Could a mobile workforce help employee retention

Thanks to advanced mobile technology and cloud software, more people are taking their businesses on the go. Being part of the growing mobile workforce includes telecommuting, communicating via virtual offices or even doing a few project touch-ups on the way to work.

Given its rapid rate of adoption 42.5% of the global workforce is expected to go mobileⁱ by 2020. The businesses who recognise the potential a mobile workforce presents, and implement Managed Mobility Services are even seeing a 150% return on mobile investmentsⁱⁱ.

Here's why:

Employee Retention

The modern-day workforce gravitates towards jobs that give them the flexibility to maintain a work-life balance. As opposed to restricting your team to the office, enabling staff to go mobile gives them the freedom to choose where and when to work, giving them more autonomy."Employees appreciate and respond with greater loyalty when...a better work-life balance is offered."ⁱⁱⁱ

This is especially crucial when maintaining top talent. According to Mr Andrew Norton, Regional Managing Director of Michael Page, South East Asia, "[t]he best candidates frequently have multiple options to consider which is making staff retention an issue of pressing concern for employers". Offering your team flexibility could be the differentiating factor between your business and your competitors.

Higher productivity

Happier employees mean a more productive team. Collaborating over mobile also means all information is instantly available over the cloud. Your team can view changes in schedule, and check updates on projects anytime, anywhere.

Research has shown that businesses can gain up to 240 extra hours of work a year from enterprise mobility^iv.

This is aided by mobile-ready productivity tools like Microsoft Office 365, which is powered by cloud technology that ensures optimum efficiency even on the road.

Office 365

Office 365 provides cloud-based business email, calendars, instant messaging, HD video-conferencing, and file-sharing.

Learn more

Lower costs

With the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend growing by the minute, businesses can cut expenditure on office equipment. Instead of purchasing dedicated IT software and infrastructure like office desktops or tablets, employers are increasingly encouraging staff to use their own devices. This not only saves costs, it’s a good way for employees to keep all their work in one location. In addition, it comes with the bonus of increasing efficiency, as employees are more familiar with their own devices.

Businesses also enjoy a decrease in overhead and operational costs, due to a smaller in-office workforce. Typically, office space rental takes up a major portion of a business’s budget. However,

"by implementing the mobile officing paradigm, employers optimize their workspace efficiency by increasing their worker-to-desk ratio, thus increasing the return on their real estate investment."^v

For the savvy businesses owner, "the next challenge is enabling mobile workers to do more than simply replicate what they do in the office while on the road. The idea is to expand one's work place as one travels, rather than just bringing the workstation with you".^vi

You can facilitate creativity, allowing employees to expand their horizons all while ensuring that your business communication remains as smooth-flowing as ever with StarHub's SmartUC. The Unified Communications solutions is tailored towards the mobile warrior, so your team is in constant contact even out of office.

Follow StarHub Business on Linkedin for the latest business updates.