According to a study by Regus, over 70% of professionals are using their mobile devices to work on the go. This number is only going to increase as businesses begin to realise the benefits of mobile working. In this blog, I cover the basics of mobile working and how businesses can take advantage of it.
What is mobile working?
Simply put, mobile working is the use of mobile devices to work from anywhere. This can include using a smartphone, tablet, or laptop to access email, files, and other resources. More and more people are choosing mobile working over traditional working environments. As an employer, its in your interest to explore the options if you want to stay competitive in attracting and retaining the best talent for your business.
The Benefits of Mobile Working
Mobile working offers many opportunities. By providing your workforce with the tools to work from different locations you enable a more flexible method of working. Your workforce can more effectively manage their workload to fit around the demands of their life. This might include taking advantage of commuter time or time spent on business travel that might otherwise be wasted. It allows workers a greater sense of control which can have a positive impact on mental health and productivity.
Mobile working could also facilitate transition to a flexible working day. Many people juggle responsibilities along with their commitment to work. If those responsiblities become onerous they may have a negative impact on performance. Depending on the kind of business you run flexible hours, which allow workers autonomy to organise their time around their responsibilities, may prove beneficial to their attitude towards work.
The most obvious benefit to mobile working is the possibility of ditching the traditional office base altogether, or at least down sizing to a smaller office with hotdesks for a hybrid working environment. Again, this option would be business type dependent and while there would be some cost involved, it would save or reduce the cost of rent, maintenance and bills an office base might incur.
How businesses can take advantage of mobile working
A mobile working trend has been on the rise in recent years, as people are increasingly working from anywhere they want. Businesses can take advantage of this by making their workplace mobile-friendly. This means creating an environment in which workers can access files and information from their devices, and allowing them to work from any location. It also means providing a flexible work schedule that accommodates the needs of workers who use mobile working.
There are a range of apps that facilitate the shift from office based to mobile working.
- If you need a means to create or edit documents while you’re on the go, there are a few options to choose from. Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and Apple Pages are cross-platform choices that allow employees to work on their documents wherever they are.
- If your employees need to stay on top of their projects, take a look at apps like Asana, Trello, or Evernote. These apps allow you to create and track tasks, notes, and files associated with projects. Or consider Dropbox as a means of organising files associated with projects that can be shared between workers.
- If your employees need to stay organized while on the go, take a look at apps like Evernote, Wunderlist, or Any.Do. These apps allow you to create to-do lists, capture ideas, and track progress.
- Staying in touch with employees, co-workers or clients can be achieved while you’re on the move. Try using apps like Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, or FaceTime. These apps allow you to make voice and video calls over the internet.
And finally…
More and more businesses will begin to embrace mobile working over time. If you want to attract the best talent you may need to consider the options for your business. If implemented well, mobile or hybrid working can lead to increased productivity and decreased employee turnover.
Being able to offer flexible working arrangements recognises that ‘one size does not fit all’. We all have our own preferred working arrangement. Allowing staff some flexibility and choice will go a long way in retaining them.