29 Stats that Prove End User Computing is Changing

Globalization has been a hot topic lately, but the fact is the way we work has been changing for a while now. Today’s workforce is much more mobile and the range of devices owned and used (for work and personally) has steadily grown since the introductions of the personal computer and smartphones.

Today, employees can use anything from a work-issued desktop to a smartwatch to check email and access business applications. That mobility has led to a trend of shifting away from the office. Now, working at home, the coffee shop or other non-office locations is the norm.

Device sprawl and workforce expansion aren’t abstract trends. Here are 29 stats that show which direction the modern workforce is heading – and the benefits forward-thinking companies can experience by not fighting the change.

Device Sprawl

1.  It’s estimated that the average person will own 4.3 devices (smartphones, laptops, tablets, wearables, consoles, etc.) by 2020. (Source)
2.  The average employee uses three or more devices for work activities daily. (Source)
3.  40% of U.S. employees at large enterprises use a personally owned smartphone, desktop or laptop daily for work purposes. (Source)
4.  74% of organizations have already adopted or are currently planning to adopt BYOD (bright your own device). (Source)
5.  51% of employees use apps mandated by their business on their phones (up from 27% in 2011). (Source)
6.  By 2017, 50% of employers will expect workers to supply their own devices for BYOD programs. (Source)
7.  90% of IT professionals report that employees bring at least one device to work. (Source)
8.  98% of enterprises report that employees use smartphones for business purposes; 93% use tablets and 75% use wearable tech. (Source)
9.  72% of employees believe that wearable tech in the workplace will eventually become standard. (Source)
10.  66% of workers would be willing to use wearable tech if it helped them do their job better. (Source)

Workforce Expansion 

11.  4x more US workers have telecommuted today than in 1995. (Source)
12.  The percentage of non-self-employed people who regularly work at home has grown 103% since 2005. (Source)
13.  More than 50% of full time employees are expected to work remotely by 2020. (Source)
14.  Contract workers account for 20-60% of the workforce at nearly one in every two companies. (Source)
15.  Global workforce mobility levels have increased by 25% in the past decade and are predicted to grow an additional 50% by 2020. (Source)
16.  75% of Western Europe’s workforce will be mobile by 2018. (Source)
17.  60% of workers in the U.S. use flexible work options to achieve a better work/life balance. (Source)
18.  65% of employees think a flexible and remote work schedule would increase their productivity. (Source)
19.  68% of North American workers feel the attitude toward telecommuting is positive and that the practice is widely accepted. (Source)
20.  58% of Americans think that working remotely is just as productive as working in an office. (Source)
21.  68% of young job seekers say a company would be more attractive if it offered the option to work remotely. (Source)
22.  88% of organizations have had an employee quit because of a lack of telework opportunities. (Source)
23.  54% of HR managers report that they have “occasionally miss out on the best job candidate because they cannot meet the candidates’ telework requirements.” (Source)

The Impact on Early Adopter Organizations

24.  86% of U.S. companies and 83% of global companies that have implemented flexible work policies have seen an increase in employee productivity. (Source)
25.  Using mobile devices in the workplace leads to a reported 34% gain in productivity. (Source)
26.  71% of wearable tech users say it has helped them to be more productive. (Source)
27.  58% of U.S. companies that have adopted flexible work policies have seen their profits rise since implementation. (Source)
28.  77% percent of organizations say morale has risen as the result of flexible work schedules. (Source)
29.  61% of businesses say teamwork has improved with flexible work policies. (Source)

The technology driver for greater mobility is in place, the desire for flexible work situations is clear and, as the last set of stats suggests, companies that are embracing this global workforce shift are seeing positive results – just be sure to address IT and data security before you jump all in.