Are you a road warrior or a remote collaborator?

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major effect on the way most of us work and new research from workplace communication specialist Poly has identified six different workplace personas that make up over 90 percent of a typical enterprise.

The study, carried out by by Factworks, aims to help businesses look at the attributes, pain points, and communication intensity associated with each persona, to better match workstyles and employee behaviors to communication devices and technologies.

"We have been studying workplace personas for almost a decade, but never has it been as crucial as it is now to truly understand the personality types within your business and how to get the best out of them," Jennifer Adams, senior sales experience and enablement director at Poly, says. "Whilst this study was conducted during COVID-19, we believe that the behavior shifts observed in the workplace will remain long-term. Identifying these and ensuring that everyone has the correct tools and devices to maximize efficiency and productivity is the key to a successful and efficient workforce both now and for years to come."

The six personas are:

• Office Collaborator -- 27 percent of workers have a traditional office-based work style that is highly collaborative and open to new technology
• Flexible Worker -- 20 percent of the workforce are flexible workers who are always innovating and adapting their communications channels due to their frequent remote and on-the-go work
• Office Communicator -- 13 percent of the workforce are identified as office communicators and are most familiar with systems and devices yet are bothered by interruptions, background noise, and lack of privacy on calls
• Connected Executive -- 12 percent of employees are tech-savvy and are needed to make decisions and solve problems. They’re versatile in their work style, and use more communication tools than any other persona
• Remote Collaborator -- With fewer opportunities for in-person meetings, remote collaborators make up 15 percent of the workforce and face challenges including successful and productive collaboration. They need multiple devices to bridge the gaps between them and their colleagues and clients
• Road Warrior -- Accounting for five percent, they are always on the move working outside the office more than half the time. They need highly portable and easy to use solutions that reduce the chance of unreliable connections

You can read more on the Poly site.

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