Nearly half the global workforce will be mobile by 2022.
To that end, businesses will inevitably face new challenges as they try to support the productivity and efficiency of an increasingly remote team. Of course, the first steps towards addressing these challenges are anchored on identifying potential issues that may arise.
Here are common challenges you should anticipate with a mobile workforce.
#1. Ensuring business security and privacy
With a mobile workforce, it’s very likely that individual team members use their own equipment and tools. That said, employees become a risk factors when it comes to ensuring business security and privacy. With remote teams, it’s difficult to standardize your online security and privacy processes and protocols.
Investing in technology designed to create a secure online working environment for remote teams is important. Complementing this with regular meetings to inform, promote awareness of security and privacy risks, as well as training can greatly help.
#2. Finding technology that can be easily scaled to meet business needs
One common challenge businesses often face is finding a tool that will seamlessly integrate with their current processes and be scaled according to business needs. This particular issue can be addressed by adopting SaaS based tools. For example, Hosted VoIP platforms follow a simple and straightforward per seat pricing so you can easily add more people to the platform as your team expands.
Hosted VoIP has been known to easily facilitate consistent communication between geographically dispersed teams. Additionally, Unified Communication platforms make it easier for teams to access and share company-wide information critical to their daily tasks.
#3. Fostering employee camaraderie and engagement
Most businesses assume that remote teams are at a disadvantage when it comes to building a cohesive company culture and relationships. Granted, it’s very difficult to ensure that your team remains engaged when you’re unable to personally interact with colleagues. On the other hand, there are numerous tools that organizations use to make sure they have avenues for constant communication that emphasize teamwork values and collaboration.
#4. Understanding the nuanced needs of leadership for mobile teams
Effective leadership is necessary for any organization, but more so when leading and managing a mobile team. This is perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of managing a mobile workforce. Qualities such as integrity, character, vision, and skills are all necessary to becoming an effective leader. However, when it comes to geographically disparate teams, this should be supplemented with leadership skills focused on commitment, communication, and compassion.
Effective leaders in the digital age are knowledgeable about the impact technology has on their team. They cultivate an instinct for tools that support teams’ competencies and know they have to make extra effort to build a shared vision, as well as leading efforts to broaden the way communication is achieved in the workplace.
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Remote working options are fast becoming the norm among today’s employees. Thankfully, technology is making it possible for businesses to address this growing trend. To see how Hosted VoIP can help address some of the most common challenges a mobile workforce poses, contact us at Jive today.
