Can Wearable Tech Increase Productivity In the Office?

It seems like everywhere you turn these days, everyone is talking about wearable tech. Whether it’s about Google Glass, fitness trackers, or smart watches, these devices are becoming more popular — and increasingly mainstream. Typically, they’re used to help increase health, helping the wearer keep track of calories or steps, or monitoring blood pressure. But could wearables actually benefit you in your career, and increase productivity in the office?

(Photo Credit: fitbit.com)

According to recent research from Goldsmiths, University of London, wearable technologies have been found to boost employee productivity by 8.5 percent. Additionally, other findings from Human Cloud at Work’s (HCAW) research showed that wearable technologies increases job satisfaction by 3.5 percent. The HCAW report is part of a two-year collaboration between Rackspace and the Institute of Management Studies (IMS) at Goldsmiths, which investigated cloud-enabled wearable devices and their impact on UK businesses and consumers.

“The big step change for both individuals and businesses is being able to analyze the raw data and understand the wider context surrounding the data, such as the weather location, posture, even temperature and mood of the individual,” says Nigel Beighton, UK CTO of Rackspace. “By focusing on the data as well as the devices, wearable technologies can provide meaningful insights that can be used to improve performance and satisfaction.”