If you’re like me and have spent your career in startups, your phone and computer are likely your work devices too. So when you hear BYOD, or bring your own device, it’s not surprising. In contrast, bigger companies usually provide their employees with separate work devices. So why should a company adopt a BYOD policy?
Along with saving money, these policies are proven to have other benefits, including increased productivity.
Enabling BYOD makes millennials more productive.
While this policy does have some drawbacks, like potential security threats, it seems to be a popular practice and widely accepted by millennials. In fact, studies show that a BYOD policy actually makes millennials more effective at work.
In January 2014 RingCentral conducted an online survey amongst millennials at 346 businesses of all sizes. Below are some results from that survey:
70% work up to 20 or more hours outside the office per week.
Millennials like to break routines. Checking into the office everyday from nine to five gets boring. They like to work from home. They like to leave at lunch at work from a cafe for the rest of the day. In fact, some millennials prefer to work entirely remote!
The point is, we spend a fair amount of time working out of the office. That said it’s most efficient if we use a single device for our work.
50% say the freedom to work in any location improves work life balance.
Work life balance is something everyone needs to achieve. Nobody can be expected to work all day everyday. In fact, overworking will negatively affect your output in the long run.
The ability to work from anywhere means you can do your job from home when needed. It also lets you take a Friday off and work from the plane while traveling over the weekend. Millennials really value this balance, so it’s smart to provide it.
60% say their employers expect them to be accessible during off hours.
The nine to five workday is a thing of the past. Sure i’m not working steady past 5:00PM, but I’m almost always accessible either by phone or computer. Why do I need to stay online after hours? Because I’m often asked to get tasks done during this time. And according to the survey results, i’m not alone.
Bringing office devices home can also create problems. Aside from security threats, what happens when you forget a device at home?
73% don’t expect their employer to supply devices at work.
Let’s be honest. Supplying your entire staff with smart devices can get very expensive. Not only are millennials more productive with their own devices, it’s also a lot cheaper. Luckily for you, the vast majority of millennials aren’t expecting a work computer or phone anyways!
A new generation has arrived, and they want BYOD.
At the end of the day, implementing a BYOD policy makes more sense for some industries more than others. For example, if you’re running a cybersecurity firm, you’ll probably want to supply your own devices.
If you have a design studio full of millennials, it’s probably in your best interest to implement BYOD. It’s cheaper for you, and you’ll get a lot more out of your team!
