The Rise of Digital Communication Tools for Remote and Hybrid Workers

As work from home increased to 58 percent of the workforce (92 million workers) since the pandemic, digital communication has become a focal point of workplace communication and productivity.  Forbes Advisor found that workers are, on average, spending 20 hours a week using digital communication tools. Forty-five percent of workers feel more connected to their team because of digital communication, while 60 percent feel increased burnout. Almost half report that their productivity is affected by ineffective communication. The most effective communication tools varied among on-site, remote and hybrid workers. For on-site workers, the mobile phone was the most effective for 38 percent, followed by landline (22 percent) and Zoom (21 percent). Zoom and Google Chat were the most effective method for 22 percent of people working remotely. For hybrid workers, the most effective were Zoom (31 percent) and Google Meet (23 percent). The type of communication tools has also changed over the course of the pandemic. Over a quarter percent of respondents are now using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Although more people began using Zoom (24 percent), mobile phones also saw a 20 percent spike in use. When it comes to preferred methods of communication, however, email is still the most popular tool. Eighteen percent indicated it as their preference. Video calls were the next popular choice, followed by direct messages. For on-site workers, in-person conversations were by far the most preferred method of communication for 34 percent of respondents.