Aussies demanding flexible work models, collaborative tech

Email continues to lose ground among Australian workers as the preferred mode of communication, according to The Remote Work Tech Effect study by Slack. The study revealed that workers don’t want to go back to the way things were when it comes to flexibility, with 87% of responders stating that software and apps are a more effective way to communicate than email, while 73% said they preferred ways other than email to connect with their teams. Software platforms and apps (60%) are now being used almost as commonly as email (66%) in the workplace.

The new study surveyed 1000 Australian knowledge workers within organisations of 100+ employees in March 2021. This is the second iteration of The Remote Work Tech Effect study, with a similar survey carried out in October 2020.

The study also revealed that one in two respondents would look for another job if they were required to work full-time from the office, without the flexibility to work remotely. The research highlighted that decisions around work models — and whether those decisions are informed by the preferences and needs of employees — as well as the technology employers provide will be critical factors in attracting and retaining talent in the future. Importantly, 60% of workers felt they could work just as effectively at home as they could in the office.

Demand for collaborative technology is also high, with respondents stating that the right platforms and tools are critical to the employee experience. The study found that 82% of Australian knowledge workers believe that technology that enables effective communication and collaboration is integral to their wellbeing.

A significant increase in the adoption of software and apps as a response to the widespread shift to remote work has led to more organisations moving away from email. When communicating externally, software and apps are now used as commonly as email, with 91% of respondents stating that software and apps allow them to work more efficiently. The same percentage of respondents also said software and apps allow them to easily access the information needed to do their job.

Respondents also said the rapid adoption of technology over the course of the pandemic has had a positive impact on their industry and their organisation (70% and 68% respectively). Additionally, 85% said technology had enabled efficient information sharing, 83% said it had made it possible to continue to work effectively with others and over three-quarters said technology had made it possible to work with external parties just as efficiently as if they were a part of the team.

As organisations reinvent how and where they work, almost half of the respondents said they were not consulted by their leaders on decisions around a return to the office. The study revealed a gap between the preferences of employees and the work models implemented by organisations; 50% of respondents said they had returned full-time to the office, yet just 42% said this was their preference.

Nearly half of the respondents said by returning to the office they would miss wearing casual clothes every day, while 44% would miss skipping the commute to work. Additionally, 47% of employees said working from home provided a better work-life balance. However, only 17% of respondents said they would prefer to never go to the office, working remotely full-time. The reasons cited for this included a lack of social interaction (35%) and feeling disconnected from colleagues (28%).

Regardless of what return to work model an organisation implements, 77% of respondents said that technology had helped with workplace belonging by enabling them to feel connected to their team. Importantly, 67% of respondents also said the adoption of technology has had a positive impact on workplace culture.

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