Employees in western countries consider themselves to be happier in their jobs, more loyal to their employers and more productive at work, according to research by the Economist Intelligence Unit and Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company.
The Mobility, performance and engagement report, which is based on the self-assessment of 1,865 employees, found that the ability to work anywhere at any time is the top factor providing job satisfaction for respondents globally, cited by 38%.
UK respondents rated this most highly, with 43% saying this was the case.
In addition, the research found that just under a third (29%) of US respondents say that they are completely loyal to their employer, while 27% of German respondents say the same. However, just 5% of Japanese respondents say they have this level of loyalty to their employer.
The report also found:
- 15% of US and 10% of German respondents give themselves the maximum score for job satisfaction, compared to 6% in Singapore and 3% in Japan.
- A fifth (20%) of US respondents give themselves the maximum score for productivity, followed by 16% in Germany, 12% in the UK, 9% in Singapore and 5% in Japan.
- 40% of early adopters of technology say they would never work for an organisation that did not allow them to use their own mobile devices for work.
Chris Kozup, vice-president of marketing at Aruba, said: “The way we work is changing to suit the needs of GenMobile and if [organisations] do not stay ahead of the curve, they may inadvertently be creating less productive working environments that are overlooked by the best candidates.
“It is clear that the freedom to work at a time that is most productive to the employee is crucial, which is why mobility is at the top of their checklist. Businesses need to evolve their offering now in order to secure GenMobile employees before their competitors do.
“By doing this, the benefits will be long term and employers, both East and West, can compete on an equal footing to attract and keep talent.”