In today’s economy, companies are struggling to find the workers they need. Expanding employment opportunities have given workers the freedom and flexibility to seek something better, with 4.4M people quitting their jobs in September 2021, most moving on to another company.
This unprecedented employee turnover is contributing to supply chain disruptions, as absent or untrained workers drive down operational efficiency. Constant turnover also has a ripple effect on inflation, as companies raise wages in an effort to keep workers in place. The exploding turnover phenomenon is also visible among the deskless workforce, the 80% of employees who do their jobs outside the white-collar, office environment.
But perhaps the solution is already in hand. As more employers embrace digital transformation, transitioning their traditional work processes to digital platforms, the benefits to the company extend far beyond operational efficiencies. Workers are being empowered with mobile technology, improving their ability to do their job well and improving the overall employee experience.
Efficiency and Time Savings
Responsible business leaders looking for ways their companies can do more with less are homing in on mobile enablement. Mobile devices are driving productivity and efficiency in the workplace, especially when properly managed. Effective leaders always seek to give their workers the tools they need whenever and wherever they need them, and mobility is allowing them to do so. Mobilizing parts of a deskless employee’s workflow saves time by providing instant access to real-time data and information necessary to complete their tasks.
The pronounced benefit of mobility to productivity is that it’s been leveraged by nearly every industry and vertical. For example, warehouse workers have real-time access to inventory management systems and field workers in industries from telecom to pest control can manage and edit job tickets as their workflows are completed. Deskless workers that are already taking advantage of mobile devices at work are reaping the benefits and growing more efficient at their jobs.
Mobile Technology Improves Employee Experience
A recent study shows a clear correlation between satisfaction with workplace technology and reduced job turnover. Giving employees access to the technology they need to complete their jobs not only improves productivity, but it improves employee engagement overall. Engaged and satisfied employees are much less likely to change jobs or switch careers. Businesses with field-based workers should take notice of this trend, as a majority of deskless workers are dissatisfied with the technology they’re given, particularly in essential industries like construction, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail.
On the flip side, recruiters and hiring managers can use a company’s mobile enablement and use of cutting-edge mobile applications to make jobs more attractive in a competitive labor market. This will become increasingly critical as more members of Gen Z enter the workforce, where their level of digital literacy and desire for the best tools available could impact their choice of employer.
However, with increased mobile usage comes the need for enhanced mobile policies. It’s important for business leaders to not only protect business data, but employee data as well while also reducing safety risks to the worker and the community they serve. Mobile device management solutions are a great first step in enforcing mobile device policies. Innovative solutions now exist like Contextual Mobility Management that enable mobility by helping companies to ensure safe usage without any of the downside risks, dynamically adapting access to apps and functionality in real-time according to the worker’s environment. This can help to build loyalty from existing employees while also making the company an attractive destination for prospective ones.
It’s Time to Lean Into Mobile Enablement
Challenges across the labor market are not going to magically go away. Hiring and keeping a solid base of competent employees will require proactive effort. It’s time to lean into mobile enablement with solutions that alleviate pain points for your workforce and enhance efficiency, without compromising employee safety and data security.
Want to learn more about the importance of mobility in the workforce? Read our report “The Connected Workforce”, a survey of 1,200 workers on the good, the bad, and the ugly of how mobile devices have been implemented today.