Here’s why 62% of the workforce is now working remotely

The belief that you can work from anywhere and still be productive has been reinstated by a new survey that found out that the majority (98%) of the global working population believe that flexibly working has a positive impact on productivity.

The international Polycom survey has some interesting findings which relay how dynamic the work environment has become.

• Almost two-thirds (62%) of the global working population take advantage of flexible working practices, including 91% of people surveyed from in India

• Globally, 91% of those surveyed believe that video collaboration technology helps improve relationships and fosters better teamwork

• Human Resource (HR) departments within India should provide more support to flexible workers according to almost two-thirds (63%) of respondents

• Surprisingly, it was technology-savvy millennials who were most concerned about the correlation between being physically present at work and being recognised as getting the job done. Approximately 62% of the world’s millennials (18-30 year olds) were concerned that they would not be perceived as hard-working if they were not in the office.

A Closer Look at India

In Asia Pacific (APAC), more than 10,000 respondents participated from five countries: India, Australia, China, Japan and Singapore.

• Video collaboration is the way forward in India. More than half (51%) of respondents said they use video multiple times a day to collaborate with others for work purposes, and 98% believe this technology is important for improving productivity when teams are based in different locations.

• This result is not surprising given 86% of the working population in India have a colleague based in a different location.
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• Fortunately, it seems distance isn’t a true barrier; 91% of those surveyed use video collaboration technologies to stay in touch.

• Despite the vast majority (91%) of companies in India offering flexible working arrangements for their workers, 63% of respondents believe that their Human Resources (HR) departments need to give more support to flexible workers. Clear guidelines would be welcome as a way to ensure everyone is enjoying the benefits responsibly and fairly.