Mobile working is fast becoming a strategic necessity in today’s competitive marketplace. Companies want their employees out on the road meeting clients, delivering services and forging new relationships.
As mobility continues to play a key role in enabling companies to achieve greater productivity worldwide, research firm IDC expects the global mobile worker population to increase from 919.4 million in 2008 to more than 1.19 billion in 2013, representing nearly 35% of the worldwide workforce.
This new business reality is making organisations re-think their employee strategies and offer more flexible, mobile working arrangements.
Benefits of a mobile workforce
It is evident that there is a clear business case for a mobile workforce. Companies that HRM spoke to cited better employee engagement, retention and organisational performance as some of the key benefits of such an arrangement.
Financial services company American Express (Amex) recognises that offering flexibility is critical in helping its employees achieve work-life effectiveness. “We want to offer our employees the flexibility – and by this we mean the choice and control – over the how and when their work gets done, within the remit of customer, colleague and individual needs,” says Sonia Cargan, VP HR, East Asia, Amex. “It is with choice and control that our employees have shown they can better manage their work-life effectiveness and are therefore considerably more engaged.”
Called Blue Work, flexible working arrangements at Amex create a win-win that meets employee needs while lowering costs, increasing organisational performance, yielding higher earnings and increasing shareholder value, Cargan says. A mobile workforce also provide a business advantage in contingency situations as the company has people who are ready and set up to work from home or other locations, she explains.
IT giant IBM is another organisation that embraces mobile working. More than 60% of its global workforce is mobile at any given point. Under its mobility programme, employees are technically equipped to work at any location, such as the client’s office, while telecommuting, or at home. In most cases, customer-facing employees are on this programme, says Charmaine Sim, Human Resources Director, IBM Singapore. The programme has increased employee retention, enhanced productivity, and lowered absenteeism. “With the flexibility that the mobility programme offers, employees have more ‘face time’ with their clients, and can better serve their needs. This enhances client satisfaction and leads to better business results for IBM.”
Financial services company Credit Suisse believes that there is a close link between employee productivity and the promotion of a healthy workplace culture. “We also recognise that to sustain the commitment and performance of employees, we must provide a flexible working environment that enables them to remain fit and healthy while fulfilling their professional and personal duties,” says Niki Kesoglou, Head of Talent Agency (APAC & Swiss regions), Credit Suisse. Her organisation offers flexible working arrangements such as part-time positions, job sharing and telecommuting.
Employees at Credit Suisse are also given authorised remote access to its corporate network so they can complete some of their work from home. “A significant number of our employees support global markets in different time zones as part of their role, and giving them flexible work options with remote working tools enables them to do their job efficiently and effectively,” Kesoglou says.
Work arrangements
Setting up the right infrastructure and support services is essential for a successful mobile working arrangement. At IBM, employees are equipped with the tools and technology to work from any location with an internet connection, says Sim. “Our Lotus suite of solutions comprises instant messaging capabilities, virtual communities, software for scheduling meetings and conference calls, databases for team documents, calendaring, social media applications and more. It’s a great set of tools for enhancing remote collaboration and enhancing productivity.”
Communication from HR is important to equip managers and employees with necessary resources and awareness about working effectively while mobile, or on other flexible work options, according to Sim. At IBM, clear policies are posted on the intranet for both managers’ and employees’ easy reference. Regular communication about flexibility options, education, resources and employees’ testimonials are released monthly through newsletters.
At Credit Suisse, all office locations are fitted with tools such as video conferencing facilities and shared servers with remote access, which facilitate collaboration. “More recently we have also looked to create an avenue for employees to take part in communities of practice, leveraging online technology to facilitate exchange of information and knowledge, and promote expansion of networks across divisions, countries and regions,” says Kesoglou.
Leading a mobile team
Trust and empowerment are essential for companies trying to get the most out of a mobile workforce. This is where good leadership makes all the difference. Managers do need to change their work styles somewhat – they have to be more focused on outcomes, be better at communication and more explicit about their expectations, says Cargan. “They might have to arrange more short, frequent calls to ensure they don’t lose the ‘walking by the desk’ communication moments.”
Credit Suisse supports it mobile work teams by providing information through ‘how to’ guides and training programmes. These empower employees and managers and ensure they are knowledgeable on how to be productive and mobile using technology, Kesoglou says.
How do managers evaluate the performance of an employee whom they have little ’face-time‘ with? At IBM, employee performance is evaluated on business outcomes and not on time spent in the office, and this is constantly emphasised by leaders, says Sim. “If needed, employees can deal with any pressing personal commitments even during ‘traditional work hours’ and choose their own time of day for working in consultation with their managers, as long as their business results are delivered on time.” Employees just need to ensure that they can be contacted by their colleagues at all times.
Companies that HRM spoke to agreed that employees who are given a choice about their work arrangements tend to be more driven and engaged. “It provides them with great freedom and flexibility and thus maximises their inclination and ability to perform at their best,” Sim says.
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Different strokes for different folks
American Express offers formal flexible working arrangements, called Blue Work, where employees can be designated as a:
+ Hubber: Someone who works primarily in the office
+ Clubber: A person who splits their time between the office and a home office
+ Homer: A team member whom works exclusively from home
+ Roamer: A person who shifts between office, home and other locations
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Case Study
Home-working at Amex
+ Name: Katherine Arkell, Centurion Travel Executive, American Express Australia.
+ Job function: Plan and organise the travel itineraries of a very exclusive group of clients.
+ Time spent working from home: Entirely home-based. However, Katherine goes to the office when required, such as for training courses.
+ How it works: Katherine used to work at the American Express office in Sydney city, but left when she relocated to northern New South Wales. She rejoined the company when Amex launched its flexible working policies and was told she could perform her job entirely from home.
+ Why it works: Katherine loves the flexibility that comes with working from home. In addition, she finds that she is able to get a lot more done as she doesn’t have any of the typical distractions of an office. In fact, Katherine is the most successful member of her team in terms of sales performance.
+ Ensuring accountability: Katherine maintains regular contact with her manager through phone, email and Office Communicator. Her work system is set up so that her manager can see when she is logged onto her computer.
+ Challenges: “Working from home, there is always the temptation to log into the computer and work outside of normal working hours. Also, it can be a bit isolating as there is a lack of social interaction with your peers.”
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Case Study
Hot-desking at IBM
Hot-desking is a popular arrangement used in organisations where employees are constantly on the go. Instead of a fixed workstation, employees set up their temporary workspace at designated common areas. It is widely used at IBM since more than 60% of its workforce globally is mobile at any given point in time. Client-facing employees are issued with laptop computers as well as a locker for their belongings.
Every one out of six workstations at IBM is a mobile workstation. This work set-up lets IBM save a great deal on costs and office real estate, says Charmaine Sim, Human Resources Director, IBM Singapore. It is also more flexible and employees do not have to stick to one workstation. There are hot-desking stations available on most levels of the IBM office. This makes conducting meetings more convenient as employees can set up a temporary workspace on the same floor as the meeting room, Sim says.
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