The Future of Work is Mobile and Flexible

Cisco’s 2014 Future of Work survey results were published the other day and reveal many thought-provoking trends.

For example, did you know that the majority of today’s professionals would relinquish their television before they let you take away their smartphone? Or that given a choice between Internet access and sense of smell, an incredible 43% would hang on to the Internet. Now there’s the true meaning of a 6th sense.

These are just a couple of the provoking (and some may say disturbing) findings.

But I was far less surprised by the fact that the vast majority of workers and HR professionals believe that organizations that are empowering employees with flexible, mobile work styles are at a big advantage.

The Cisco Connected World Technology Report (CCWTR) Future of Work survey results show that work is being defined by what is achieved, and less by when and where the work is done. The challenge for HR, Workplace Resources and IT is to create the perfect work environment adapted to employee preferences, work activities and the devices being used. Both in the office (or clinic, campus, factory, town hall etc) or anywhere outside the physical workplace. And to achieve all that most efficiently and while protecting the employees, business assets and customers.

An incredible 25% of Gen Y workers already have “flexible, mobile work styles”.  No more peak-hour commutes for them – thank you! Another 45% of the working population yearn for that flexibility.

Having said that – 44% of Gen Y workers still believe that they are more productive in the office than at home. That could mean their organization still has some way to go in helping workers create an immersive virtual work environment at home that replicates or even exceeds the physical work environment in the office.

At Cisco, we believe we have the solutions and services to help employees achieve that greater level of productivity, collaboration and customer responsiveness. We see these technologies helping us every day in our own work lives:

securely working on our own devices, anywhere with BYOD

downloading work apps from our enterprise app-store

using Smart Workplaces in the office

experiencing immersive mobile collaboration anywhere on pretty much any device

I strongly believe that it makes work that much more enthralling, when at the click of a button you can virtually and visually bring together diverse sets of people, ideas, expertise and digital resources to solve problems or create the next big idea.
And as we all know, there is so much more to come. Importantly, the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) will play a bigger role in the future workplace, too.

For more information on Cisco solutions for workforce and consumer mobility check out the Cisco Enterprise Mobility Demo or go to http://www.cisco.com/go/enterprisemobility

Let us know how your workday is going!

Tweet us @Cisco_Mobility if you have any questions or comments.