The latest piece of research from Vodafone New Zealand focused on answering the question - “Has business become more connected or disconnected than ever before?

Vodafone engaged an independent company to survey people across the country from a wide variety of industries to capture how connected New Zealanders really feel as the landscape of work changes with the adoption of new technologies.

The Disconnection Report aims at helping business leaders make better decisions on how to foster connection amongst their staff and with their customers, without brick-and-mortar offices at the core, the company states.

The report not only focuses on keeping employees connected with one another but on connecting with customers, creating a collaborative environment through technology and cybersecurity preparedness.

A quick snapshot of attitudes towards hybrid working includes the following:

• While 30% of people say they would leave a role if remote working wasn't an option, 66% said they miss face-to-face contact with people and 33% said working away from the office had them feeling disconnected.
• In addition, only 1 in 5 people surveyed stated their quality of work improved when at home, while only 35% felt more productive when working from home.
• Half of all workers also indicated that working from home made switching off from work more difficult, creating an environment where burnout can thrive.

Vodafone states, these statistics show to business leaders that innovative solutions are needed to keep their employees both happy and connected to one another and their role within the business. These solutions require the right technology, leadership and collaboration with staff.

Lindsay Zwart, Vodafone's Chief Enterprise Officer, says, “We need to think about how we enable hybrid working. It's up to a business's team leaders to empower their staff to work remotely in a safe and productive way. They should expect to have access to suitable tools and a user friendly set up - and it's the responsibility of the business to help provide a solution.

According to the report, technology is here to stay and fostering positive connections within a business needs to be a priority. Vodafone's research highlights a number of ways to avoid negative outcomes and also turn them into opportunities. When managed the right way, technology can bring massive benefits to a business, the company states.

Zwart concludes, “At Vodafone, we can help an organisation employ technology that empowers its people to collaborate and innovate together. The together-ness - the teamwork - is often cited as one of the key factors in retaining, and attracting, the best talent.

"Technology can also be used to speed up and automate tedious tasks, creating efficiencies and increasing productivity. The right technology in the right place creates and strengthens human connections - surely one of the foundation stones for an organisation to build its competitive advantage and unlock new opportunities.