Shireen Alam, director, Sapient Global Markets:
I work from pretty much everywhere. My smartphone ensures that I am able to respond, whether I am travelling, in a mall, in the car, or out to dinner (only if the person I am with wouldn't consider it rude!). Most often, if I am not in the office, I work from home out of my study. I find I am much more productive when I work from home because I have found that people are quite open to me being outside the office, as long as I set the right expectations. You have to follow basic etiquette like being on mute when you are in a public place and actually paying attention to calls!
Manasije Mishra, CEO, Max Bupa Health Insurance:
My role involves a lot of travel. At the same time, I manage to keep myself abreast with what is happening in office at all times through devices like iPad and Blackberry. As I am a frequent business traveller, I work from different cities, countries and even different time zones. The workplace dynamics are evolving. Gone are the days when a computer and a desk were essentials to do your job. My smartphone and iPad keep me connected to my colleagues 24×7. I interact with employees in different cities at the same time through video conferencing, webcasts, teleconferencing, etc, irrespective of where I am. Technology has made it possible to work virtually without any impact on productivity. I don't have to reach office to get started. I start my day in the car by responding to work emails while commuting to office.
Sonali De Sarkar, director, Human Resources, NetApp:
I do work from home or during my commute. Technology ensures that I am able to stay connected with my colleagues, both in India and abroad. Unless I need to work on something very critical which needs my undivided attention or I am needed at home, I like to be at the office. Productivity comes from commitment and clarity, which is independent of the place I choose to work from. When I do want some quiet, uninterrupted thinking time, working from home has been very productive. The flexibility to decide where I would like to work from or be more effective adds to my productivity. In our company, we don't really track the time people spend at office or working from home. While there is no policy around the frequency of working from places other than office, individual employees work with their managers to decide what works for them.
According to the ‘Work is not a place anymore' survey by Xerox:
- 1.3 billion workers will go mobile by 2015;
- 75% of companies allow some form of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device);
- 83% of workers, who own a mobile device, have used it during public transportation;
- 38% of workers feel most productive at home.