How Connected Do You Feel in the Workplace? 4 Insights From Our Australia Connectivity Report

Workers in Australia have moved from the office to remote work and back again as safety measures have evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic. So we sought to learn more about employees’ feelings of connectivity - and their productivity - during this unusual state of flux.

To get a better understanding of the impact connectivity has on working lives and the role it plays in developing a happy and healthy workforce, we surveyed over 1,000 Australian knowledge workers to create an index that quantifies connections at work.

Our “How Australians Are Connecting: Connectivity Report 2020” provides survey-based, data-driven insights into how connected Australians feel in the workplace, what drives connectivity, how that feeling of connectivity relates to their work, and differences among key segments of the workforce.

See how Australians are connecting in this infographic

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

While connectivity is critical to dynamic communication and collaboration, our report also found that connectivity is closely related to other aspects of work. Individuals with a higher connectivity score were more likely to report a higher job satisfaction, perform better at work, and be more productive. Workers with higher connectivity scores were also more likely to stay at their current company longer. 

We also found no significant differences between the average connectivity scores of employees across age, gender, company size, or metro vs. regional organizations, meaning that these findings widely applied to employees in a variety of work situations. 

Working from an office has long been considered essential to employee productivity. However, the data in our report challenges that idea. Our report found that employees who work in both the home and the office were more likely to feel empowered and efficient in their work, while workers who were 100% in the office had below-average index scores. 

When compared to those who work entirely in the office, those who work from both home and office (hybrid) were... 

• 250% more likely to say: “Workplace technology helps me find more time for my health (sleep/exercise)” 
• 169% more likely to say: “Meetings are much shorter now, so I have more free time”
• 95% more likely to say: “Workplace technology has helped me balance work and personal life”

The survey data indicates that employees who are allowed to choose their technology results in a higher connectivity score and delivers bottom-line results, as technology “Choosers” (those who choose the technology they use) were 61% more likely to feel included at work. Compared to technology “Receivers” (those who must simply use the technology they’re given), technology “Choosers” were also:

• 30% more likely to say they can access access information the moment they need it
• 32% more likely to name Zoom as their most used video call platform
• 27% more likely to say they are happy at work

Technology “Choosers” were also 115% more likely to report shorter meetings since COVID, signaling a shift toward greater productivity and engagement. 

Our report found that technology is an essential means for connectivity, but it doesn’t necessarily guarantee connectivity. Organizations can give employees all of the tools and technology they need to communicate and collaborate, but if a holistic, people-first approach isn’t taken, employees won’t experience the benefits.

Business leaders must ensure that employees feel connected with their managers and coworkers to get the most out of their technology. By focusing on employee’s perspectives and their needs, business leaders can view technology through their lens and create processes and structures to ensure that employees feel connected and ‘plugged-in’ with their coworkers. 

To learn more about how Australians are connecting during the pandemic and how ideas about connectivity have shifted, download the “How Australians Are Connecting: Connectivity Report 2020.”