Bring your own device (BYOD) is a disruptive phenomenon where employees bring non-company IT into the organisation and demand to be connected to everything.
70% of mobile professionals will conduct their work on personal smart devices by 2018 – Gartner
The need for people to have the correct tools to do their jobs has been part of management think since before the Industrial Revolution. Yet I’ve heard three examples in the past month about employers that are not fully embracing digital as a more efficient way of working.
- An organisation supplied mobile tablets to staff but restricts them from downloading any apps from Google Play. Social Networking is banned. So the staff (and customers) get about 10% of the benefits of this technology.
- A Care worker told me her employer will not supply or support mobile devices with an internet connection. In order to arrange for her clients dog to be looked after during a hospital stay she had to return home within work time to look for local resources online. (As a nice conclusion to this story – she found someone on a community blog who lives just around the corner. They offered to walk and feed the dog for free – no thanks to the employer.)
- A company who will not allow people to access work emails on a personal device. Certain staff actually do it anyway as they don’t like the company issue mobile devices.
The first example shows how we can still apply old century IT practices to new world technology. IT used be about security and setting boundaries. It’s now about facilitating and supporting connective curiosity across a range of screens and apps.
The second shows how out of touch some people are with how information is accessed. Search is first. Phone is secondary. If you are sending people out into the community without a search facility you are essentially tying their hands behind their backs.
The third shows a total misunderstanding of the connected employee. Many of us are blurring the lines between work and play and we need connectivity that suits us – not the company. Your IT policy is not respected in the same way it was.
The days of “standard issue” are over. Employers have to recognise they are supporting a range of colleagues with different levels of requirements and ability
So why are some employers resistant to providing the right tools for the job?
There is still a perception that equipping people with smartphones is expensive. It’s not , it’s a relatively small investment that has a return.
And , despite BYOD creeping into the office , many employers would fail to articulate their approach. The main concerns are about data security which, just like access to social media , can be managed with a mix of policy, training and education.
Let me talk about Bromford and explain the picture at the opening of the post. Bromford encourage BYOD but also have an IT fallback option. I believe you need both.
How do I work? I have access to a Wyse terminal which means I can sit anywhere in the company and access all my files and resources.
I choose to have a company supplied tablet. But I don’t like the company supplied smartphone so I choose to use my own.
You don’t need a laptop if you have a tablet but I’m fussy so I use my own Mac – as I like its functionality.
I can pick up any of my work documents on any device through Citrix Apps – including word documents if I’m working from an Apple device.
IT protocols are in place about the precautions I must take on my personal devices and as they respect me , I respect them.
It’s the perfect pick and mix.
Latest research from Gartner suggests that by 2017, half of employers may impose a mandatory BYOD policy — requiring staff to bring their own laptop, tablet and smartphone to work. I think we are a long way from that, particularly in the non-for-profit sector where many roles are lower paid and will require an IT fallback option.
It’s time to re-evaluate every part of your business and see how mobile solutions can be deployed. And that should start with the people who are out there serving customers. They should be the most connected people in your business.
But what do you think? How is BYOD and company supplied IT working for you?
Paul Taylor 
The IT supplied at WM Housing is on the whole quite good, although we have plans to improve it , but for me to do my job really well, I need to supplement it with my own smartphone. Through it, I can keep an eye on our social media accounts after hours and in just the last two weeks, I really needed to take action. And I enjoyed doing it. I view managing our accounts as fun.
A colleague has a fantastic app on his own smartphone which he uses at work. He puts his phone down in a room, and it maps it. He can draw a plan of a house or apartment in no time.
So we both have the tools to do our jobs better and we both provide them. We do it, I guess, because we love our jobs and want to do them well and we have an IT environment that allows us to be creative, curious and self directed.
Thanks Georgette – I love that quote “an IT environment that allows us to be creative, curious and self directed”. That’s what it’s all about.
I worked for a LA before working at Bromford. I mentioned bringing in a laptop to do some design work on a project I was managing.
I was told by my manager that if I were to bring another piece of equipment into the office (even if PAT Tested), I would be in breach of my employment contract, IT agreement and could be subject to disciplinary procedures.
Needless to say, I didn’t bring the laptop in. I approved a graphic design invoice for £1500 the following week. I left a month later.
Thanks Jay – what a great story! I’ve heard a few others like this. How many companies have lost employees ( as well as wasted money) because of things like this?