More and more employers face whether they should provide mobile devices for their employees or implement a “bring your own device” policy, commonly known as BYOD. Like all corporate policies, each option has benefits and downsides that are important for business owners to understand. Below is a guide outlining the pros and cons of a BYOD policy for your company.
Pros
It’s Cheaper
Perhaps the most obvious benefit of allowing your employees to use their own devices at work is that it saves money. You will not have to pay for the cost of the devices themselves, upgrades, maintenance, or perhaps even the data plans. This will save your company significant amounts of money on your IT budget. This also lowers the upfront costs of hiring a new employee, making adding an employee more feasible. Finally, employees are more likely to take good care of their devices, eliminating the need for repair and replacement costs.
Employees Are Happier
Most employees report not being as happy with company-issued devices as working with their own devices. With a BYOD policy, they can use a device that caters to their preferences and does not have to carry separate devices for work and personal use. Your employees will also know how to work their own devices, which means less time spent training. Increased employee satisfaction also results in less employee turnover and higher levels of loyalty.
Increased Productivity
Every business looks for ways to increase productivity among its workers, and technology is a key way to do that. Because most employees have become accustomed to the ease of use and mobility provided by their smartphones and tablets, they want the same functionality while at work. It is generally easier for employees to update their devices, thus keeping the technology they use cutting-edge and current. Employees are also more likely to use their devices for work-related purposes while not at work, resulting in higher productivity levels.
Cons
Higher Cybersecurity Risk
One of the main threats to allowing employees to use their own devices is the higher risk of cybersecurity attacks and data breaches. There are more endpoints to protect, making endpoint security a top priority under a BYOD policy. This policy may not be the wisest choice for businesses that regularly handle sensitive information. All other companies must seriously consider how cybersecurity will be handled on employees’ devices.
Device Compatibility Issues
When every employee brings their own devices that all use different hardware, software, and operating systems, compatibility will become a problem sooner or later. A potential solution is to require employees to have a device that uses a certain operating system, but this can remove one of the main BYOD benefits of flexibility. For example, some employees may not like working within an Apple ecosystem, while others may love Apple and hate working with Android devices. However, getting Apple and Android devices to work together can be challenging.
Troubleshooting Is More Difficult
With a wider variety of devices in use at your company, tech support can become more of a challenge. Before implementing a BYOD policy, please consult your IT support company or IT department for their recommendations and suggestions. They can help you both draft the policy and put it in place. However, it may be possible that they cannot handle so many different devices, have little experience with a less common device, or come across other prohibitive problems.
Business owners should weigh the pros and cons of implementing a BYOD policy before allowing employees to use their devices for work-related purposes. If you decide a BYOD policy is right for your company, carefully plan its implementation, inform your employees, and gather their feedback before fully implementing it.
