Why the BYOD Model is More Popular Right Now

With Covid-19 on the scene, the world must adjust. Lots of businesses and niches continue to do so as we get ready to head into 2022. Many of them have gone to work-from-home models, and they’re trying out other initiatives as well.

With that in mind, let’s look at the BYOD option that some companies allow. We’ll talk about what it is and why it’s convenient in the following article.

What is the BYOD System?

BYOD means bring your own device. That device might be a laptop, tablet, or even a smartphone in certain instances. This is the opposite of a model where the company issues a device to someone. That device either stays on the premises, or the employee can take it home when they need to.

Employees who have the BYOD option can use their own device to look at work-related documents, send emails, communicate with coworkers in real-time, etc. Since the remote work shift during the Covid-19 outbreak, 47% of businesses saw this model increase. Maybe some of them allowed it before, but any who didn’t probably tried it for the first time in the past couple of years.

Why Do Workers Like This Model?

Shifting to remote work has caused many businesses to rethink how they operate from the ground up. 

IT overhauls must occur, and an ongoing adjustment on many fronts continues.

Bringing your own device to work is easier, whether you’re working in a remote location or carrying it into the office. This was possible once lockdowns eased up and vaccines became available.

The BYOD model eased the transition in many ways. Someone who worked from home was more likely to get their assignments done on time if they could use their device instead of relying on a work computer sitting in an office miles away.

If you can use your own device, you are probably a lot more comfortable with it as well. Someone who uses a laptop every day will know its look and feel, and they don’t have to adjust to it in the same way they might for a less familiar one.

Why Else Does BYOD Work So Well?

One other key BYOD aspect is that if an employee can use their own device, the company has to shell out less money for hardware maintenance. If the worker utilizes their own device, either bringing it into the office or using it from home, they can maintain it themselves. If anything happens to it, they can replace it and write it off when tax time comes.

BYOD also means fewer bulky server requirements. Companies don’t need to rent or buy a large facility to maintain all those servers. They don’t need the larger IT staff to support their network either.

Are There Any Downsides?

It sounds as though BYOD is almost too good to be true. Are there any obvious downsides? If you ask a worker, they might say no, but a company owner may not feel the same way.

That owner might point to employee distraction as one reason why BYOD is not so great. It’s true that an individual who’s using their own device might be more comfortable and happier with it, so they will do more work. The opposite can also happen.

The worker might find more on their own device to distract them. Maybe they have shortcuts to their favorite websites on their desktop, and they will spend more time there because they feel like they can get away with it during the workday.

There are ways to control what a remote worker does with their computer on their time, but those are not always foolproof methods. Someone determined to slack off can probably find a way to do it a little bit easier with this model.

The Bottom Line

Will all employees react the same way now that BYOD is on the table with most companies? Probably not. Someone with a strong work ethic is liable to do their work and use their time diligently, regardless of what device they use or where they work on their assignments.

Still, no matter whether you focus on the BYOD model’s positives or negatives, it will be hard to yank that away from employees now that they’ve had a taste of it. That is why you will probably see this model continue into 2022 and beyond. Once workers experience something most of them like, they will fight hard to retain it.

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