More and more people around the world are choosing to work from multiple locations, requiring a greater need for technology-enabled flexibility.
This is according to the Ericsson ConsumerLab's recent Flexibility in the Workplace report, based on more than 47 000 interviews representing 1.1 billion people in 23 countries around the world.
According to the report, 20% of employees work from home during the evenings, either because they prioritise time at home, or to handle the dynamics and requirements of their workplace better.
It showed almost half of the global working population considers it important to have flexible working hours.
These factors are leading to a change in workers' attitudes towards how they use technology as a means of integrating their professional and personal lives, the report states.
Rather than commuting to single location offices, the workforce of the future will prefer to conduct video conferencing from different locations, using mobile phones provided by their employer, says Vishnu Singh, director at Ericsson ConsumerLab.
As the time spent on mobile phones for work is increasing, so are the perceived benefits of using mobile applications, he adds.
Although combined blue and white collar worker app download rates are highest in the US, white collar employees who are Internet users in developing countries such as Brazil, China and Mexico are ahead of advanced economies in terms of app downloads, says Ericsson.
In SA, only around 40% of white collar workers download apps on a weekly basis - less than developed economies like US and UK, says Singh.
"An interesting pattern we noticed in South Africa is that the proportion of blue collar and white collar employees who downloaded apps is similar, he adds.
Employers must not only provide increased flexibility in terms of working hours and place of work, but also make arrangements for employees to use their personal devices at work, urges Singh.
Philip Gregory, senior regional executive at Johnson Controls, Middle East and Africa, says organisations are wrestling with the notion of mobile working and a perceived loss of corporate connection, buzz and energy.
Some global businesses have stressed how collaboration and innovation thrive best when workers are together, and have taken steps to restrict flexible working, he adds.
"This tension is going to intensify and compromises will have to be reached to achieve the best outcomes for both parties."
He believes the demand for wider choices will have implications for property portfolios. This may take the form of a network of connected workplaces, distributed according to workers' home locations, adds Gregory.
Companies will need to consider how this type of network can be supported and serviced so that employees can thrive and collaborate effectively, he adds.
Industry leaders should already be thinking about balancing the desires of the workforce with future business needs, says Gregory. This will ensure workplaces are fit for tomorrow's workers and also fit for businesses of the future, he concludes.
Share