Using Mobile Phones in the Workplace to Your Advantage
In most offices, the majority of staff will have their mobile phones close by at all times. Rather than trying to eliminate phones from the workplace, the most innovative companies are the ones that are harnessing the effectiveness of mobile phones to provide greater flexibility for staff. Let’s break down some of the key advantages of mobile phones in the office.
Increasing Flexibility
Firstly, mobile phones can increase mobility and flexibility, as they allow staff to carry a lot of their work around with them. By accessing email, Microsoft Teams, Google docs, social media, and any other work applications on your phone, you can work from anywhere at any time. This greatly benefits people with busy schedules that may need to work on the go or work remotely from home. Although in most professions it’s unlikely mobile phones will completely replace the need for larger computer devices, effective mobile phone use can provide great additional support. For example, a staff member needing to leave work for a medical appointment can still access and reply to urgent emails, review and approve documents, and carry out other tasks on their phone to save time before continuing with other work tasks on their laptop, when they return to the physical or home office.
Communication
The flow of workplace communication is far easier when incorporating mobile phones. As mentioned before, staff are more likely to communicate quickly if the mode of communication is always close-by. Quick communication also means that your business is perceived as fast-paced and hyper-responsive when it comes to handling client relations. Email back and forth that wastes time can also be reduced significantly through more immediate responses via a text or phone call, where applicable.
Social Media
Social media on mobile phones can be used as a great tool for communication in the workplace. It allows for more casual, fast-paced messaging between coworkers. Once again using the example of having to leave work for an appointment, social media programs like Instagram, messenger, or Skype, allow workers to stay up-to-date on their company’s social media channels when they may be in transit or out of the office. Internal communications platforms like Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Google Chat can all be used for internal communication and staff interaction, and are all easily accessible via mobile phone applications. This allows employees to see the key company and departmental announcements and milestones that may be shared around.
Distractions
Despite the many benefits that mobile phones can bring to the workplace, it’s also important to acknowledge that they can be a workplace distraction too. Inevitably, mobile phones will eventually cause some kind of distraction and overuse can cause a range of other problems too. This is where your workplace will need to set clear boundaries around staff usage and application. Workplaces that provide the right encouragement and framework for staff mobile phone use, whilst also clearly communicating the risks, will realise the benefits they can bring sooner.
For more info on how Engagis can help enhance the technology side of your workplace, get in touch today.