Business

Mind the gap between office and personal technology

Chances are most people you encounter this morning will have a smartphone or tablet in their bag, pocket, or plugged into their ears.

We live in a world where technology touches every aspect of our personal lives. Whether its transport, healthcare, home entertainment, or education, its woven into the very fabric of todays society.

Consumers have constant access to the latest devices and are upgrading and implementing technology as and when it is available.

Millennials, in particular, have grown up in the digital age in which technology has opened up a wealth of choice and possibilities.

Unsurprisingly, this abundance of consumer technology has altered expectations about what should be available in the office.

Employees have first-hand experience of how technology can help them become more connected, creative and efficient, and are also hungry for the latest gadgets to better equip them to do their jobs. Despite this, many of us are still going to work with better technology in our pockets than is available at our desks.

Resistant to change, many businesses still rely on outdated desktops and landlines that are clunky and disparate. But in the home, consumers are taking advantage of everything technology has to offer.

Information is only a voice-command away, friends across the globe can be reached from the comfort of your sofa, and theres an app for almost any request.

For businesses which are serious about attracting and retaining talent, a shift in mindset is needed.

The workplace is no longer a four-walled, 9-5 environment, and acknowledging this demand for choice and flexibility is now a critical opportunity for organisations.

With this in mind, businesses need to have open conversations with employees about the technology they are using outside of office hours.

To many of you, it may come as no surprise that Apple products are likely to feature heavily in these discussions. With over 52m iPhones sold globally in the first quarter of 2018, its clear that Apple is the technology of choice for many consumers.

However, Apple devices are also becoming an essential part of the business toolkit as todays employees expect to seamlessly integrate their personal lives onto their work computers, blurring the lines between personal and work devices.

Its not just millennials either.

Many C-level execs are also demanding the latest iPhones, iPads and Macs at work. Recent research found that nearly 80 per cent of employees said they would choose iOS as their mobile operating system of choice in the workplace.

Were currently at a tipping point for those organisations who are yet to catch up. Nearly three quarters of employees say that the ability to select their device of choice makes them more productive in the workplace.

Not providing this choice could alienate a talent pool that might otherwise propel a business forward.

Plugging this gap between the technology we use at work and in the home will be key to attracting the workforce of the future, and Ill bet Apple will be front and centre.

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CityAM

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