Posted on 2 December 2019 The risk and benefits of BYOD at work Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) involves employees using their personal devices — such as smartphones, tablets and laptops — for work. It can bring flexibility and reduces the capital costs of investing in new technology. However, BYOD doesn’t really have the greatest reputation. There are many challenges with the practice of BYOD, such as security issues, which is why so many employers are reluctant to implement the policy. Despite this, 67% of people use their own devices at work anyway. Whether BYOD is an official policy within an organisation or not, mobile phones will be used for work purposes. When implemented properly, there are many advantages to BYOD. It can provide employees with the freedom and flexibility to more easily get tasks done. Here, we’ll go through the many risks and benefits of BYOD at work so you can decide whether it’s worth implementing in your workplace. The risks of BYOD at work 1. Data security concerns
2. No BYOD policy outlined 3. Lack of employee training The benefits of BYOD at work 1. Increases employee productivity Employees are inherently more productive when using their own familiar tech. In fact, smartphone use, far from being detrimental to productivity, can actually increase it by as much as 34%. Extrapolate this across every employee every day, and the possibilities are certainly exciting. Moreover, many of your employees will likely be digital natives for whom their smartphone is an extension of themselves. When they use their own devices at work they can spend more time on important things rather than learning how to use the digital tools you give them. According to a study by Dell, 61% of Gen Y (millennials) and 50% of workers over 30 believe that tech tools they use in their personal lives are more effective and productive than those used in their professional lives. 2. Save money That makes for some pretty impressive savings! 3. Recognise employees using social platforms When employees use their personal devices at work, it makes for easier and more efficient communications. Workplace social platforms such as Rippl, Kudos, Yammer, the aptly named Workplace and Slack are just some of the communication tools companies use to help their employees interact and engage with each other. No longer does a conversation need to be followed across emails, texts and phone calls. BYOD allows for better quality employee interactions and a better sense of cohesion through the use of social platforms. However, this can become a distraction. You may need to use a different kind of social platform. One that looks and feels familiar but also helps you to recognise your employees’ achievements and encourage peer to peer employee recognition. Fortunately, there are a number of these apps which have a clear focus on employee recognition. And 69% of employees feel that if their efforts are better appreciated, they are more likely to work harder. These platforms enable you to utilise BYOD in a productive way that’s highly conducive to employee engagement and harmonious workplace relationships. More recognition helps employees to feel valued, which in turn can further boost not only productivity but employee retention — reducing turnover. Some of these dedicated platforms can even be used to allow employees to earn rewards through targeted incentives aligned to business goals. It’s plain to see that recognition and acknowledgement of employees’ accomplishments can be incredibly advantageous in perpetuating the right kind of workplace culture and helping employees to feel more valued. When these recognition-oriented apps are used in conjunction with BYOD, and an appropriate policy, the benefits of both are increased. Create a BYOD policy and reap the rewards With proper implementation, a solid data plan, a clear policy and ample employee training, companies can reap the benefits while neatly sidestepping the risks. They can help you to get the best out of employees and help employees to get the best out of themselves and each other. Consulting an external service can help you to facilitate easy and secure implementation. Whatever apps you use to assist employee communication, recognise achievement and implement potential rewards, make sure that they can be implemented seamlessly and securely across a broad spectrum of employee devices, as well as providing a good level of support. With the right combination of software tools, comprehensive and consistent policy and rigorous security measures, the sky’s the limit for employee productivity and satisfaction. Skip to contentPlease share your location to continue.
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