Remote workers are now more reliant on video conferencing tools than email as the nature of work continues to change.
Figures from job search site Milkround has revealed that video conferencing is creeping ahead of email as the most utilised form of business communication in isolation.
The company surveyed over 2000 UK workers, finding that tools such as Zoom, Skype and Microsoft Teams are all helping workers across the country stay connected, work efficiently from home, and in many cases - find new jobs.
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Video conferencing tools
Milkround, which focuses on helping students and recent graduates find roles, notes that this new technology revolution is proving beneficial for younger workers.
The report notes that while digital communication has increased by 22 percent for the average UK worker, it has only spiked by 11 percent for Gen Z employees.
Nearly two-thirds (60 percent) of so-called "Gen Z" are revealed to be more productive at-home than when in the office; compared to only 18 percent of other UK workers. A similar proportion (62 percent) of Gen Z say they prefer working remotely than in the office, compared to only 37 percent of older workers.
Overall, 69 percent of UK workers agree that the younger team members are better suited to lockdown working, and 60 percent recognise that younger workers often help older colleagues with their tech queries.
And despite 25 percent of Gen Z workers being furloughed, a huge proportion (81 percent) say they are confident they can secure a new job through video conferencing, if needed. Around 1.8 million young workers are using video conferencing tools to interview for new roles, with Zoom (44 percent), Microsoft Teams (23 percent) and Skype (20 percent) the most popular platforms.
“The state of flux that the graduate employment market has been in since the start of lockdown has instilled a reliance on technology, and specifically video conferencing platforms," said Georgie Brazier, Graduate Jobs Expert at Milkround.
"It is no great surprise that younger workers are more at ease with using these platforms. What has been reassuring is that these younger workers are taking to video conferencing platforms to secure new job roles too. Their longstanding use of social media to communicate has set them in good stead for the lockdown. Gen Z and Millennials are now benefiting professionally from their use of social media platforms. Despite not having as much experience in the workforce as other colleagues, they are leading the way during isolation by leveraging their innate tech savvy skillsets.”
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