressures

between work and leisure, but outcomes vary

markedly across countries and generations.

Some businesses, notably in the dynamic

Asia Pacific region, have integrated virtual

technologies into their workplaces at a

rapid rate. In the Americas and EMEA,

the change has been somewhat slower.

Overall, the results seem predominantly

positive. Most employees recognize

the positive impacts on workplace

productivity and efficiency, and many

report a more positive work-life balance.

But there is also recognition that

the extension of work into personal

downtime comes at the cost of

increased fatigue and burnout.

As work leaps this spatial boundary

into personal time, there are some

important issues that employers and

employees may need to consider.

for employers:

•Are you allowing ample access to mobile

technology so employees can stay

connected 24/7?Are the expectations

regarding after-hours and virtual

connections clearly understood by

all employees?

• In terms of performance evaluation, are

there guidelines to assess those who

embrace virtual work compared with those

who don’t?

•Are there even more opportunities for

your firm to take advantage of employee

telecommuting or virtual work?

•With more virtual workers, are we at risk of

losing the critical human connection?

for employees:

•Do you have the opportunity to use mobile

technology to stay connected and improve

your productivity?

• Is telecommuting something you’d be

interested in or comfortable with? Would it

be a viable option in your current job?

• In your opinion, what is the best strategy

for keeping a healthy balance?

concluSion

virTual realiTyThe virtual workforce is now upon us. Organizations and employees have adapted to this newest workplace evolution in different ways, and with varying degrees of success.

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abouT kelly ServiceS®

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abouT The kelly global workforce index

The Kelly Global Workforce Index is an annual survey revealing opinions about work and the

workplace. More than 168,000 people across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC regions responded

to the 2012 survey. This survey was conducted by RDA Group on behalf of Kelly Services.

eXit

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