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1Citrix Study Finds Workforce Flexibility Boosts Productivity, Morale
The days of companies forcing employees to work in the office and use only the hardware and software that can live inside their four walls is dead. That’s the main takeaway from a survey of 1,300 U.S. business employees about workplace flexibility and how that impacts employee engagement and productivity conducted by conducted by Wakefield Research for cloud connectivity company Citrix. The data suggests that companies combining cloud applications, with the ability for employees to work where they want, when they want, can increase morale, boost productivity, and ultimately create a more successful enterprise. But whether companies will actually take up that opportunity remains to be seen, the study shows. Read on to learn more on workforce flexibility and its many advantages:
2Understanding Virtual Collaboration
3Who’s Working Remotely?
4Employees Setting Their Own Schedules
5Who’s that Person on the Conference Call?
6About 50 Percent of Office Employees Have No Work Flexibility
Despite all of those opportunities for flexible work, there’s still a large number of people working in the professional world that don’t have the flexibility some others might. About 50 percent of those who said that they don’t have a flexible work environment believe that the “right technology” would allow them to get the flexibility they desire.
7Flexibility Becoming an Important Recruiting Factor
8Workplace Flexibility Has Positive Effects
So, what actually happens when companies offer flexible schedules? The survey found that 51 percent of respondents said that their flexible work environments raised morale and half of that number said it increased productivity. Flexible work schedules also caused reduced turnover in 35 percent of cases and helped HR professionals attract talent in 34 percent of cases.
9Access to Cloud Apps an Important Factor
10Workers Say Cloud Apps Boost Efficiency, Quality
Adding cloud-based apps to an office can have valuable benefits, Citrix data shows. Forty-three percent of respondents said that cloud apps can “increase efficiency” and 17 percent claim they will deliver improved work quality. One in five respondents says cloud apps improve work accuracy and 17 percent say they’ll boost creativity.
11Flexibility Provides a Competitive Edge
There’s a formula for success going forward, Citrix data shows. Three-quarters of office professionals feel that companies that offer a flexible work environment, but don’t use cloud apps won’t be competitive in recruiting and in business.