The Future of Workplace Wearables: Employees Are In

This is the fourth in a series of articles we’re doing around our annual State of Workplace Productivity survey. Read a summary of the full survey here . For our findings on extreme workloads, click here. And learn why your choice of workspace matters.

From the Apple Watch and Tory Burch for Fitbit to Jawbone and Google Glass, wearable technology is big in the consumer market and holds even bigger promises for boosting workplace productivity and employee health. But before companies can adopt the latest technology, they must have employee buy-in and be invested in its return.

Nearly two-thirds of employees would be willing to use wearable technology if it helped them do their job better, according to a recent study by Cornerstone OnDemand. The key word is willing; employees wouldn’t necessarily choose to use it on their own, but wouldn’t resist. The devices may look cool on their wrists, yet only 17 percent of employees who aren’t already wearables users think they would boost productivity.

Only 12 percent of employees currently use wearables for work-related tasks, and of those who use them, 71 percent say they increase productivity. That’s promising for the future of wearables in the workplace.

Since wearables contain valuable information about employees’ work style and lifestyle, companies must get employee buy-in to access that information. More than three in four employees, though, would wear devices that track job performance and productivity and give their employers access to that information.

Productivity aside, many companies introduce wearable devices for health and wellness benefits. Four out of five employees would use company-provided wearable that tracks health and wellness and provide that data to their employer. Additional perks or compensation — such as a five percent end-of-the-year bonus, reduced health insurance premiums, exercise program discounts, extra vacation days, flexible schedule and less work hours — would encourage sign-ups as well.

Not long from now, wearables will be as ubiquitous as tablets in the workplace. In fact, 72 percent of employees believe that wearable technology in the workplace will eventually be the norm. It may take a little while for the trend to catch on, but wearables are a technology worth paying attention to for its workplace application.

To read more findings from The State of Workplace Productivity Report, click here.

Check out this infographic for a summary of our survey findings around wearables: