The world of employment has changed since it was considered the norm to be at one’s desk from 8am to 5pm. Today, the workforce is more mobile and, with this increase in flexitime, comes an increase in BYOD to access work information.
Gaynor MacArthur, sales director at Digicape, an Apple reseller and solutions provider, agrees that the traditional organisational model is in a state of flux. “The 21st century workforce demands a more flexible model. There is a greater emphasis on work-life balance, with employees seeking to be evaluated on their output and delivery rather than hours on the clock.
“As a result, companies are re-envisioning their organisational structures to implement systems that better support this new style of working.”
“However, it is not just employees who profit. BYOD makes an attractive case for companies too. While many articles cite decreased costs for the employer as the largest advantage, further reports have shown that those less obvious may be the most beneficial long-term.”
Cisco reported a 33% increase in employee satisfaction when it allowed BYOD, while another survey indicated that mobile workers were clocking around 240 more hours each year than those office bound, in a Capgemini Consulting report. Moreover, when employees have agency over the selection of device, it appears as though tech innovator Apple comes out tops. In 2015, IBM took the decision to offer employees the choice to move from PC to Mac when their company kit needed upgrading. When given the option to choose for themselves, 73% of employees chose Mac, and the company subsequently reported 91% user satisfaction.
“Aside from Apple technology’s pull power, it makes sense from productivity and systems management perspectives, as Mac’s OS software means that the Apple system requires far fewer updates than Windows.”
“The biggest concern with BYOD is security. Company data can be compromised and not every device may have the same stringent software an employer would install and thus may be more susceptible to viruses.”
“With advancements in the tech sphere, BYOD is not only making sense from a bottom line perspective, but also in terms of talent attraction and retention. BYOD communicates that employees are trusted in making their own decisions and their needs are prioritised.
“As long as the company’s privileged information is protected and a robust infrastructure is in place to mitigate security threats, companies will reap the rewards of a more flexible working environment and BYOD,” concludes MacArthur.
