How #GenMobile can boost productivity and competition in business

Aruba Networks is calling for businesses to start looking for the signs of #GenMobile - a new type of mobile-driven employee that's entering the workforce.

According to Aruba, employers need to be able to spot and manage #GenMobile effectively in order to enable a productive workforce, and imperatively a competitive position in an ever changing business environment.

The company's #GenMobile study, which garnered the responses of 5,000 18-to-35-year-olds, found that fact that 65% of respondents now have three or more connected devices, showing a clear shift towards mobile computing.

Also, 57% preferred to connect via Wi-Fi compared with 3G/4G or wired networks. However, perhaps most interesting is the view of what respondents were willing to give up in place of mobility.

29% of the respondents would give up coffee before giving up their mobile devices. Finally, 53% said they would give up a higher paying salary in exchange for being able to work from home 2 – 3 days a week.

TechRadar Pro spoke to Chris Kozup, Director of EMEA marketing at Aruba Networks, about his views on Aruba's research into this new breed of employee.

TechRadar Pro: How do you feel the rise of #GenMobile will benefit both employers and employees?

Chris Kozup: The rise of #GenMobile brings with it a shift in how people work, live and interact with one another. This new mobile lifestyle makes it easier for people to balance their professional and personal lives. Having access to the resources and information we need whenever and wherever we are allows us greater flexibility.

This desire for individual flexibility can also be a benefit for the employer. Those employers who offer the conditions sought after by #GenMobile are more likely to attract and retain the best talent. Furthmore, happy employees will make for productive employees – a benefit employers are certain to appreciate.

TRP: What were the most interesting trends you saw emerge from this survey?

CK: There were a number of stand out findings in this study. Firstly, the fact that 65% of respondents now have 3 or more connected devices shows the clear shift towards mobile computing. Also, 57% preferred to connect via Wi-Fi compared with 3G/4G or wired networks.

However, perhaps most interesting is the view of what respondents were willing to give up in place of mobility. 29% of the respondents would give up coffee before giving up their mobile devices. Finally, 53% said they would give up a higher paying salary in exchange for being able to work from home 2 – 3 days a week.

TRP: BYOD has been a talking point for a while, are employers finally moving towards solving this to enable more flexibility for employees?

CK: The adoption of BYOD strategies still varies by region within Europe. Countries like Germany and France are on average slower to embrace the use of employee owned devices. In the UK, we have seen some very large institutions move to embrace BYOD as a trend.

Those industries leading the trend tend include financial Services, insurance and professional services. Of course education has been enabling BYOD for years.

Irrespective of the degree to which the organisation is supporting BYOD initiatives, IT must still use tools to gain visibility of which devices and applications are accessing the network. Once a complete view is attained, IT can establish and enforce policies for corporate and/or employee owned devices.

TRP: Our personal and working lives are becoming blurred due to the proliferation of connected devices. Do you think there is still a place for traditional offices and working hours?

CK: Yes. The concept of traditional offices and working hours will still exist. The move towards a more flexible work environment is driven by certain types of employees and is more prevalent in certain industry segments.