09/10/2012

By Claire West

'Having a clone' and 'a place in the office that provides natural sunlight' tied for first place as the dream tools professionals wish they had.

LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network with more than 175 million members worldwide, today released some fun statistics about office tools and trends that are on the brink of becoming extinct.

As part of its "Office Endangered Species" study, LinkedIn surveyed more than 7,000 professionals across the globe and asked which office tools and trends will most likely not be seen around offices by the year 2017. Thousands of professionals agreed they could easily picture office stalwarts like tape recorders, fax machines and Rolodexes nestled in museum exhibits next to fossils and Tyrannosaurus Rex skeletons.

According to professionals, the top 10 items and office trends that are becoming rare and could even disappear in the next five years are:

1. Tape recorders (79 percent)

2. Fax machines (71 percent)

3. The Rolodex (58 percent)

4. Standard working hours (57 percent)

5. Desk phones (35 percent)

6. Desktop computers (34 percent)

7. Formal business attire like suits, ties, pantyhose, etc. (27 percent)

8. The corner office for managers/executives (21 percent)

9. Cubicles (19 percent)


10. USB thumb drives (17 percent)


Globally, professionals selected tablets (55 percent), cloud storage (54 percent), flexible working hours and smartphones (which tied at 52 percent) as office tools that are becoming more ubiquitous.

"It's no surprise to see the Rolodex gathering dust as the pace of technological innovation rapidly makes many workplace practices and tools redundant," said LinkedIn's connection director, Nicole Williams. "The beauty of modern devices and platforms, such as LinkedIn, is that they constantly evolve to meet professionals' needs, allowing them to connect more quickly and easily than ever before."

Professionals from around the world also hinted at several key dream tools they'd like to see in the future. These include having a clone or assistant to help you in your day (25 percent), a place in the office that provides natural sunlight (25 percent) and a quiet place in your office where you're allowed to take a nap (22 percent). In a funny twist, nineteen percent of respondents said they wish they had a mute button for their co-workers, so they don't have to hear them talk.

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