Almost 50% of employees report that social tools at work help increase their productivity, but more than 30% of companies underestimate the value of these tools and often restrict their use, new Microsoft research has suggested.
The survey, conducted for Microsoft by research firm Ipsos among 9,908 IT workers in 32 countries, also found that 39% of employees feel there is not enough collaboration in their workplaces, and 40% believe social tools help foster better teamwork. More surprisingly, 31% said they are willing to spend their own money to buy social tools.
Charlene Li, founder and analyst at Altimeter Group, a firm that studies social media and other technology trends, explained: "Employees are already bringing their own devices into their workplaces, but now they are increasingly bringing their own services as well.
"Employees expect to work differently, with tools that feel more modern and connected, but are also reflective of how they interact in their personal lives. Enterprise social represents a new way to work, and organizations embracing these tools are improving collaboration, speeding customer responses and creating competitive advantages."
Kurt DelBene, president, Microsoft Office Division, said: "Just as email accelerated the pace of business in the ’90s, enterprise social will be the driver of greater agility and transformation in the 21st century workplace.
"As we look ahead at how collaboration and communications continue to evolve, we believe the tools people use today — email, instant messaging, voice, videoconferencing, social — will come together and be deeply integrated into apps in ways that will speed collaboration and truly transform the way people work."
