A ‘nine to five’ office job will be passé for most of us by 2017, according to a survey by professional network firm LinkedIn. Standard working hours, desktop computers, fax machines, tape recorders and formal attires are set to fall by the wayside.

LinkedIn’s survey titled ‘Office Endangered Species’ said the top three office tools targeted for extinction by 2017, among professionals in India were the tape recorder, standard working hours and desktop computers.

Fax machines, Rolodexes, USB drives, cubicles and landline phones were some other items that were set to become extinct in a few years.

The findings suggest that the Indian workplace is evolving, said Hari V Krishnan, Country Manager, LinkedIn India. The network portal surveyed about 7,000 professionals globally, of which nearly 400 were from India.

In India, while about 36 per cent of employees longed for a place in the office that provides natural sunlight, 25 per cent said there should be a quiet corner where they could have a power nap. 

“With tools such as tablet computers, video conferencing and smart phones being featured on the list of must-haves, Indian companies and professionals are increasingly turning towards technology to assist their career growth,” Krishnan said.

He further added that LinkedIn has upgraded mobile platforms to ensure extending seamless LinkedIn experience to members. Globally, professionals selected tablets (55 per cent), cloud storage (54 per cent), flexible working hours and smart phones (which tied at 52 per cent) as office tools that are becoming more ubiquitous.

Priyanka.pani@thehindu.co.in

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