Harnessing the power of Australia’s mobile workforce
The state of the global workforce is changing, and recent research has revealed that businesses around Australia are well and truly caught up in these developments. One of the most significant is the shift to a more mobile workforce, where employees are able to complete their daily tasks from outside of the office.
The mobile workforce is growing.
For people who frequently travel to business meetings, such as recruitment consultants, it’s essential that their organisation invests in the capabilities that allow them to use recruitment software from anywhere. As a new report from Deloitte has revealed, those companies that don’t respond to the demand for mobile employees risk being left behind by their competition.
The benefits of a mobile workforce
A healthier work/life balance and greater engagement are two of the most important objectives for businesses across Australia. As a recent Deloitte report revealed, an increased focus on how mobile devices impact the workforce could hold the key to meeting both of these goals.
The survey found that, on average, people were able to complete 0.6 hours more work each week as a result of the productivity benefits afforded by mobile devices. In the past, 15 per cent of people would have to work less in situations where they weren’t able to complete tasks from home. With mobile devices, however, almost one-third (29 per cent of people) find they can comfortably work from home if the need arises.
According to AMTA Chair Matthew Lobb, Australian businesses need to act now to ensure their systems are mobile-ready.
“It is clear that mobile will continue shaping the way Australians communicate, work and interact,” he began. Harnessing the potential of new and existing technologies will be important for securing Australia’s economic growth and living standards in the future.”
Trends contribute to device evolution
There are a range of devices available to the mobile workforce, many of which need to balance computational power, ease-of-use and portability. While tablets and laptops have long been the leaders in this field, IDC reported that a new hybrid of the two could take over by 2020.
Called “detachables”, the term refers to devices that look similar to a laptop, but can have the keyboard removed to leave just a tablet behind.
IDC notes that these devices are designed with mobility and productivity solutions in mind, and are sure to be a feature on the employment landscape in the coming years.