Nearly six-in-ten employees think their company wastes thousands of pounds through work-related travelling.
The survey, commissioned by 8x8 and conducted through Dynata, polled 500 US knowledge workers at companies of up to 100 employees, found that 58 per cent of employees believe their company loses $10-25,000 annually because employees spend time travelling to meetings and commuting to and from work, and 23 per cent believe their company loses more than $75,000 as a result.
The research also found that nearly 30 per cent of respondents citing that meetings require them to come into the office every day or at least multiple times a week, an effective remote solution can give that critical time back to employees, without losing valuable face-to-face interaction.
The survey also looked at the advantages of various video collaboration features. Sixty per cent of respondents said they use video or screen sharing when hosting a virtual meeting. When asked what value video conferencing adds to meetings, 48 per cent said it allowed them to work from anywhere and 20 per cent said it improves their connection with colleagues. Others noted that video conferencing allowed them to hold participants more accountable during meetings than equivalent audio-only conferences.
“As meeting technology has evolved from mass dial-ins and clunky screen sharing functionality, effortless business-ready HD video collaboration has created a powerful link between teams, without requiring them to be tethered to a single office location,” said Dejan Deklich, chief product officer at 8x8.
“Meetings are a vital part of the workplace fabric, yet businesses need to be able to support employees who cannot afford to sit through extended commutes due to personal responsibilities or remote physical locations. As most small businesses typically operate on thin profit margins, being able to salvage even one per cent of revenue by giving employees time back in their day without sacrificing productivity or human connection is critical.”
While video conferencing continues to grow in popularity among today’s employees, businesses are still falling short in delivering a seamless, intuitive meeting experience. In fact, when asked what they like least about virtual meetings, 38 per cent of respondents cited issues with the connection or technology.
In an exclusive interview with UC Today, Deklich said that having employees come into the workplace is nice if every employee lives near headquarters or the office. But the reality is organisations are challenged by myriad factors to hire and retain the best employees, such as an area's high cost of living, long commutes and quality of life.
