There is a tendency not to regulate information sent from personal devices as much as data sent from workstations. However, 38% of staff now use their own personal devices to access business information and send commuications. This is up from 31% in 2011.
Simon Wright, co-director at internal communications agency Gatehouse, told HR magazine that the increase will bring its own issues for employers. “The growth in mobile presents businesses with real challenges. BYOD is often viewed publicly as the IT department’s responsibility," Wright said. "However, for this type of connectivity to be truly effective for a business, it’s essential that employee engagement is at the heart of it. Communicators must remain dedicated to creating universally good content and experience, regardless of the delivery channel."
The report also suggests that while electronic interaction with employees is on the rise – 16% of companies created an app for their employees in 2013. However, 15% of staff surveyed said their employers didn't use social media in any way for work purposes.
Print is still seen as an effective way to get information to employees. Last year saw an increase in the number of employee events being advertised through posters and flyers, the first time it has risen for many years.
Wright said: “Our research echoes the belief that work is increasingly shifting towards mobile devices, but it also underlines that core channels like face-to-face and print are far from dead."
