Despite all mayhem and disorder in the business world, technological progress over the decades has significantly impacted our social conduct.

Technology has changed the face of healthcare, education, politics, business, and of course our workplace.

No more 9 am – 5 pm jobs.

Work has become mobile.

Teams are connected through computers, smartphones and the cloud. Job roles have become more transparent and fluid with dynamic work environments.

The mobile workforce is forming a new class of employment in which people management strategies need to be pragmatically applied. Mobile workers are flourishing and are expected to take over 42.5% of the global workforce population by 2022.

The market for mobile workers is increasing in proportion to the increasing range of devices used by employees. Globalization, innovation in technology and applications, and cloud computing are relentlessly contributing to the new wave of employment – developing into a mobile-first work culture with more and more millennials favoring on-the-go jobs.

Mobility is no longer a hot trend, it’s a business imperative that must be prioritized to retain and attract talent, and sustain business development in the age of the ever-changing technology landscape.

Accessibility and efficiency of the mobile gen
The increasing quantity and diversity of electronic devices are further boosting the opportunities to connect remote locations. From desktops and laptops, employees are moving towards smaller portable devices like ultrabooks and wearable gadgets that constantly keep them in contact with anyone, from anywhere.

Significant developments in the networking landscape is also strengthening the mobile gen with the continuous growth of Internet of Things that is shaping the way data is shared, stored and maintained. Instant access to data and files significantly improves productivity and working patterns. In other words, freedom of work is the key – an agile and flexible job encourages creativity and leads to efficient employee performance.

Demand for contingent work
The market for on-demand jobs has steadily been on the rise over the past decade or so. Creating temporary positions for employment has proved to save a lot of effort and time spent on hiring full-time employees. The advancements in online platforms and applications have increased work flexibility; employees can now decide when, where and how they work. These online tools eliminate the middlemen and directly reach the consumer in real time. Direct links connecting remote employees can centralized effort used to track and schedule work, and establish a commonplace to monitor work-in-progress.

The need for work-life balance has also been gaining a lot of attention, it has been a factor of consideration among the novel generations. Supplementing additional income to support modern lifestyles is also a reason for the rapid rise in demand for contractors and freelancers.

Related Webinar:
Zalaris Webinar: Exclusive SAP SuccessFactors 1H 2023 Release updates & much more  
Sign up for live webinar 

Talent management re-engineered
Digital devices have become an integral part of the newer generations. We are fortunate to have seen a period where entertainment was outside the era of VR and AR. Keeping up with the novel cohorts will pose a great challenge to organizations that fail to upgrade themselves, both technologically and proficiently, as these generations have literally been brought-up amongst fancy gadgets and high-tech equipment. Companies need to start re-engineering their strategies to orient business models to correlate with the newer gig economy.

Managing the mobile workforce is not as easy as put into words. Seamlessly integrating them into the business space without any hiccups is posing quite a lot of concerns.

Firstly, with respect to privacy and data security, providing safe and reliable remote access to database, networks and equipment is getting complicated and challenging. Secondly, other areas related to work culture, employee trust, team motivation and competent leadership are creating great barriers to overcome.

Mobile workers have become mainstream and leveraging them to optimize business should be the main drive to overcome these hurdles.

The 3 R's
It's similar to the 3 R's we are familiar with - Reduce, Reuse & Recycle. Not literally, but the essence remains the same, to make the most of the resources we have while developing the competency to overcome any disruptions or challenges that may arise.

Recognize
Time and again it is important to remind oneself that mobile workers are not a thing of the future, they are here already, and they are significantly contributing to the work we do today. Whether it is liked or not, they are here to change the way businesses operate and it is important to recognize them as a part of the business process and be watchful of the impact or disruption they may bring.

Redesign
Mobile workers are not benefitted by the typical in-office work arrangements. Employee engagement must be focused towards bridging these gaps including communication, physical supervision, data sharing and handling, employee policies etc. Talent management teams must be open to adapt to change, redesign business plans and make the most of mobile workers.

Render
Identify skill gaps and try bridging them with new capabilities, look for opportunities to leverage skills and most importantly, track and measure mobile workers' impact on the business. Distilling processes and rendering a healthy, reliable and unified company culture can effectively help in embracing the mobile generation without any hassle.