Face-to-Face Communication at Work

Despite a marked increase in the number of communication and collaboration technologies available to workers, a recent survey of knowledge workers by TrackVia reveals that most workers still regularly  communicate the old fashioned way, in person and face-to-face.  

Some notable findings:

• Bad News and Good News: When your boss or colleague asks to meet in person, it’s only slightly more likely to be good news. Sixty-nine percent of respondents preffered sharing “positive” feedback face-to-face versus 63 percent who prefer sharing “negative” feedback face-to-face.
• Making Friends at Work: Forty-three percent of respondents felt electronic communication improved workplace relationships. Only eight percent felt it negatively impacted relationships.
• Connecting a Name with a Face: Forty percent of workers said they had worked with someone for an extended period, yet never met them in person – or even talked to on the phone.
• Workplace Romance: Fourteen percent of respondents reported flirting with a co-worker via email, texting or instant messaging. Ten percent admitted to initiating a workplace romance via electronic communications.
• Keeping Track of Family: While face-to-face communication is still dominant at work, what happens when workers need to get in touch with family during working hours?  One-in-five use text messaging most often when it is necessary to contact family during working hours.  Although a higher proportion (36%) call with their cell phone most often for this purpose, it is still interesting that texting has become the mode of choice for a sizable proportion who are trying to juggle work and family demands.  

“When it comes to increasing workplace productivity, it’s clear that tools like email and instant messaging help, but don’t replace personal collaboration,” said Charles Var, vice president of Marketing for TrackVia, providers of an online solution of applications that people can share with colleagues.  “Context also matters as people’s preference for communication appears to change based on what they’re doing.”