The highly virTual workplace
kelly Global workforce index™
168
,0
00 people
30 countriesrelease: November 2012
The connecTed worker
32% 40% 36%
increased risk of
burnout
improved work-life balance
pressure to stay
connected
say there has been an improvement on work-life balance as a result of online technologies. Those in APAC have best integrated these technologies into their lives with 50% experiencing an improved work-life balance.
say the greatest pressure to stay connected comes from themselves. The second most common source of pressure comes from employers (26%).
believe that staying connected with work after-hours poses a risk of fatigue or burnout. The highest rate of burnout is in APAC, where 37% are adversely affected.
Non
e
More than 10 hours
6–10 hours
Less than 5 hours
49%
23%
16%
12%
amount of time spent each week “connected” to work outside of the
typical workday
improved productivityIn terms of efficiency and productivity, there is a narrow majority (53%) of respondents who believe that mobile technology has increased their effectiveness.
Am
eric
as
EMEA
APA
C
Gen
Y0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Gen
X
Bab
y B
oom
ers
Prof
essi
onal
/te
chni
cal
Non
-pro
fess
iona
l/te
chni
cal
2
“connected” time outside of the typical workday (by region)
No time spent
Time spent72% 89%
28%
74%
26% 11%
americas emea apac
3Kelly Global Workforce Index™
Section 1:
4 Introduction
5 The connected employee (by region)
6 The connected employee (by generation)
7 The connected employee (by worker type)
8 The connected employee: APAC
9 The connected employee: Americas
10 The connected employee: EMEA
11 Main pressures to stay connected
12 Amount of time connected with work (by region)
13 Amount of time connected with work (by generation)
Section 2:
14 Introduction
15 Impact on productivity (by region)
16 Impact on productivity (by generation)
17 Impact on productivity (by worker type)
18 Impact on work-life balance
19 Impact on job security
20 Impact on burnout
21 Appeal of telecommuting (by region)
22 Appeal of telecommuting (by generation)
23 Conclusion
conTenTS
The kelly global workforce index 2012
The 2012 Kelly Global Workforce Index (KGWI)
brings together the findings from almost 170,000
respondents from 30 countries. It shows the results
of diverse forces impacting the contemporary
workplace, including generational and geographic
diversity, technology, employee empowerment,
and the widespread use of social media.
This fifth installment of the 2012 KGWI looks at
the emergence of the highly virtual workforce,
characterized by employees that are connected
to their workplace around the clock by virtue of
mobile technologies.
The advent of smartphones and laptops, and 24/7
access to corporate IT networks has empowered a
generation of workers for whom the office is always
in their pocket.
The paper examines these workforce issues across
industry sectors, and globally, across the Americas,
APAC and EMEA regions. It also includes a
generational perspective, with a focus on the three
main workforce generations – Gen Y (age 19-30),
Gen X (age 31-48) and Baby Boomers (age 49-66).
4Kelly Global Workforce Index™
The uptake of mobile technologies has
transformed workplaces and the way that
employees interact with their work.
This report explores the pressures
faced by employees to stay connected
to their work outside normal working
hours. It examines both the benefits
and the downsides of this technology,
The around-The-clock workerEmployees everywhere are feeling the pressure to stay connected with their work in a world where technology is pervasive.
SecTion 1
as well as the impacts on productivity,
work-life balance and job security.
It shows that the impacts have been largely
positive, and that while productivity and
efficiency can be enhanced, the intrusion
into employee downtime can contribute to
fatigue and burnout if not carefully managed.
5Kelly Global Workforce Index™
The connecTed employee (by region)
Å Globally, more than a quarter
(27 percent) of respondents feel under
pressure to stay connected with work
outside of normal work hours.
Within APAC, the intensity is greatest,
with 35 percent required to maintain a
connection, compared with 28 percent in
EMEA and 21 percent in the Americas.
do you feel under pressure to stay “connected” with your work, online, and via email or phone, outside of normal work hours? (% yes, by region)The Connected Employee by region
AMERICAS EMEA
21% 28%
APAC ALL COUNTRIES
35% 27%
6Kelly Global Workforce Index™
The connecTed employee (by generaTion)
Å Even though younger generations
are more adept at accommodating
new technology, all generations are
feeling the pressure to maintain a
virtual connection to their work.
do you feel under pressure to stay “connected” with your work, online, and via email or phone, outside of normal work hours? (% yes, by generation)The Connected Employee by generation
28% 29% 26%
GEN Y GEN X BABY BOOMERS
7Kelly Global Workforce Index™
The connecTed employee (by Skill SeT)
Å The degree of pressure to stay
connected is directly related to the nature
of the work performed. Those workers
with a Professional & Technical (P/T) skill
set—sales, marketing, education, IT, legal,
science, finance and accounting, security
clearance, and healthcare—all experience
greater pressure than those in non-
Professional & Technical (non-P/T) roles
—administrative, call center and customer
service, light industrial and clerical.
Approximately one-third (32 percent)
of workers with P/T skill sets feel
under pressure to stay connected,
significantly more than those with
non-P/T skill sets (21 percent) .
do you feel under pressure to stay “connected” with your work, online, and via email or phone, outside of normal work hours? (% yes, by skill set)The Connected Employee by P/T and non-P/T
32% 21%
PROFESSIONAL/TECHNICAL
NON-PROFESSIONAL/
TECHNICAL
8Kelly Global Workforce Index™
The connecTed employee: apac
Å Across the globe, there is a trend
toward some of the most dynamic,
emerging economies, particularly
those in Asia, being the most likely to
have workforces feeling the pressure
to stay connected with work.
Leading the field are Hong Kong,
Singapore, Malaysia and India, all with
approximately 40 percent of respondents
conscious of the need to stay in touch
with their work outside of normal hours.
do you feel under pressure to stay “connected” with your work, online, and via email or phone, outside of normal work hours? (% yes, by country)
42% 40% 40% 39% 37% 31% 25% 22% 21%
Aus
tral
ia
New
Zea
land
Thai
land
Ind
one
sia
Chi
na
Ind
ia
Mal
aysi
a
Sing
apo
re
Ho
ng K
ong
The Connected Employee - APAC
9Kelly Global Workforce Index™
The connecTed employee: americaS
Å Of the three global regions examined
in the report, fewer workers in the
Americas report feeling pressure to
remain connected with their workplaces.
In both the United States and Canada,
slightly less than a quarter (23 percent)
are under pressure to remain online, but
this falls to 20 percent in Puerto Rico
and just 14 percent in Mexico, which is
the lowest of any country in the survey.
do you feel under pressure to stay “connected” with your work, online, and via email or phone, outside of normal work hours? (% yes, by country)
14%20%23%23%
Mex
ico
Pue
rto
Ric
o
Can
ada
Uni
ted
Sta
tes
The Connected Employee - Americas
10Kelly Global Workforce Index™
The connecTed employee: emea
Å In EMEA, the three countries where
employees face the greatest pressure
to maintain contact with their work
are Russia, Hungary and Poland.
EMEA, on average, has 28 percent
of respondents reporting pressure to
stay connected to their work. Many
of the smaller European economies
report higher levels than this, including
Belgium, Luxembourg and Netherlands.
The biggest economies including,
UK, Germany, France and Italy
are all below the average.
do you feel under pressure to stay “connected” with your work, online, and via email or phone, outside of normal work hours? (% yes, by country)
37% 37% 36% 32% 31% 30% 28% 27% 27% 26% 26% 25% 25% 24% 23% 21% 19%
Den
mar
k
Ital
y
Swed
en
No
rway
Irel
and
Po
rtug
al
Fran
ce
Swit
zerl
and
Ger
man
y
UK
Net
herl
and
s
Luxe
mb
our
g
Sout
h A
fric
a
Bel
giu
m
Po
land
Hun
gar
y
Rus
sia
The Connected Employee - EMEA
11Kelly Global Workforce Index™
main preSSureS To STay connecTed
Å Where is this pressure to stay
connected with work coming from?
It is intriguing that the greatest pressure,
accounting for 36 percent of responses
globally, comes from individuals
themselves. It seems that employees
have an acute sense of the need to
stay connected with their work, even
during their so-called downtime.
The next most motivating factor
driving the connected employee is
employers, who account for 26 percent
of responses, followed by industry
culture (15 percent), customers/clients
(14 percent), other employees
(5 percent) and other factors (3 percent).
The pattern is consistent across the
Americas and EMEA but slightly different
in APAC. In Asia, more workers say that
employers are a source of pressure when
it comes to ensuring that their employees
are never more than a click away.
if you are under pressure to stay connected with work, where is the main pressure coming from? (by region)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
OtherOther employeesCustomers/clientsIndustry cultureEmployersSelf
Main Pressures to stay connected
All countries
APAC
EMEA
Americas
12Kelly Global Workforce Index™
amounT of Time connecTed wiTh work (by region)
Å Once, there was work time and
downtime. Now the lines are blurred. Most
employees are spending at least some of
their leisure time connected with their work.
Almost half of all respondents globally
(49 percent) say that they spend five hours
or less each week connected to their
work outside of the typical working day.
There is a further 12 percent who
spend 6–10 hours, and 16 percent who
spend more than 10 hours connected
to their work. Less than a quarter
(23 percent) say they spend no time.
Those in APAC are the most likely to be
using their downtime to keep in touch
with their work. Only 12 percent of those
in APAC report spending no time during
their off-hours connected to work, less
than half the rate in EMEA (26 percent)
and Americas (29 percent).
how much time do you spend each week “connected” to work via mobile technology outside of the typical workday? (by region)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
None> 10 hours6–10 hours< 5 hours
Amount of time connected with work - by region
All countries
APAC
EMEA
Americas
13Kelly Global Workforce Index™
Å Among the main working generations,
Gen Y and Gen X are the most likely
to be spending a part of their out-of-
work hours still connected, although
Baby Boomers are not far behind.
There are 22 percent of GenY and 21
percent of Gen X who report spending
no time at all connected to their work
during their off-hours, compared
with 30 percent of Baby Boomers.
how much time do you spend each week “connected” to work via mobile technology outside of the typical workday? (by generation)
amounT of Time connecTed wiTh work (by generaTion)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
None> 10 hours6–10 hours< 5 hours
Amount of time connected with work - by generation
Baby Boomers
Gen X
Gen Y
14Kelly Global Workforce Index™
On the one hand, there is increased
flexibility and efficiency for both
employees and businesses, but also
added employee workload, and
interruption to leisure or family time.
For many individuals, work is leaping the
traditional boundary of the workplace.
online TechnologieS—benefiT or curSe?Mobile technologies that connect employees with their work do provide benefits, but they are not without costs.
SecTion 2
For some, this is a blessing, freeing them
from the need to be anchored at a defined
location at a given time. For others, it just
means more work.
For employers and employees alike, getting
this balance right is undoubtedly the next
big challenge in the online work revolution.
15Kelly Global Workforce Index™
Å In terms of efficiency and
productivity, there is a narrow majority
(53 percent) of respondents who
believe that mobile technology has
increased their effectiveness.
Significantly, the greatest increases in
productivity appear to have occurred
in APAC, where 62 percent say they
are more efficient, compared with 50
percent in both the Americas and EMEA.
impacT on producTiviTy (by region)
To what degree do you agree that the use of mobile technology has improved your work efficiency/productivity (% agree, by region)Impact of productivity by region
AMERICAS EMEA
50% 50%
APAC ALL COUNTRIES
62% 53%
16Kelly Global Workforce Index™
Å Across the generations, mobile
technology appears to have had a more
positive impact on productivity and
efficiency among Gen Y (54 percent)
and Gen X (56 percent), but less so
among Baby Boomers (47 percent).
impacT on producTiviTy (by generaTion)
To what degree do you agree that the use of mobile technology has improved your work efficiency/productivity (% agree, by generation)Impact of productivity by generation
54% 56% 47%
GEN Y GEN X BABY BOOMERS
17Kelly Global Workforce Index™
Å The productivity gains arising
from use of mobile technology are
more pronounced among those
workers with Professional/Technical
skills (62 percent), than those
without those skills (43 percent).
impacT on producTiviTy (by Skill SeT)
To what degree do you agree that the use of mobile technology has improved your work efficiency/productivity (% agree, by skill set)Impact of productivity by P/T and non-P/T
62% 43%
PROFESSIONAL/TECHNICAL
NON-PROFESSIONAL/
TECHNICAL
18Kelly Global Workforce Index™
Å As well as the productivity
gains, there are also downsides.
On the question of work-life balance,
40 percent of respondents, globally,
say there has been an improvement
as a result of online technologies.
The outcomes are uneven across the
globe. Those in APAC appear to have
best integrated these technologies into
their lives, with 50 percent experiencing
an improved work-life balance.
In contrast, 44 percent of respondents
in the Americas have experienced
better work-life balance, and this
falls to just 34 percent in EMEA.
impacT on work-life balance (by region)
To what degree do you agree that the use of mobile technology for work has resulted in a more positive work-life balance? (% agree, by region)Impact of Work-Life Balance by region
AMERICAS EMEA
44% 34%
APAC ALL COUNTRIES
50% 40%
19Kelly Global Workforce Index™
Å The impact of mobile technology
on job security, in the eyes of
employees, is also equivocal.
When asked, 29 percent say that the
online technologies have improved their
job security. This is highest in APAC,
where 36 percent experienced improved
job security, compared with 30 percent in
the Americas and 25 percent in EMEA.
impacT on job SecuriTy (by region)
To what degree do you agree that the use of mobile technology has increased your job security? (% agree, by region)Impact on Job Security by region
AMERICAS EMEA
30% 25%
APAC ALL COUNTRIES
36% 29%
20Kelly Global Workforce Index™
impacT on burnouT (by region)
Å Perhaps the greatest peril of
online technologies in relation to
staying connected with work is
that, for some, the added workload
contributes to fatigue or burnout.
While there are clear benefits from
productivity improvements, nearly
one-third (32 percent) agree that
the use of mobile technologies has
contributed to fatigue or burnout.
The highest rate of burnout is in APAC,
where 37 percent are adversely affected,
higher than in EMEA (33 percent)
and the Americas (26 percent).
To what degree do you agree that the use of mobile technology has contributed to increased fatigue/burnout? (% agree, by region)Impact on Burnout by region
AMERICAS EMEA
26% 33%
APAC ALL COUNTRIES
37% 32%
21Kelly Global Workforce Index™
appeal of TelecommuTing (by region)
Å Perhaps the purest form of virtual
employee is the one who telecommutes
—working from home or in a remote
location, and rarely, if ever, having a
physical tie to an office or workplace.
Issues such as family-friendly work
arrangements, traffic congestion
and flexible hours have all made
telecommuting a viable option for
many organizations and employees.
Our survey shows that 60 percent say
they would consider telecommuting,
working mainly from home or away from
the office, if that option was offered.
The greatest appeal is in the Americas,
where more than two-thirds (68 percent)
would consider telecommuting,
significantly more than in APAC
(59 percent) and EMEA (56 percent).
would you consider telecommuting (working mainly from home or away from the office) if that was offered to you? (% yes, by region)Appeal of Telecommuting by region
AMERICAS EMEA
68% 56%
APAC ALL COUNTRIES
59% 60%
22Kelly Global Workforce Index™
appeal of TelecommuTing (by generaTion)
Å Among the generations, there is a
distinct leaning toward telecommuting
among older workers. Almost two-
thirds (65 percent) of Gen X and Baby
Boomers would consider telecommuting,
compared with only 55 percent of Gen Y.
would you consider telecommuting (working mainly from home or away from the office) if that was offered to you? (% yes, by generation)Appeal of Telecommuting by generation
55% 65% 65%
GEN Y GEN X BABY BOOMERS
23Kelly Global Workforce Index™
Not so long ago, it was predicted that
technological advances would give us all
more leisure time. In hindsight, that seems
quaintly naïve. As this study shows, most
are juggling the competing pressures
between work and leisure, but outcomes vary
markedly across countries and generations.
Some businesses, notably in the dynamic
Asia Pacific region, have integrated virtual
technologies into their workplaces at a
rapid rate. In the Americas and EMEA,
the change has been somewhat slower.
Overall, the results seem predominantly
positive. Most employees recognize
the positive impacts on workplace
productivity and efficiency, and many
report a more positive work-life balance.
But there is also recognition that
the extension of work into personal
downtime comes at the cost of
increased fatigue and burnout.
As work leaps this spatial boundary
into personal time, there are some
important issues that employers and
employees may need to consider.
for employers:
•Are you allowing ample access to mobile
technology so employees can stay
connected 24/7?Are the expectations
regarding after-hours and virtual
connections clearly understood by
all employees?
• In terms of performance evaluation, are
there guidelines to assess those who
embrace virtual work compared with those
who don’t?
•Are there even more opportunities for
your firm to take advantage of employee
telecommuting or virtual work?
•With more virtual workers, are we at risk of
losing the critical human connection?
for employees:
•Do you have the opportunity to use mobile
technology to stay connected and improve
your productivity?
• Is telecommuting something you’d be
interested in or comfortable with? Would it
be a viable option in your current job?
• In your opinion, what is the best strategy
for keeping a healthy balance?
concluSion
virTual realiTyThe virtual workforce is now upon us. Organizations and employees have adapted to this newest workplace evolution in different ways, and with varying degrees of success.
24Kelly Global Workforce Index™
abouT kelly ServiceS®
Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA, KELYB) is a leader in providing workforce solutions.
Kelly® offers a comprehensive array of outsourcing and consulting services as well as world-class
staffing on a temporary, temporary-to-hire, and direct-hire basis. Serving clients around the globe,
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abouT The kelly global workforce index
The Kelly Global Workforce Index is an annual survey revealing opinions about work and the
workplace. More than 168,000 people across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC regions responded
to the 2012 survey. This survey was conducted by RDA Group on behalf of Kelly Services.
eXit
An Equal Opportunity Employer © 2012 Kelly Services
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