The vast majority of all small businesses claim that a BYOD system is an inevitability due to the fact that it is strongly demanded by their employees. In fact, 67 percent of employees use their personal devices at work. Not only does this improve one’s off-site performance but it’s also great because it gives people a chance to use their own device, which might be a lot more potent than what the company would equip them with. The advantages are numerous but there are some downsides with this model, as well. In order to overcome them and make this model work in your particular scenario, here are five ways you can make your BYOD model more effective.
1. Compatible operating systems
One of the things that you might not even be aware of is the idea that the platform or a tool that you’re using isn’t compatible with operating systems that some of your employees have on their devices. So, you either need to switch to a more compatible tool or insist that your employees can only use a BYOD model if these certain circumstances are met. While this may sound a bit too strict, you need to understand that it’s impossible to go above and beyond that.
2. Strong security policies
Security is definitely one of the biggest problems when it comes to the issue of the BYOD business model. This is why you need to introduce some important policies. You need to start by insisting on a strong alphanumeric password for all devices that are being used for work purposes. Second, you need to ask your employees what kind of data they intend to store locally, seeing as how this might become a major issue at one point (especially when they’re due to leave your company). One more thing that you need to determine right away is whether they’re allowed to pick their own security software or if you’re going to make this choice for them.
3. Reliable web filtering solution
Instead of just hoping that your employees will abide by the rules that you’ve laid down for them, you might want to consider getting matters into your own hand and find an efficient web filtering service. First of all, this can increase productivity by restricting access to non-business related sites, while your employees are on the premises. This is much more effective than the standard use of employee monitoring software, due to the fact that it’s a proactive, instead of being a reactive solution. Moreover, it’s a boost to your security since it restricts access to sites that are deemed as a security threat.
4. Acceptable use guidelines
Keep in mind that it’s quite easy for your office to slide into anarchy if you give your employees too much customizability when it comes to their use of the device. For instance, unless you’re using the above-mentioned filtering service, you need to tell your employees which applications they’re allowed to use and which websites are to be avoided while they’re on the corporate network. Nonetheless, making too many restrictions can sometimes have a negative impact on the trust level between you and your employees, which is never a good idea.
5. Employee exit plan
Finally, you need to understand the fact that with this model, if an employee decides to leave you, they become a major liability. This is why you need to have a proper employee exit plan. While this is up to some debate, your top three priorities need to be – disabling company emails, wiping company-issued devices and changing passwords to all their company accounts. This can ensure a simpler and safer transition for everyone in question and cause minimum disruption and chance of a future problem.
Conclusion
The last thing you need to understand is that even if you’re not actively practicing the BYOD model, you probably still depend on your employee’s ability to access mobile business apps from their smartphone. Therefore, setting some infrastructure for this model still might feel like the right move.
