How To Empower The Workforce That Is Not Stationed At A Desk
Many tasks are completed without the need for a desk or other office space.
About 80 percent of workers throughout the globe do not work from a desk, according to statistics. Their jobs need them to be on their feet and move about in the healthcare business, the construction industry, the manufacturing industry, and the shipping industry—they’re the ones who are constructing, producing, and providing services.
Ignoring the fact that they help to make the world go round, they are often overlooked and undervalued
Entrepreneurs and legislators in the technology industry are often focused on inventing tools and systems that will benefit folks who work at a desk all day. Employees who work at desks are used to technological tools that allow them to do their tasks quickly and efficiently from any location, using simplified procedures that are highly automated and accurate.
While deskless employees do not use computers to do everyday jobs, they do so manually. In the worst case scenario, they’re attempting to cobble together haphazard systems in order to access some of the tech tools that are better suited for desk employees in the first instance. Particularly troublesome is the fact that many shift employees and supervisors operate on call. When it comes to scheduling, manual methods consume precious time. Consequently, employees are denied the more flexible lifestyle that desk workers have come to expect.
What makes the deskless workforce tick, and how to leverage technology to their advantage, are critical to comprehending. As a result of this blog article, we’ll demonstrate how you can go about achieving your goal.
Workforce without a desk: six quick facts
You must first understand what motivates the deskless workforce in order to implement improvements that will actually benefit them. In order to assist you, here are a few quick facts:
Workers who do not sit at a desk have a distinct perspective on their job.
Deskless employees are simply those who do not need the use of a desk in order to do their tasks.
While many of these employees are blue-collar or employed in certain sectors, some white-collar employees are also working without a desk. When working in agriculture or education, you may find yourself working from a location other than your office.
It is for this reason that building technology for the deskless workforce must be “vertical,” that is, tailored to the demands of certain industries. Many technologies are sector neutral (“horizontal”) for desk employees since their work experiences are comparable and they have the same sorts of requirements to meet. For this reason, a lot of technology is being produced for those who work at a desk.
Depending on their sector, deskless employees have extremely unique requirements. That which the healthcare business requires is different from that which the manufacturing industry need, and so on.
Working without a desk has the same requirements as traditional office employees.
The fact that they don’t sit behind a desk doesn’t rule out the fact that they still need the same tools and resources as everyone else.
Deskless employees must stay in touch with the rest of their team in order to be aware of what is going on in the business and what expectations are set, which is an important piece of the employee engagement jigsaw to put together correctly. Employees who are burned out must be safeguarded from this. They must be able to share their expertise and work with others as required by their job duties.
To put it another way, the same effort result. Due to the lack of a desk, there are a few more criteria to make it happen.
The work-life balance of deskless employees is terrible.
While they’re at home or enjoying personal time, deskless professionals may be summoned to the workplace. Because of their employment schedules, they are unable to attend family functions.
Furthermore, particularly in light of the current epidemic, almost three-quarters of American employees report to work unwell owing to a lack of sick pay or financial considerations.
Given the dismal state of work-life balance in the United States, it is understandable that flexibility is a major source of anxiety for deskless workers. If they could have greater flexibility and a better work-life balance, 25% of deskless employees would be willing to forego a higher compensation.
Mobility is advantageous for those who do not have a desk.
Almost any kind of portable or mobile technology, such as mobile phones, drones, and wearable technology, may be beneficial to the deskless workforce.
This is something that employers are beginning to recognize. According to a poll of over 300 businesses across a wide range of sectors, over 30% expected to increase their technology spending, with mobile phones and tablets leading the way. Perhaps much more so as a result of the epidemic and the forced adaptability it entailed.
Why? The primary motive is to increase productivity, but there is also a desire to keep staff happy and boost employee retention as a secondary motivation. Office employees now spend 75% of their time interacting with technology, with 59% receiving the majority of their training online. It will only benefit from further technological advancements.
The number of people who do not have a desk is expanding.
Working from home is becoming more popular as mobile technology becomes more widely available, and the number of people working from home is increasing as well. Working from home, on the road, or at a coffee shop has replaced traditional desk jobs for many people.
Given the millennial workforce’s need for more mobile work choices as well as improved work-life balance, this makes sense.
Workers who do not have a desk desire to be that way.
Office employees like it despite (or maybe because of) all of this.
If granted the opportunity to work at a desk, 64 percent of deskless employees would decline the opportunity to do so. The fact that the bulk of work is done without a desk is a positive thing for everyone.
It’s difficult to interpret these numbers. The majority of people like the nature of deskless work, while the majority of people are dissatisfied with their current working environment. After that, the obvious issue becomes: how can we empower and support these people who would choose to continue performing that critical frontline work?
Making the Deskless Workforce More Empowered and Supportive
The importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance may be seen from the information you have just read about it.
Even while the vast majority of deskless professionals like their jobs, their personal lives are suffering as a result of them. Because many are shift or hourly employees, their schedules are often unpredictable. Working with the same folks isn’t always possible. Individuals are employed by certain companies as well as by individuals. It is difficult to maintain connectivity. Either it acts as a ball and chain, or it may be a motivator for people to participate.
However, given that almost 20% of the deskless workforce feels separated from the rest of their team in some manner, true engagement must be a top focus for all organizations. Maintaining a genuine connection with everyone while without interfering with their personal lives is essential.
In order to keep a deskless workforce engaged without depleting their highly prized personal time, you must first determine what they value most.
Self-scheduling flexibility allows people to take control of their working hours.
The When I Work app has saved managers a great deal of time in creating staff schedules, and it has made it simpler to handle difficult shifts or requests, which we often hear from our users. They have access to labor data and may use it to make informed choices.. Although technology assists managers, it also has the potential to empower the workforce as a whole.
Individual shift requests are allowed by employees. Their ability to interact directly with one another allows them to exchange shifts when unexpected events occur in their personal lives. Workers may also check their schedules from anywhere in the world using their mobile devices (which they can also use to interact with one another and with their bosses).
As a result, people have a voice in how they allocate their time between work and personal obligations. A direct channel of safe contact with supervisors and co-workers on work-related difficulties is also provided for them.
Technology and a work strategy that has boosted their performance while also enabling them to be more flexible in their personal lives have been enjoyed by deskbound professionals for quite some time now. Working without a desk is no less than equal in this regard. In any business, it is not always possible to have a one-to-one match; nonetheless, it is possible to make modifications that will help you go in the correct path.
Better tools, greater mobile access, greater flexibility, and greater involvement all have the potential to improve the health and engagement of your deskless workforce. Consider using a program like When I Work, which can do all of these tasks and more….
