A recent Slack survey highlights the enthusiastic adoption of communication platforms over the last year. We can credit remote work for the uptick, with nearly 60% of the Canadian workforce working remotely. In early 2020, in-person projects with long lead times were forced to fast-track and execute within weeks. While overwhelming at first, according to the Slack survey, many employees want to continue to work remotely or in a hybrid environment. And as we goodbye to physical office spaces, collaborative platforms are becoming heavily utilized, with 80% of users saying their collaboration platform is very important to them.
One of the main findings of the survey was that collaboration platforms are quickly replacing traditional email and meeting communication. This can be attributed to the formal nature of email, which acts as a barrier to the casual conversations that build relationships. According to the survey, if forced to choose, more than one-third of business users would give up their work email rather than Slack, Microsoft Teams or other collaboration solutions. Another benefit to communication tools is the option to create social environments or threads that allow employees to connect in a more personal manner, thereby breaking down communication barriers and fostering human connection. Furthermore, meetings are being replaced with asynchronous communication (learning that occurs virtually online and through prepared resources, without real-time teacher-led interaction). Participants of the survey hypothesized that an average of 40% of their meetings could be replaced by a conversational thread on a communication platform.
Another result of the survey was the discovery that communication tools save employees time, indicating that emails take up approximately 3 hours of employee time each day. Communication platforms allow streamlined conversations among cross-functional teams, saving employees an approximate 90 minutes a day.
Finally, it is important to consider employee preferences when selecting a company’s tech stack. The study found that 37% of users are frustrated that they’re not included in conversations about the company’s selection of software tools.
The truth of the matter is, our reality for the foreseeable future is virtual. Collaborative communication platforms not only streamline communication, but they save employees time, foster human connection and make employees feel their opinions are valued.
The future is collaborative: How communication platforms are shaping the way we work was initially published on April 6, 2021 by the team at Slack.
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