Randstad Finds Women Don’t Feel Constant Connectivity Improves Productivity

 Randstad’s most recent Engagement Index study has revealed that the constant connectivity of the workplace does not imply higher levels of productivity for women. The study found that 42 percent of women think that there is now more difficulty in disconnecting from work when at home and 68 percent don’t believe that blurring the “work-home boundary” is leading to increased productivity.

“As enhanced technologies and increased access to information continues to blur the lines between our professional and personal lives, many workers mistake being busy for being productive,” Linda Galipeau, Randstad CEO of North America, said. “These are two very different concepts that when looked at from an organizational standpoint—could have serious implications for a company’s bottom line. We are only productive if we’re producing the results that are most impactful to our goals. Being that we live in a multi-tasking world, it is important to work smarter and hone in on those high-impact efforts that will create more meaningful results. This is incredibly important, especially as men and women can now perform their jobs from almost anywhere.”

Other highlights from the survey include:

• 49 percent of women reported flexibility and accommodation in working arrangements at their company with 33 percent feeling that this is the most effective way to engage them;

• 50 percent of women chose flexibility/adaptation as the most import skill for growing their careers followed by computer and technology skills (43 percent) ; and

• 87 percent of women said relationships with their colleagues are highly impactful on their job satisfaction and 85 percent said the same about the relationship with their supervisors.