workplace culture and communication report...

Workplace Culture and Communication Report 2015

A study discussing how the connected office affects workplace communication, productivity and happiness

2Workplace Culture and Communication Report 2015

Today’s workplace is more connected than ever before. But while technology provides nearly endless options for improved efficiency and communication — conference calls, video conferencing, instant messaging, productivity tools — it’s also, in many ways, pushing employees apart.

The good news The not so goodWe’re overwhelmingly positive about our co-workers.

Eighty-one percent of our survey respondents genuinely

like their colleagues and enjoy their company.

We’re increasingly distracted and struggling to overcome

generational and gender differences in the way we work.

Furthermore, even with the proliferation of promising tech

innovations, workers have yet to find solutions that meet

their expectations.


On behalf of Highfive, the polling company inc. /

WomanTrend conducted a nationwide online survey

among 1,200 employed office workers. Qualified

participants were screened to ensure they were currently

employed and that they spent most of their time at work

in a traditional office setting. The survey was fielded

consecutively from August 10-16, 2015.

The survey measured responses from workers across the

nation from a variety of industries and professions. The

questionnaire contained 60 inquiries in total, including

10 demographic questions. Survey topics explored the

tendencies and attitudes among the contemporary

workforce, especially with regards to communication

tools used to connect with co-workers and the adoption

of video conferencing.

About this survey

49% 39% 50%

say multitasking is okay in meetings

admit to using their phones for non-emergency issues in

meetings

have joined a meeting remotely on vacation

Workplace Culture and Communication Report 2015 4

What’s Bringing Us Together


We’re getting along

17%group chat

14%video conference

37%instant message

74%call coworkers on

the phone88%talk in person

84%email

And communicating in more ways than ever before.

42%text message

81%of people like their coworkers

and enjoy their company

45% of people are more likely to pay attention when they meet in person versus during aconference call


We’re better together

80% 77%

listen to the meeting content

Take notes

63% 82%

accomplish exactly what they set out to during

meetings

actively participate

People pay attention when they meet in person

64%of workers prefer in-person

meetings to alternatives

During in-person meetings


Improvements in technology are helping us connect with one another even as the number of people working remotely increases.

56%Say it’s to accommodate remote workers

51%Say it’s to connect people in different offices

44%Say it’s to accommodate those working from home

37%Say it’s to connect executive teams

19%Say it’s to replace desktop apps

62% 31%of all industries are using

video conferencing

of the software industry

prefers video conferencing

to other options

The best reasons for using video conferencing?


Remote workers are more likely to prefer video (21% vs. 14% overall) to communicate with colleagues

21%

14%

Who’s workingremotely? 57%

are men

65%are under the age of 44

8%are senior managers

or directors


Remote workers are spread evenly across all sizes of companies How are remote workers distributed across companies?

Small (<100 employees) Mid-sized (100-999) Large (1000+)

38%32%

30%


What’s Tearing Us Apart


Although technology is helping us connect across long distances, it’s also causing a new problem: DistractionWhat is preventing us from getting work done?

S M T W T F S

of workers say noisy office of workers say poorly run meetings

of workers say too manymeetings

33% 31% 30%


Blame it on the boss. C-level employees won’t put their phones down

of C-level workers keep their phones out more than 50% of the time for non-emergency purposes during team meetings.

53%

of entry level workers report the same.12%

of entry level people say it’s okay too.44%

of C-level say it’s okay to multi-task during meetings.72%

39%

20%

16%

15%

Team meetings

Orientations

Client Meetings

Interviews

But it isn’t just theexecutive’s fault all workers reported using their phones during meetings too


What are they doing on their phones in meetings?

22% Check personal email

9% Shop online

6% Look for other jobs

22% Do other work

14% Check social media

7% Take selfies

30% Text

21% Browse the web

8% Check fantasy sports

30%

22%

22%21%

14%

9%

8%7%

6%


We’re all behaving badly in meetings — but men are more likely to be checked outWhether it’s shooting off an email, checking in on fantasy football or just browsing the web, most of us have given in to distractions in meetings.

Men send 5.94 texts/emails/Snapchats during in-person meetings. Women send 3.70

Bring laptops to meetings

55% 33% 36% 25%

Send text messages

27% 17%

Check personal emails

27% 15%

Browse the web

11% 5%

Check fantasy sports

MEN WOMEN


For millennials (age 18-34), there’s a thin line between personal and professional

Workers under 45 years old send an average of 6 or more messages in meetings. Workers over 45 send fewer than 3. Younger workers (18-34 years old) are turning to technology to stay productive and cut down on meeting time.

54%admit to doing something

unrelated on conference calls

54%

45%

37%

25%

24%

bring laptops to in-person meetings

regularly check their phone during team meetings

say setting a reasonable meeting frequency is a challenge

have used a conference room to vent about work

would like more communication tools to get their work done


No matter what our age or gender, though, one thing is clear — a lot more than just work is happening at the office.What are conference rooms being used for?

Say multitasking during meetings is okay

Of workers who admitted to taking naps in company conference, 64% were men

64% 49%

Of workers say that the biggest problem with meetings is that participants aren’t paying attention

47%

5%Napping

14%Interviewing for another job

19%Venting about work

34%Working away from assigned station

34%Making personal calls

of workers say of workers say of workers say of workers say of workers say


How does your employer promote productivity?

27% 19% 21% 15% 24% 15%

Block access to specific websites

Ban personal cell phone use

Quiet hours Productivity toolsto reduce email/meeting volume

Work-from-homedays

No-meetingdays

of employers are using productivity tools for better

communication, but the those tools aren’t delivering

on those promises

of people rate tools like Slack or Trello as the most

productive choice when compared to options like video

conferencing, conference calls or in-person meetings

15% 3%


If conference calls aren’t productive, why aren’t they dead yet?The simple answer: we’ve gotten used to them, flaws and all.

of remote workers want to eliminate conference calls entirely

of workers are likely to do something unrelated during a conference call

of workers say conference calls are their most productive tools

Prefer Donald Trumpto conference calls14% Prefer root canals over

conference calls9%

66% 71% 4%


One possible solution? Video conferencing

of companies use video conferencingof people using it are having a positive experience62% 91%

Video conferencing gives remote workers and companies with multiple offices the closest alternative to in-person meetings.


About Highfive

Highfive is a fast growing technology company that makes video conferencing beautifully simple. Highfive’s flagship all-in-one system delivers high quality enterprise video conferencing to any size conference room at 1/20th the cost of traditional products. Highfive also provides web conferencing and screen sharing functionality for personal devices, giving customers the ability to make one-click video calls and share their screens from their laptops, tablets and mobile devices. Highfive is based in Redwood City, CA.

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