Survey Says: We Want Social Tools at Work

A recent Microsoft survey of workers in 32 countries reveals that workers have a voracious appetite for social tools and are willing to go the extra mile - even if it means breaking the rules - to use the technology at work. The research shows that nearly half of employees report that social tools at work help increase their productivity, but more than 30 percent of companies underestimate the value of these tools and often restrict their use.

The survey, conducted for Microsoft Corp. by research firm Ipsos among 9,908 information workers, also found that 39 percent of employees feel there isn't enough collaboration in their workplaces, and 40 percent believe social tools help foster better teamwork. More surprisingly, 31 percent said they are willing to spend their own money to buy social tools.

Microsoft Dynamics customers have options to choose when it comes to fulfilling their employees' social business appetites. Tools like Yammer and Lync support collaboration, sharing, and communicating outside and inside the organization. For its part, Microsoft would also include Office 365 and Dynamics CRM as "collaboration tools", according to the release, though it might be a broader interpretation.  

According to Microsoft, the social media survey also picked up distinct differences between countries, sectors, and genders as they relate to the levels of productivity, collaboration, and communication tools used in today's workplace. For example, greater proportions of workers in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region are using social tools - and with greater frequency. In contrast, those in North America and Europe have been slower in adopting many social tools.

Financial services and government employees are most likely to say their company places restrictions on the use of social tools, according ...