Should My Employees Have Cell phones On Their Desks?

It’s a pressing question for more and more employers as cell phones continue to dominate our society; ‘Should cell phones be a fixture in our workplace?’. So, is it time your office embraced a mobile solution or is it best to go down the path of a unified communication solution? We’ve summed up a few of the positives and negatives of each solution so that you can make the right choice for your business.

Mobile Solutions

The first thing you may think of when it comes to the use of a cell phone is the fact that they are a distraction. Not just a distraction for the person using the cell phone, but for everyone around trying to focus on their work. There is so much more to consider when it comes to mobile solutions and their impact with work:

Pros

Mobility

Depending on your business,  the use of cell phones can be a huge boost to productivity if your employees are able to stay in touch and work even when they are out of the office and in the field. A cell phone allows your workers to be in contact with you wherever they are, and more importantly, in touch with your customers too. Coordinated's IP Office from Avaya provides employees with a solution that lets them handle all their business communications on the device of their choice: laptops, mobile phones, business phone systems or even a home phone.

Cost

It’s entirely down to your own discretion when it comes to supplying cell phones for your employees. Letting them use their personal cell phones could be a very cost-effective mobile solution, but you might not be comfortable with them not having a clear divide between their work life and their social life. You might prefer to provide your workers with a cell phone, but if that is not the case, you could provide a stipend for your employees that they can use for their personal cell phone. This allows for them to have their cell phone setup to handle their work and maintain the social freedom outside of work hours.

Cons

Overload

If you’re not convinced that a stipend is the right idea for your employees, you might consider giving them a company phone. Whether your organization goes with a phone like the IOS or Android, it’s important to keep the same phone throughout all employees and make sure that they have access to the same software and features. It’s worth keeping in mind though that whilst this means everyone has the same hardware, they’re also now carrying two phones, and that can be overwhelming for employees. It’s also recommended to look into the phone apps that should be given access to on the company cell phone so there is a clear outline for what it should, and should not, be used.

Security

Cell phones are great for many reasons but there are just as many security concerns why they can be a disastrous idea. Some mobile solutions are not the most secure and come with a plethora of vulnerabilities. Phone apps can be prone to leaking data, an unsecured WiFi connection could open your phone up to hackers, spyware, or fishing attacks.

Unified Communication Solutions

Perhaps it doesn’t suit your workplace to have employees using personal cell phones during work hours, for that reason it may be the right time to look into getting a unified communication solution. There is a diverse array of options available and there are a host of benefits (and negatives!) to consider:  

Desk phones 

Pros

Desk phones are still a vital part of a modern workplace. No matter how technologically advanced a workplace becomes, there’s one constant that does not change over time— the need to have a direct line of communication to your workplace. Many workplaces are putting their desk phones onto their computers using VoIP technology (Voice Over Internet Protocol), which can also be referred to as a ‘softphone’. This allows employees to answer calls using their desktop computers or laptops, letting them answer important calls without interrupting the flow of their work and meaning they can stay at their workstation for the duration of the call. 

Cons

It’s becoming much less common to use a desk phone in workplaces, as many workers are using their cell phones as their work phone. An obvious issue with using a desk phone is the setback of being reached while an employee is out in the field. Remote connectivity now becomes limited if there is no way a customer/prospect/employee is unable to reach you while you are away from your desk. 

Video Conferencing 

Pros

If traveling isn’t viable for your company then a great alternative to unified communication solution is to use video conferencing. This can save time and even more importantly, a lot of money. Instantly bring your team together and meet with your clients no matter where they are in the world. You can also take advantage of recording meetings, ensuring that important information never gets lost in the process of a long meeting.  

Cons

This one all comes down to your business’s internet connection. If you don’t have a great internet in your workplace then that could seriously hamper the quality of the sound and video of your conference calls. If that’s a problem for your workplace then you may have some issues that should be addressed promptly. 

There are a host of unified communication solutions out there to try, but nobody implements them quite like Coordinated Business Systems. When you partner with Coordinated Business Systems you are taking advantage of our highly productive, cost-effective business phone systems and other unified communication solutions that can keep your business connected to your people, your partners, and more importantly, to your customers. To get a free business consultation with one of our Business Communication Specialists, click here!