New research from EPOS Audio and Ipsos shows that, in 2021, the average worker spends more than seven hours per week on activities related to “sound and meetings.” This amount is up by two hours when compared to its comparable 2020 study.
EPOS noted in its “Audio Technology for the Hybrid Professional” report that investments in proper technology are “essential to building a long-term hybrid model that works both for businesses and their employees.” Of note, audio technology plays a “major” part in remote work, with 86 percent of organizations planning an investment in the technology “in the next year,” and 32 percent of staffers set to be offered either a headset or personal speakerphone.
Interestingly, the survey indicated that “more than half” of decision-makers, worldwide, believe that more work will be done in-office in the future, compared to just 26 percent of employees.
“Forward-thinking businesses making hybrid working plans must invest in the right technology to help curb the pain points their employees have been facing and continue to face,” said Jeppe Dalberg-Larsen, the President of EPOS. “Audio technology needs to be at the heart of this investment. While we may not know exactly what the future will look like, we know that the workplace is no longer simply a physical space, it is wherever you are. Businesses that succeed in our hybrid world will do so by listening to the needs of their employees, customers and other stakeholders. Only by doing this can we navigate the hybrid model. By audio technology that performs, wherever and whenever we do business, we can be professional as always.”
Research was conducted by IPSOS Denmark on behalf of EPOS, and was collected using Online Computer Assisted Web Interviews (CAWI) between March and early April 2021. Respondents included 18-65-year-olds from the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, Hong Kong and Singapore; those working in companies with 50+ employees; decision-makers and end-users of audio solutions; and those with a minimum work week of 20 hours.
