Can wearable tech increase employee productivity ?

This is a question that a lot of people ask themselves : do Google Glass and smartwatch have a place in the working environment?

CES is over but the it has introduced a whole new set of products to consumers : wearable devices. For consumers, wearable devices sound like the next step from smartphones and tablets, but what about the workplace? Will employees be able/allowed to use these tech at the office to increase productivity? This will really depend on the use and this trend will first need to be commonly accepted.Some CEO and HR think that wearable devices can be useful in many areas such as training, monitoring, talent acquisition, etc.

Monitoring Employees :

These technologies could offer the ability to track performance and employee activity on a daily basis. In the supply chain sector for example, it could be very useful to determine how many products line workers have assembled or the distance that drivers have covered. It could also enable truck drivers to access real-time updates on stock in a warehouse, leading to efficient results and an optimization of the supply chain process. Using this devices will allow the management to get data via the cloud and generate analytics reports to measure performance and progress. This is an opportunity for business owners to get a infos on how employees are spending their time.

Training :

The use of Google Glass to record in a hand-free way the activity on an employee on his first day is a great training method for companies to assess strengths and weaknesses. It's also very promising because employees traveling abroad or in a remote location would be able to use the glasses to get access to training materials and use it while they're working. Indeed, some early uses for Glass have seen it used to translate foreign languages in real-time on the display.

Live access to data :

Some say that the next trend will be the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), but many experts think that it seems very natural to include wearable devices in the workplace. Indeed, no matter the industry, the Google Glass will enhance our senses and bring a nearly infinite amount of data to your fingertips or with voice commands. For example a doctor or a paramedic could have a quick access to a patient's medical history in a matter of seconds.

Pros... but also cons :

We have seen that these devices present major advantages but there are also some challenges such as potential generated distractions or data security, which is the major issue. Data are sent through WiFi, which could be open door to hackers and people willing to get sensitive employee and customer data. We can also easily imagine that the use of Google Glass for a driver can be dangerous, create unsafe driving conditions and increase likelihood of an accident. That's a phenomenon that has been highlighted recently when a driver has been arrested in San Francisco for wearing Google Glass. 

How is it like today? 

Some studies have found that 6% of the employers are already providing devices to workers. A further third said they would be willing to use wearable devices if offered to them by employers. "Regardless of the rate of adoption of wearable technology in the workplace, there's little doubt that if businesses use it effectively it will make a real difference to employees' lives and work", says Nigel Beighton, technology and product vice president at Rackspace. "We have already seen some great examples of this, including companies using health and fitness to promote well-being and productivity within their organisation."

What about you? Would you like to use wearable devices at the office ?

Source : business bee, techradar