Mobile Workforce Report Q2 2011: Page 1: Introduction | Page 2: Redefining Social Boundaries | Page 3: The Right Tools for the Job | Page 4: On the Road with Mobile Workers | Page 5: Conclusion
When you sleep, where do you store your smartphone? The answer to this question says a lot about what kind of mobile worker you are.
Most mobile workers are frequently connected, highly responsive, and ready to be engaged outside of traditional office hours. Their mobility helps them stay competitive in a fast-paced and challenging business environment. They work longer hours than the workforce in general – 240 hours more per year to be exact. Work does not keep the majority of mobile workers up at night, and their mobility does not cause friction in their personal relationships, since more than half store their smartphone out of arm’s reach.
Some mobile workers can be defined as hyperconnected (on call 24 hours a day, ready to check email or collaborate with a colleague in any time zone) and many are experiencing the downside of an always-on, always-connected lifestyle. Surprisingly, it is not the road warriors (those who travel more than one month a year). It is a portion of the 43 percent who sleep with their smartphone within arm’s reach who exhibit many of the behaviors of the hyperconnected worker.
For those who keep their smartphone close at hand at night, they are 60 percent more likely than the average mobile worker to wake during the night to check their smartphone. The number one reason for doing this is because their smartphone pings. They are 65 percent more likely to check their smartphone obsessively during downtime, and they are 10 percent more likely to report that their mobile technology usage causes friction in their personal relationships – typically with a spouse or significant other.
Today’s mobile workforce is diverse and highly productive. In this report, we will highlight many of these social boundary issues as the mobilocracy continues to grow within businesses. In the last year, we have seen smartphone adoption grow to 94 percent of the mobile workforce. Our survey also demonstrated significant tablet adoption among mobile workers; today 41 percent have a tablet, and that number is projected to grow to 75 percent within six months. We have also seen an increase in the number of individuals who admit to obsessively checking their smartphones during downtime, as well as a slight decline in the number of road warriors.
Mobile Workforce Report Q2 2011: Page 1: Introduction | Page 2: Redefining Social Boundaries | Page 3: The Right Tools for the Job | Page 4: On the Road with Mobile Workers | Page 5: Conclusion
