Technology takes center stage in the evolving workplace

BANGALORE, INDIA: Over 502 full-time Indian professionals working a minimum of 35 hours per week aged 18 or older, reveals the Global Evolving Workforce Study by Dell and Intel. Here are some key trends that emerged from the research and some important insights for IT managers, human resource professionals and business decision makers to better attract, retain, support and motivate the global workforce now and in the future.

One size doesn’t fit all: Though the desktop is still widely used by executives, executives are far more likely than those in other roles to utilize portable technology including laptops (72%), tablets (41%) and 2-in-1s (29%). And we see multiple devices being used by virtually everyone

Place of work: Most work is being done in the office of an employer. Of these, only one-third spend at least 75% of their time there. Much work is also being done in external locations (66%), in the home (78%) and in public places (62%).

Work-Life Balance: About three-fourths of Indian employee say they spend some of their working hours from home, but many spend time working at home after hours. 93% check work email while at home (outside business hours) and 93% take work calls.

Office Workers vs. Remote Workers: Indian employees have divergent views on whether remote workers are more or less productive than office workers.

·         29% of middle/junior management who think people working at home  are more productive

·         45% of Executive/senior management  who think people working at home

are more productive

·         Seven-in-ten employees view working from home as an extra benefit

Importance of having new technology: There is a high priority placed on having the latest technology

·        62% employees say they would likely quit job if the technology didn’t meet with standards

·        62% also say the technology available would influence decision to take a new position

Frustration with existing technology is evident: Three-fourths of Indian employees feel that their organizations only deploy new technology when absolutely necessary

·        38% believe available technology at work prevents productivity

·        51% believe technology has hindered career growth

The risks of outdated technology: The need for investing in tech updates is particularly pronounced in India, where half of employees agree that they are held back by the technology at their disposal, and one-third agree that their career growth has suffered

The Future of Tech in Work Place: Employees believe that technology will continue the trend toward mobile, with roughly half expecting tablets to completely replace laptop computers before they retire

·         Indians are open to new technology - 45% feel technology brings people together, while only 12% feel technology separates people.

·         Just under three-fourths believe that technology will hit a limit on the ability to improve productivity

·         31% believe their job will be fully automated before they retire, 25% believe it will happen before they die, 24% believe it is possible in the distant future;

·         and 20% believe this will never happen

The way forward:

Business leaders, IT managers and human resource professionals should focus on the following to better understand their employees’ diverse needs and provide the right environments and technology to enable them to do their best work.

Activity-based work - Provide the right technology for the job, which may mean multiple devices.

Seamless Access – Provide employees with seamless access to their data and applications from any device, anywhere, at any time.

Security - Ensure not only all BYOD devices are known and secured but the user and access to information is managed and secured.

Diverse Environments – As innovations in technology continue to advance, people have increasing flexibility to choose when and where they meet their professional obligations so employers need to provide the tools to enable them to be effective in their preferred environment. For those who don’t have the flexibility, provide a variety of workspaces to meet the task at hand.