What is your definition of a mobile workforce?
If it’s anything more than the ability to send and receive emails while on the go, you may be the exception.
According to a new survey by Citrix Canada, as many as 83 per cent of IT decision makers in Canada define mobility as little more than the ability to fire off a message. This is despite 84 per cent of those surveyed reported having employees that worked remotely.
This could be attributed to the fact that nearly a third of IT decision makers (32 per cent) actually believe remote working is a passing trend, yet somehow a mobility strategy is almost university believed to enhance competitiveness (95 per cent of those surveyed).
This seems to suggest a disconnect between the concept of mobility and remote work among IT decision makers.
Despite the recognized importance of a mobility strategy, 41 per cent of survey participants said they did not have one in place, with security and the abuse of privilege being top concerns.
On the other hand, top concerns related to not offering remote working options include expected increase in employee absenteeism (21 per cent), a bigger drop in productivity (18 per cent), an increase in overhead costs (17 per cent) and an increase in employee turnover (17 per cent).
Increasing productivity (55 per cent) and offering flexibility for better employee retention (52 per cent) were among the biggest reasons for offering remote working.
Three-quarters of employees surveyed by Citrix said that all employers should offer the ability to work remotely while 96 per cent of those surveyed wanted jobs that provide a good work-life balance.