For many, the disruptive nature of COVID-19 has challenged the way in which businesses believe we need to operate. Organisations that may have been reluctant to consider remote working in the past, have now welcomed its benefits with open arms.
Productivity, performance, engagement, staff retention and profitability can all be boosted by remote working. In fact, according to Gallup, 54% of employees say they would change jobs for one that offered them more flexibility. As a result, organisation could expect to see an average of 12% turnover reduction after a remote work agreement is offered. Furthermore, according to the research, an engaged employee in a mid-sized company (500 employees), working remotely for three days a week, could increase productivity by 15% – saving the business almost £6,500.
So why have businesses held back on remote working?
Reconsidering previous preconceptions
Businesses have been worried about the cost involved in change management and digital transformation well before the current crisis – and, rightly so. Placing employees in unmanaged and unsecure environments at scale, would have any business concerned. Managing large scale rollouts of corporate or employee owned devices is not easy and could lead to loss of company data or a data breach, if not closely managed. That’s why organisations of any nature need to take stock and revisit whether they have the right technology solutions to do the job.
There are ways to take advantage of the more familiar. Apple claimed a 49% percent majority share of the mobile device market in 2019. The movement and increase of consumer IT in the workplace, such as Apple Macs, iPads and iPhones, means businesses can look to leverage technology that employees are already well-versed in using.
Scaling has become more accessible
For companies of any size, manual configuration and installation of apps and tools en-masse, prior to laptop and device rollout, is taxing of any IT department’s resource and budget. In circumstances where the business had little time to prepare, it’s important to look at what can be leveraged efficiently.
Automated mobile and app distribution, configuration and management solution providers can support IT teams to deliver devices and apps to employees at large scale, securely, from one central location in less time. What would have previously taken hours, now becomes minutes, so employees can remain productive and continue with their working day.
Each individual employee may require different apps to perform a role, so businesses should look at providers who understand the level of granular visibility required to reduce effort in enabling both the IT department and the employee to download specific content, apps and software.
Safety and security
The safety of an organisation’s customers, workforce and devices should be paramount and that means looking at the type of devices connecting to the company network. While most device manufacturers pre-install security applications – it is not enough to protect vital company data from being stolen. Employees may mistakenly click on malicious links or download rogue apps – the IT department needs to have visibility and a way to remediate quickly.
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While Apple has numerous built-in native security features and its apps are rigorously vetted before being included in the App Store, additional layers of security are necessary to help employees and IT staff limit threats. Customised threat detection solutions that offers IT and security teams visibility into their macOS fleet, can help to maintain the balance between keeping the business secure, while upholding the Apple user experience.
Providing flexible working will become the new norm
Those employees who hadn’t previously tasted remote working, may now demand it more when businesses return to their offices. In fact, about 74% of CFOs surveyed by Gartner expect some of their employees, who were forced to work from home during the pandemic, to continue working remotely after it ends. For working parents, flexibility provides solace in being able to replace commuting with family time.
As a productive workforce, can we really ignore what could make employees feel positive and set them up for success? By looking to specific solution providers that have the expertise and knowledge to manage consumer IT devices, businesses can focus on supporting their employees to have the best experience whilst remaining productive and engaged – and reap the short and long-term benefits of transforming their business through flexible working.
Having a strong support system that gives employees the best experience will support recruitment and retention of its best talent. Not to mention, it will help IT prioritise and focus on issues like security and compliances, which are crucial when the majority of the workforce is working remotely, some for the first ever time.
During these testing times, there’s been a steely togetherness as employees improvise and implemented drastic changes to ensure working life continues. These changes may have been forced upon us all but it has brought about a remote working revival that businesses should continue and take advantage of long after the lockdown is over. For some, 40-hours spent sat at a desk, in an office block, in the middle of town – no longer provides that appeal that keeps them engaged and excited. With remote working, not only has a variety of technology been embraced but it’s also opened peoples’ minds to what’s possible outside the office in terms of creativity and overall health and well-being. How can you resist?
By Kieran O’Connor, Senior Regional Sales Manager at JAMF Software
