Both the workforce and workplace are changing, rapidly. Tech-literate millennial workers, the rise of work-life balance and the proliferation of collaborative technology in the home are just some of the factors driving this change. Collaboration amongst the workforce is more important now than ever as three quarters (74%) of business leaders believe adaptable teams are more prevalent within the workplace, with the increased recruitment of freelance or contract workers (39%). Similarly they are seeing an increased emphasis on working in locations suitable to the employee (31%) coupled with a decreased emphasis on working in a main office (34%), all of which adds to the appetite for remote teams. Therefore, what companies have been offering their employees up until now is not necessarily what they want, or need, any longer, with 4 in 5 (81%) workers looking to increase their access to flexible work practices over the next five years. As a result, adoption of collaborative technologies and flexible work practices is high, as businesses work to make this desire a reality. More workplaces are beginning to offer solutions that enable employees to tailor the way they work with three quarters (76%) of business leaders already adopting new collaborative practices.
Large businesses are fast moving towards flexible work practices. Workers in businesses with 200 or more employees are the most likely to increase their access to flexible working over the next five years (55%) and 2 in 5 (40%) workers in SMBs intend to do the same.
