Tenet #1: Go Mobile. Your Workforce Has.

by | Apr 13, 2017

Today’s work is done from the palm of your hand. Web sites and systems (including that of your company) should be responsively designed (mobile-friendly). If your team can’t reference your company’s tasks and communiques on their smart phones, you may be missing out on opportunities to maximize engagement, productivity – even innovation. Keep the Wired Generation at the forefront of your thinking. If your headcount boasts a high number of millennials (ages 18-34), consider what the 2016 Gallup Report stated “Millennials are first-generation digital natives who feel at home on the Internet. Technology — particularly gadgets like smartphones, but also tablets and laptops — has revolutionized the way they connect and interact with one another and with the rest of the world.

– While the vast majority of Americans surf the Web from a desktop or laptop computer at home or work, 85% of millennials access the Internet from their phones — more than all other generations.”

According to several sources (including parents of teenagers), smartphone users are engaging with mobile websites and apps while watching TV, commuting to school or work, at the breakfast, lunch and dinner table, and even while simultaneously browsing on their desktops. These data bits are worth noting and planning for, especially when it comes to updating your company policy. For example, as CIO.com points out in a fairly recent article Employees feel pressure to use personal smartphones at work.

“Even though businesses are pushing for BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), some companies are so far behind the curve on these programs that they aren’t even sure who should head them up. The survey found that 45% of CEOs say they should oversee a company-wide BYOD program, while 73% of CIOs and 51% of CFO’s say it falls under IT’s jurisdiction. With 77% of respondents saying they expect personal smartphone use at work to increase over the next year, the time to tackle a corporate BYOD policy is already past due.”

Using mobile friendly apps and tools for your employees is one thing. Another is the ability to smartly weigh in on the value of responsive design for your company’s website. According to a Huffington Post article on the necessity of being mobile – “Mobile users have different objectives than desktop users and typically this means they want information in quick, easily digestible bites. Customers report that their mobile purchases are often impulse buys and some statistics show that mobile users spend more money per purchase than customers do on desktop websites.”

Bottom line? From website to inner-company productivity and communication tools, maximize engagement opportunities by ensuring your employee interface applications are mobile. Encourage your company to make their website responsive, if not already, and think about updating your company BYOD policies.

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Victoria Tucker

Co-Founder / CEO, ZBglobal, Inc.

Victoria Tucker is the Chief Dreamer at ZBglobal, where she lends her 30+ years of experience on pivotal topics like workforce collaboration, engagement, mentoring and project management. She also plays ukulele…but not very well. Reach out to her!