The year 2022 is upon us and with it comes a return to remote work for many companies worldwide. Working from home has positive aspects as it allows more focus and decreases commuting time. But, for some employees, it might lead to isolation and lack of internal communication issues if all means are not used to help them.
Discover below how to adapt and telework in the best way possible:
By providing employees with suitable mobile devices
The key to successful teleworking lies in the tools provided to employees. To work efficiently, employees need the right equipment, and it starts with a business smartphone and computer. Providing dedicated devices for business purposes allows employees to differentiate their workday from their free time.
However, at the beginning of 2021, one year after the covid crisis, a lot of employees were still not equipped with adapted IT tools to work efficiently. Indeed, sometimes companies are not able to provide employees with devices, for financial reasons for example. The purpose is to offer the possibility for a collaborator to use its own smartphone to access professional content. This requires a little investment for enterprises, as they do not need to invest on Android smartphones or tablets. It is also beneficial for the final user as they know how to use their device properly without any training.
By preconfiguring Android smartphones
Returning to teleworking on an almost daily basis requires some organisation from companies. Indeed, if an enterprise decides to provide employees with mobile devices or to offer them the possibility to use their own smartphone in BYOD mode, it must be able to allow them to be efficient and to work in good conditions. By setting up a mobile device management solution compatible with Android devices, it is possible to remotely push applications, public or private, on multiple devices simultaneously. An MDM also enables to remotely preconfigure employees’ email accounts, allowing them to quickly access their email (Gmail or Outlook for example) from the laptop but also from their mobile device, simply by entering their password.
By securing professional access
Working from home means working in an environment that may be shared by several people (flatmate, husband/wife, children…). These people are therefore external to the company and can move around freely in the flat or house. They can possibly have access to the employee’ professional tools. Many organisations do not take these potential threats into account, but it is important at home to secure the computer, tablet or Android smartphone and lock it with a password, so that confidential data is not compromised.
Implementing a MDM system like TinyMDM enables a company to have a global policy for cybersecurity on mobile devices. Through the administration console, it is possible to force users to choose a complex password and change it frequently, which will improve the mobile fleet security.
By respecting the right to disconnect
While working from home, the limit between work and free time is less clear than it is in the company. In a traditional configuration, when employees leave their office, they know that their work day is over. However, when working from home, separating both can seem more complex as the smartphone, tablet or computer remains visible and accessible. It is therefore important to have clear rules at home to prevent the increase of the mental workload, such as:
- Switching off the professional computer once the working day is over
- Switching off the Android smartphone or putting it in silent mode until the next morning
- If the smartphone is used in BYOD mode, putting the work profile in sleep mode until the next working day, as recommended by TinyMDM. Professional applications won’t be able to send any notifications when in sleep mode.
Following the different advice listed above will help companies to improve their working conditions and the productivity of their employees during the health crisis.
18th of January 2022