Survey of WIRED community underscores the heightened importance of mobility for an increasingly untethered workforce
New York – 2012-10-10 — /travelprnews.com/ — The lines between business and leisure are vanishing rapidly according to a recent survey of WIRED’s audience of influencers, conducted in collaboration with Marriott Hotels & Resorts. The study, designed to explore the reality and evolving needs of this new breed of mobile worker, found that today’s workforce is expected to remain connected and readily available everywhere at any time.
Surprisingly, nearly half of the respondents said they’re more productive when working remotely but have unmet needs out of the office. High-speed Internet connections, charging stations, and comfortable furniture were at the top of the list of essential attributes necessary to create the ideal mobile workspace.
The study was conducted as part of an integrated WIRED and Marriott partnership, as the hospitality leader reimagines the guest experience for a WIRED world: expertly blending high-tech services with high-touch experiences to meet today’s evolving customer needs in a meaningful way.
Key highlights from the survey include:
- Mobility is increasingly important to today’s workforce: Sixty-two percent of survey respondents said it is important to be mobile and accessible in their daily business. When working remotely, the top three environments that respondents work from are home (84%), a hotel (40%) or a local cafe (24%).
- Workers are more productive, less stressed working remotely: Forty-eight percent of the respondents said they are more productive when they work outside of the office. Half of the respondents (49%) also said they feel less stressed when working remotely.
- Workers have unmet needs outside of the office: Nearly half (45%) of the respondents said they have unmet needs when working remotely. Essential attributes to create the ideal mobile workspace include: High-speed Internet connection (82%) and charging stations (46%), with comfortable furniture (36%), privacy (42%) and quiet (38%).
Visit WIRED Insider for complete survey results.
About WIRED
WIRED is the first word on how ideas and innovation are changing the world. Each month in the magazine and every day online, our editors deliver a glimpse into the future of business, culture, innovation, and science. AdWeek named WIRED to its 2011 Hot List and made WIRED its first-ever “Magazine of the Decade” in 2010. It was named to Advertising Age’s A-List in 2010, received three National Magazine Awards for general excellence in 2005, 2007, and 2009, and was nominated for a National Magazine Award for Magazine of the Year in 2011. Wired.com was named 2009’s Best Magazine Website by AdWeek, Best News, Business & Finance Website in 2009 by MPA Digital, and was a 2011 National Magazine Award for Digital Media “General Excellence” finalist. WIRED and Wired.com reach more than 14 million readers each month.
About Marriott Hotels & Resorts
Marriott Hotels & Resorts continues to inspire and provide a balanced life on the road for discerning and high-achieving business and leisure travelers, offering warm, professional service; sophisticated yet functional guest room design; lobby spaces that facilitate working, dining and socializing; restaurants and bars serving international cuisine prepared simply and from the freshest ingredients; meeting and event spaces and services that are gold standard; and expansive, 24-hour fitness facilities. All Marriott hotels participate in the award winning Marriott Rewards frequent travel program that allows members to earn hotel points or airline miles for every dollar spent during each stay. For more information, visit www.MarriottHotels.com. Visit Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) for company information. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com.
CONTACTS:
WIRED
Jonathan Hammond, WIRED, (212) 286-5866 or jonathan_hammond@wired.com
Rachel Millner, WIRED, (415) 276-4952 or rachel_millner@wired.com
Karen Shosfy, WIRED, (212) 286-7273 or karen_shosfy@wired.com
Marriott Hotels & Resorts
Jennifer Clark, Burson-Marsteller, (212) 614-4862 or jennifer.clark@bm.com
John Wolf, Marriott International, (301) 380-5718 or john.wolf@marriott.com
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WIRED Study Finds Today’s Workers Are More Productive Outside the Office