Most of the methods we use for workplace communication are not geared toward productivity. Email can become annoying, especially when we feel that too many incoming messages are stopping us from doing our “real work.”
In contrast, chat solutions seem to be a great method for communicating with teammates in real-time or for quickly solving personal issues. Of course, the downside is that using them can lead to procrastination on the part of employees.
MKOR Consulting conducted an online study between October 1-21, 2014, on a sample of 100 urban respondents, to find out how employees use chat in the workplace.
The Link Between Working Hours and Hours Spent on Chat
The majority of respondents fall into the category of those who spend between 6 and 9 hours at the office (91%), and the time spent on chat starts from a minimum of 30 minutes per day (90%).
Preferred Applications
When it comes to the most popular chat applications used, Facebook leads by a wide margin with a rate of 45.5%, followed by Skype at 18.18%. WhatsApp holds a significant place, followed by Yahoo Messenger and GTalk, with iMessage being a niche chat used by Apple product owners.
Discussion Topics and Partners
Respondents spend more time talking to friends (47.6%) during working hours than with colleagues (33.3%). The most common discussion topics are personal in nature (34.8%), but also work-related (34.7%), in a similar percentage. Chat is in first place when it comes to interpersonal communication, being preferred in 82% of cases over email or the phone.
Respondent Data
The majority of respondents in our study hold Middle Management positions (63.54%), have been at their current job for over 3 years (54.5%), in medium-sized companies with 50-100 employees.
We already know of companies that buy smartphones for their employees and propose WhatsApp as an official communication channel. How does communication between colleagues take place in your company?
