3 in 4 Office Workers Would Switch Jobs to Work Remotely

Nearly three-quarters of office workers in North America would quit their job to move to an organization that allows them to work remotely more frequently, even if they don’t get a pay hike, according to a recent report from Softchoice.

The company surveyed about 1,000 full-time workers and found that 74% of them were willing to make this move.

Softchoice, an information technology solution and managed service provider, commissioned the study, “Collaboration Unleashed: Research Study,” to explore trends in employee productivity and collaboration.

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Francis Li, vice president of IT at Softchoice, said in a press release:

Cloud, mobile and unified communications technology continues to break down siloes and help employees to be more productive and collaborative from wherever they do their best work. As a result, what employees increasingly want is a seamless experience where they can access content, connect with colleagues and share files, and be productive from anywhere.

The report found collaboration technologies and an increasingly mobile workforce have shifted ideas in regard to office culture. About 85% of employees expect their employers to provide technology that allows them to work from wherever they choose. Some 94% of the respondents said that they need to collaborate with others to fulfill the duties of their job. Additionally, 83% said that they use technology to collaborate with other employees who aren’t physically present in their office.

Even if the technology does work, many office workers receive inadequate training on the features and functionality of collaboration tools. The report said 29% of those surveyed get little or no training on features and functionality of collaboration tools.

Whether it’s inadequate technology, training or consultation, 55% of workers surveyed admit to bringing their personal devices to work to complete tasks.

Of those surveyed, 51% said their employer allows them to work from home at least sometimes, and 49% said they weren’t allowed to do so. Of those who said they were allowed to work from home, 73% said they still felt like they were expected to be in the office. And 85% of those surveyed say it is important their organization provides the technology support to work from home.

The survey found that generally, North American office workers are split on how much office automation will improve business productivity. About 49% of those surveyed believe automation will remove mundane tasks. When asked if automation will allow them to do their jobs more quickly or effectively, only 41% said yes.

About one in four office workers are worried their job will be replaced by technology within five years. Those who work in accounting, sales, IT, administration and human resources feel most at risk.

Millennials, the largest demographic in the workforce, were twice as likely to feel more productive and better-equipped when working from home than their baby boomer counterparts, the report found.

Softchoice in the report:

Collaboration technology, when applied right, enhances the productivity of the group, and creates better connectivity among collaborators regardless of geography. As technology continues to enhance and integrate how we collaborate, office employees increasingly demand the freedom to collaborate from wherever and whenever they do their best work.

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