Only 30% of Australians will extend their hand when meeting new contacts in the workplace, with most (approx. 59%) preferring an elbow bump. Photo Credit: Getty Images/Drazen Zigic
The majority of Australians are comfortable attending business events right now, according to a recent poll conducted by Roy Morgan Research on behalf of BESydney.
The February survey, which polled 1007 locals aged between 18 and 64 years, examined acceptable business practices and the willingness to meet in a post-pandemic environment.
When it comes to attending in-person events, approximately 69% are willing to do so for funerals, followed by weddings (66%), the cinema (55%) and business events of up to 50 pax (52%). Individuals in New South Wales (NSW) are the most confident when it comes to conferences and meetings, with 49% ready to return to the fray.
In the workplace, only 30% of Australians will extend their hand when meeting new contacts, preferring the elbow greeting (59%) instead. NSW in particular houses the largest pool of people who'd opt for this tap-and-greet gesture (36%). Meanwhile, 11% would prefer not to have any physical greeting at all.
“It’s pleasing to see confidence increasing in NSW when it comes to getting back to business and attending events in-person," said Stuart Ayres, NSW minister for jobs, investment, tourism and Western Sydney, who in January outlined a 10-year economic recovery roadmap with events at its core.
"We’ve seen strong adherence to CovidSafe guidelines here and a positive outcome as a result, and important milestones continue to be achieved as restrictions ease. Getting people and businesses back together is vital for our economy and we’re focused on increasing this activity and bringing key events to our city and state," he said.
Perhaps the most telling reason behind the confident numbers for in-person meetings, could be due to the loss of community due to Covid-19.
When asked about the top business aspects most negatively impacted by the pandemic, ‘networking opportunities’ came up tops (36%), followed by training opportunities (36%), teamwork (32%) and communication (32%).
BESydney CEO Lyn Lewis-Smith is not surprised by the results.
“Confidence has started to turn a corner and the need and desire to come back together both personally and professionally is rising — we expect to see that come through as increased meeting bookings in the months ahead."
She added that while technology is important, "it’s no substitute for the impact that can be achieved when people meet in person to connect, communicate and share knowledge and ideas".