13 Oct 2020
Is WFH inevitable in a mobile society?
2020 has witnessed massive changes to the way we live and work and the road ahead still looks as uncertain. Working from home (WFH) for some or your entire staff is now an established fact; but is this really a game changer or was mass home working inevitable in an increasingly mobile society?
One of the most challenging aspects of the employee exodus from the workplace was the home set up of existing and hasty introduction of new technology. However, if WFH is now working well for your business then technology may have the answers to making the transition to a home based workforce a permanent one.
A primary focus of the transition was on collaboration and productivity tools and businesses embraced new technologies. Following this, are tools to support the remote employee and HR is ahead of the game, with Apps already available from HR software providers such as Frontier Software. Out of sight should never mean out of mind and for successful and productive WFH there has to be trust and flexibility. Allowing your staff to work flexibly and access data at their convenience can lead to a committed workforce that feels valued.
There can be no escaping the fact that mobile devices and applications are now an essential part of our everyday lives. The HR team has, more than ever before, a great opportunity to improve employee engagement and productivity through mobile applications. An immediate benefit is remote access to those areas of HR where viewing information or performing an action is time critical. For example, employee access to view payslips, request leave, change personal details, progress timesheets and expenses, will massively improve the employee experience and deliver quick wins in their engagement with the business. When a day off is required at short notice and a speedy authorisation is essential, mobile HR can deliver and the employee is happy. Plus, HR Apps can take your organisation far beyond the routine and be used for communications and workforce analytics.
The longer term impact of the dramatic changes on the work/life balance will become clear in time, but the importance of mobile access for end user engagement - in many aspects of daily life - should not be underestimated. If WFH does not become a permanent fixture for your business then, at the very least, consider the benefits employee access to personal data can bring for them, HR and the business as a whole.
Contact Frontier Software on 0845 370 3210 or email sales@frontiersoftware.com to find out more.
Originally published on HR Grapevine October 2020.