Polycom research has found that workplaces across the world aren’t accepting the way young employees want to do their jobs, with 66 percent of millennials worrying that their colleagues will think they’re not working hard enough if they work away from the office.
In a survey of over 25,000 people worldwide, Polycom found that the office is not necessarily the first port of call for getting work done, as 67 percent of millennials choose to work elsewhere to enhance their productivity.
Meanwhile, 70 percent of millennials work anywhere often or from time to time, and only 15 percent never do so.
The survey also found that 72 percent of respondents like working anywhere so they can take control of their work-life balance. Millennials are also more likely than older groups to want to work anywhere to free up time for them to be more creative, exercise or enjoy other hobbies.
Demanding the flexibility to work anywhere is becoming increasingly commonplace, as more young people question whether traditional ways of working make the most sense for them.
And for the generation that’s comfortable with Skype, FaceTime or Snapchat in their personal lives, using video conferencing with their team at work is a natural step. Polycom’s survey found that 83 percent of millennials use video collaboration every week.
“Being transparent about rules and expectations is so important,” said Polycom’s chief HR officer Billie Hartless. “Nearly three fifths of millennials (57%) want HR to provide clear guidelines about the company’s flexible working policy – that way they exactly know what they’re working with. Many of them (59%) also wanted there to be the same policy for everyone across the company – not just parents or more senior staff. That way, everyone can benefit from working anywhere.”
