NRG Releases the study titled “Ready or Not : The Future of Work is Here”

“And just like that…the future of work is here, drawing every country, industry and age group into a huge experiment. Already, our research reveals big divides in terms of what different demographics want from our remote work reality. It’s up to us to design better experiences and solutions, fast, that bring us closer together, now that we’re farther apart,” says Jon Penn, CEO of National Research Group.

PRODUCTIVITY

Findings reveal that 50 percent of Gen Z professionals (+12% above average) feel they are less productive when they work from home compared to coming into the office. 51 percent of Gen Z professionals (+5% above average) cite that they are more distracted when they work from home. This group is also the most challenged by their environmental or technical set-up, with 43 percent (+8% above average) responding that they don’t have the necessary equipment/resources to do their jobs remotely. This feedback is crucial for employers to prioritize proper infrastructure, as well as manage remote working productivity expectations.

SOCIAL & CULTURAL IMPACT

The study also reveals that younger generations are more concerned about the cultural impact of Coronavirus, with 71 percent of Gen Z (+6% above average) and 67 percent of Millennials (+2% above average) expressing concern around how we communicate with one another. 56 percent of Gen Z professionals (+5% above average) feel compelled to come into the office because they enjoy being social with their coworkers, while 56 percent of Gen Z professionals (+7% above average) find it far easier to communicate and share ideas in person. Gen Z respondents are the most concerned audience about social distancing, with 46 percent of Gen Z (+4% above average) believing more people working from home would make our society more isolated.

ECONOMIC & ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Nearly 3 in 4 (74%) professionals believe COVID-19 will impact financial markets: led by services/hospitality industries (e.g. retail and shopping, entertainment and events, food and dining, spa and fitness, travel and lodging) at 77%, who are feeling the biggest hit due to current legislation/closures.

Three in four Millennials & Gen Xers—the generations who lived through previous recessions—are most concerned about the lasting financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 52 percent of Millennials (+ 2% above average) and 60 percent of Gen X respondents (+ 10% above average) say they would save money working from home because they no longer have to commute. There is also a sizable base of Gen Xers who value the environmental benefits of remote work: 52 percent of Gen X professionals (+8% above average) say they like the idea of working from home because it’s better for the environment.

SELF-SUFFICIENCY

52 percent of Gen X professionals (+7% above average) say it’s more convenient to work from home rather than work from an office. 55 percent of Gen X professionals (+10% above average) cite that they would enjoy the freedom of being able to work anywhere, while 49 percent of Gen X professionals (+5% above average) say they don’t mind staying inside my home for long periods of time.

TOP 3 PAIN POINTS, CONSISTENT ACROSS GENERATIONS:

1. Easily distracted while working at home
2. Loneliness from missed social interaction
3. Wish I had access to the devices I have at work

MOST POLARIZING PAIN POINTS, WITH THE FUTURE WORKFORCE, STRUGGLING MOST

1. Irritation from too much screen time (23% Gen Z vs 11% Gen X), ahead of other technical issues such as bad Wi-Fi or poor audio/video quality during calls
2. Bad work-life balance while working at home (21% Gen Z vs 15% Gen X), ahead of other productivity pain points such as difficulty to convey thoughts over email/chat or feeling less engaged with other collaborators
3. Can’t find a quiet place to take calls (18% Gen Z vs 10% Gen X), ahead of other environmental set-up barriers such as not having a good space to work at home or a quiet place to take calls

NEXT-GEN SOLUTIONS

Nearly 7 in 10 professionals would find the following next-gen solutions useful:

1. Hands-free screens on-the-go (69%): work from anywhere from multiple screens, enabling real-time collaboration; watch anything, anywhere at the size you want
2. Virtual events (67%): participate in industry forums through remote conferences/forums, meeting new people, or entertaining clients digitally with engaging alternatives to in-person meet-ups
3. Document/record memories (66%): capture photos/videos of what you’re experiencing, and share with friends/collaborators to see from your perspective in VR at any given moment
4. Interactive learning/skill development (65%): touch, get hands-on and interact with 3D subject matter spatially, learn by “doing” rather than “seeing” with augmented reality tutorials
5. Remove language barriers (64%): instant translation allows you to communicate with anyone, anywhere for immediate understanding

To view and download the full report, please visit here