Smartphones have become a part of our lives – some of us don’t know what life would be like without them, especially the younger generations who have grown up with the technology. In fact, research has suggested that 7 out of 10 18 to 24 year olds check their phones in the middle of the night. This post-digital generation are likely to shape the way smartphones are incorporated into working practices in the future.
In the month up to December 2016, there were 42.4 million smartphone users in the UK. In January 2017, the Labour Force Survey found that there were 31.85 million people in employment. When there are 10.55 million more smartphones per user than there are employees in the UK, it becomes clear how and why the smartphone has changed our day-to-day working practices – but how does this effect workplace productivity?
Together with United Carlton, providers of photocopier solutions for the North East, we establish just why it might be a better idea to let this generation integrate smartphones into the workplace, as opposed to sticking to recent studies that claim using a smartphone in the workplace is unproductive, insecure and inefficient.
What Do Employers Think?
It’s not just 18-24 year olds in the post-digital age bracket that own smartphones – in fact, most of us do. However, employers’ attitudes towards the use of mobile phones in the workplace isn’t positive. This is down to the fact that most employers simply view the smartphone as a distraction that reduces an employee’s ability to complete a task by up to 20 minutes at a time.
Despite their attitudes, employer’s also feel compromised in their ability to write company policy on mobile phone usage, as one small business expert claimed that business owners are ‘worried staff will spit the dummy at a mobile phone policy,’. However, to counteract this, they suggested that employers ‘should simply show them the math and staff are likely to co-operate because they don’t want to see the company go under or lose their job.’
However, it’s no surprise employers have a negative attitude towards smartphones in the workplace, if the average smartphone user now spends around 90 minutes per day on their smartphone.
Research conducted by the University of Surrey has suggested that 11% believed that it was unacceptable for a mobile phone to be turned on during a meeting, and a further 80% believed that it was inappropriate to read or send text messages whilst in the company of other colleagues or their boss. Although, this may be because employees and employers alike are preoccupied in working practices that discourage the use of smartphones, and don’t yet realise the productivity benefits that a younger generation of smartphone users can accrue for business.
Improving Productivity With Smartphones
If employees are to bring their own smart device to work, and employers are willing to adopt a BYOD culture within the workplace, then this could save employers time which therefore helps to boost productivity. When employees are connected to a wireless internet network, they are able to complete tasks in ways that do not limit them to sitting at a desk or having to be in the office.
A study conducted by Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group claimed that ‘the average BYOD user across countries saves 37 minutes per week thanks to using their own device.’ This is because these users are working on the go and between ‘dead-times’ in the office when they aren’t stationed at a computer.
It seems companies across the globe are capitalizing on this. In fact, users in the United States are saving even more time than we are in the UK – they saved a total of 81 minutes per week by using smart technologies at work. However, those in Germany only saved four minutes per week. Contrary to popular belief, this suggests that globally, smart devices can aid rather than detract from productivity saving efficiencies. Furthermore, if smart device users are able to implement their own technologies into their working practices, then they are more likely to take work home with them – as these employees are working an extra two hours every day and sending 20 more emails every day.
For example, many members of staff are now able to use their smartphone as a mobile printing device; when there is an compatible printer in range connected to the network, users can print from their device without the need to install software to do so. This frees up time during the day as users can print from anywhere in the office, without having to be stationed at their desk and printing from a desktop computer. Cloud storage and printing documents that aren’t saved to hardware are also freeing up the flexibility of working practices and allowing employees to work in ways that weren’t previously possible.
If companies were willing to incorporate a BYOD culture, then they may see what some research validates as being a 16% boost in productivity over a 40-hour week, a 23% rise in job satisfaction and a 21% rise in company loyalty. If businesses aren’t willing to incorporate change into outdated processes, then perhaps these operational efficiencies may not be experienced by many for years to come. Companies that are unwilling to try out the BYOD culture could be missing out on several opportunities.