Research highlights north-south divide in way workers communicate

Virgin Media Business study shows preference for social media in South

Businesses in the South have embraced social networking as a means of communication

Businesses in the South of England are spearheading a shift towards more digital ways of keeping in touch.

In the North, however, workers value personal interaction more and tend to make most calls from their desk or meet face to face.

The observation comes from a nationwide study carried out by Virgin Media Business, which says there is a north-south divide in the way that companies talk to their customers.

The poll of 5,000 organisations found that businesses in the South are more likely to keep in touch with colleagues and customers via social networking sites and instant messaging.

This is particularly the case in London, where a quarter (24 per cent) of businesses said that this was essential. In fact, London has the most Twitter users of any city in the world.

Although online communication has surged in popularity in recent years, the study found that the desk phone is still the most important communication channel in the North.

Some 71 per cent of businesses say phone communication is critical, and face-to-face meetings are the second most important means of communication in Northern regions, with two thirds (67 per cent) of companies saying they believe that “human contact” matters the most.

The survey found that just 23 per cent of all businesses see mail as vital. Londoners were found to value the postal service least, with just 11 per cent saying that "snail mail" was important to their business.