UAE employees are more productive working remotely, reports Poly

UAE employees are more productive working remotely, reports Poly. Poly has released new research describing the development of the workplace and how the employee views about the 9-5 are evolving.

The findings of a study of 7,261 hybrid workers from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Poland, and the United Arab Emirates are analyzed in the Poly ‘Evolution of the Workplace’ report (UAE).

They are working from home, according to the survey, making employees more productive since they were less concerned about noise and distractions. According to the report, 37% of UAE workers are concerned that working remotely may hinder their professional development and advancement. According to the survey, 39 percent of females in the country are predicted to feel this way, compared to 35 percent of their male counterparts.

The research also looks at how attitudes and behaviors have changed over time, taking into account important factors like working conditions and culture, frustration, and noise, including what we wear.

“Almost two-thirds of hybrid workers (64%) believe that office culture has changed forever,” says Dave Shull, president, and CEO of Poly.

Further said, “The uptick in hybrid working is a signal that our professional life is set to transform further. Work equity and equality of employee experiences are now at the forefront of all discussions as both organizations and workers are embracing the new ways of working. This is the change that Poly is helping our customers navigate – enabling them to create balanced and personal experiences for all employees, regardless of location.”

In the UAE, the trend was almost identical, with only 45 percent of hybrid or home workers agreeing that they could be discriminated against or treated differently than employees who choose to work in the office, and 34 percent believe they would be affected by ‘noise rage’ if their coworkers were too loud, with 21 percent of men strongly agreeing compared to 18 percent of women.

The report also revealed that better equipment and technology (44 percent), attending meetings (34 percent), and brainstorming and collaboration (31 percent) were the main drivers for coming to work in the future, implying that the traditional office setup was still a viable option for nearly half of the country’s workforce.

Only 36% of hybrid and office workers in the UAE would spend two days working from home and three days at the office, according to the report, which polled hybrid and office workers who mostly utilize technology as part of their day-to-day official activities. Only a third of the workers polled claimed they would work from home three days a week and only two days in the office.

The news follows Poly’s introduction of a new product selection for its new Pro-Grade video conferencing equipment, which will be unveiled at this year’s GITEX Technology Week. The Poly Studio X70 and Poly Studio E70, both members of the Poly Studio series, are intended to improve video communication and generate meetings equality by bringing pro-grade audio and video to large workspaces.

Always On vs Anytime Working – Why employers need to set clear boundaries to prevent employee burnout

According to the findings, hybrid working is here to stay. In the future, 82 percent of respondents aim to work from home at least one day a week, with 54 percent wanting to split their time evenly between the office and home. The advent of ‘anytime working,’ in which employees have greater authority over when they perform their job, is one of the drivers of this transition, with over two-thirds of UAE employees (69 percent) claiming that the 9-5 has been replaced by anytime working. The top three reasons provided for working from home were avoiding long commutes, obtaining a better work-life balance, and feeling less stressed. When asked what they would miss about working from home, people highlighted lie ins, time with family and finishing on time.

While many individuals have reaped the benefits, not everyone has found working from home to be an easy transition. Worryingly, the boundary between working at any time and being “always on” is blurring: more over half of UAE workers (58%) believe that the surge in remote working has made them “always on” and “always available,” preventing them from relaxing or switching off from work. Furthermore, being expected to work outside of normal business hours was cited as the second most significant disadvantage of working from home, following having less fun with coworkers. In addition, the findings reveal:

• Difficulty communicating, a lack of IT assistance, and a lack of equipment to facilitate home working are among the top five disadvantages of working from home, implying that many employees lack the necessary tools to be productive.
• When working from home, nearly half of UAE workers (48%) expressed concern about missing out on learning from peers and seniors.
• Another 63 percent of UAE workers believe that hybrid or home workers may be discriminated against or treated differently than full-time office workers.
• One of the major disadvantages of working from home, according to 27% of UAE remote workers, is being expected to work outside of normal business hours. In terms of gender, just 28% of male employees felt this way, compared to 23% of female employees.

 “Anytime working should not be confused with being always on,’” says Paul Clark.

Further noted, “The organisations that promote a healthy work environment and empower anytime working will see a much happier and more productive workforce. This is especially important as we are experiencing the ‘Great Resignation’ phenomenon, where people across industries are leaving their jobs due to the pandemic. Businesses cannot afford to lose talent so must offer the best working experience possible to all its employees, no matter where they are located.”

The Future Role of the Office and the Rise of ‘Noise Rage’

According to the report, there are a lot of conflicting feelings regarding Trump’s re-election. While many people miss the companionship and connection that comes with meeting colleagues and clients, others are worried that their performance may decrease as a result. What is certain is that the changes of the previous year are here to stay for many – 72 percent of UAE employees think their workplace culture has ‘changed permanently.’ As a result, while many people expect to return to work, the office’s role and etiquette are likely to change.

According to the survey, noise will be a hot topic for returning workers, with the potential to cause conflict between them:

• 61 percent of UAE employees are concerned that excessive noise in the workplace will make them less productive.
• 60 percent of UAE workers fear that if their coworkers are too loud, they would experience “noise anger.”
• 64 percent of UAE workers believe that if their noisy counterparts disrupt their attention, they will become irritated.
• 57 percent of UAE workers think that now that they can’t mute themselves or turn off their cameras, they’ll be more prone to outbursts in the workplace.
• In comparison, 51 percent of UAE workers are looking forward to returning to work because of the noise at home.
• The UAE’s healthcare, legal, arts, and culture industries being the most likely to be affected by noise levels when they return to work.

Despite their reservations, employees are looking forward to more one-on-one contact. The top three things workers miss about the office are office banter, going to lunch with clients/colleagues, and office camaraderie. The data also show how the office’s role will change over time. When people were asked how they saw themselves using the office in the future, the responses were mostly practical and task-oriented. The top three motivations for returning to work were brainstorming/collaborating with coworkers, attending meetings, and having better equipment and technology.

The company’s image has shifted as well. Even professions that have traditionally required personnel to dress to a certain standard, such as financial services, are becoming more flexible. 61 percent of UAE financial workers believe that hybrid working has led to the death of the suit, and that wearing suits may be phased out for good – eight percentage points higher than the national average of 53 percent.

 “The role of the office and what people want to use it for is changing. It’s evident that people have craved human interaction since working from home and are looking forward to getting back to the office,” says Paul Clark.

Also said, “However, noise is a legitimate concern for many, particularly for those younger workers that are new to the workforce or a new environment. To address the rise of ‘noise rage’, organisations need to provide employees with the right technology, such as noise-canceling products, to reduce distractions, improve productivity and ensure equality of experience. Where possible, organisations should also look to create dedicated quiet spaces (booths, more rooms, spacing out desks) equipped with the right technologies.”

The Impact on Young Workers and their Future Careers

The findings emphasise the impact of remote working on young people and how their careers may be jeopardised, with many anticipating a return to the office. Two-fifths of respondents were unable to visit their new office, either because the company had relocated or because they had joined during the pandemic, a ratio that jumped to 49 percent of 18–24-year-olds in the UAE. Eighty percent of young workers in the UAE stated the prospect of entering their office for the first time, as well as the anticipated noise levels, kept them awake at night.

Younger employees were similarly concerned about the impact of working remotely on their ability to develop relationships and communicate with their coworkers, with many fearing that it would limit their opportunities:

• Compared to the norm of 43 percent, 52 percent of UAE workers aged 18-24 were afraid that working remotely will have a negative influence on their growth and career success.
• In the UAE, 53 percent of 18–24-year-olds are concerned that remote working has lowered their confidence in their ability to communicate and collaborate successfully, compared to 42 percent globally.
• In comparison to the average of 39 percent, 50 percent of young UAE workers believe they have lost the art of small chat.
• In the UAE, 60% of people were concerned that remote working would harm their development and professional opportunities, with 40% of women and 44% of men feeling the same way.

Poly advises companies to consider how they will handle any eventual shift to a more permanent type of hybrid working. Poly offers the following suggestions:

• To properly grasp the personality types within your organisation and how to get the most out of them, learn about your employees’ personas.
• Provide the workers with the necessary tools to perform business from any location. Video has quickly become the de facto method for teams to communicate, but the quality and experience can be inconsistent.
• Modernize centrally located meeting venues while allowing users to interact and collaborate from any location.

“To unlock the benefits of hybrid working, organisations need to keep people, technology and spaces front of mind,” comments Dave Shull, CEO of Poly.

Also said, “Firstly, businesses need to understand employees’ personas and working styles. Secondly, they need to clearly define their future office – what spaces will be needed? Should we create more areas for quiet working or collaboration? Doing so will allow organisations to better understand their technology requirements to help the workforce become happier and more productive. Most importantly, this will ensure everyone has an equal experience, no matter where, when or how they work. This will allow everyone to reap the rewards and truly make hybrid ‘work’.”