In December 2021, we surveyed 255 human resources professionals in leadership roles at U.S. companies with 500+ employees across a variety of industries, with both remote on-site workforces. 

Against the backdrop of historic labor issues, the research shows a fundamental disconnect between what HR leaders say they're prioritizing, and the evolving expectations of a workforce that has fundamentally changed over the past two years. HR leaders know the issues, and many have the poor retention rates to prove it. 

‍

There are myriad issues around meetings, onboarding, and a general lack of insights — but collaboration is a core driver of engagement, productivity, and overall satisfaction. The survey bears this out. 

Nearly all HR leaders (93%) report that insights around collaboration and communication would help managers at their organizations improve productivity of their workforce, which suggests that access to data will be pivotal in addressing these issues. 

Digital tools are crucial, but their implementation is a serious, ongoing challenge — collaboration technology is right at the top, according to half of HR professionals (53%), and it became more challenging as the pandemic has progressed.

‍

The fact is that the use of email, Slack and IM tools, and video conferencing all doubled over the last two years. That sort of digital transformation typically happens over decades, not a few months. What’s more, 95% of respondents said that the pandemic made such tools, which support communication and productivity, more essential to the organization’s overall success.

In short, digital tools are vital, but measuring, evaluating, and managing their implementation is critical for productivity, collaboration, and employee experience.

Read the survey results here, and don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you want to start getting collaboration tool sprawl under control.

‍