How Can Companies Empower Their Deskless Workers?

More businesses are choosing to forego the traditional office experience in favor of remote working to help employees be more in control of their schedules and achieve a better work/life balance. But empowering ‘deskless' workers to operate at maximum efficiency without an office culture can be challenging. Great customer communication strategies must begin internally and then move out towards the end user, so businesses need to be diligent and adapt alongside this shift in work culture. Fortunately, technology and business practices are constantly evolving to provide the necessary tools.  

The Deskless Worker Revolution

The popularity of remote work environments and open office plans continues to increase, and companies need to adjust their communication practices to accommodate this new normal. According to Gallup's 2017 State of the American Workplace report, from 2012 to 2016, the number of employees working remotely for at least part of the week rose from 39% to 43%. Additionally, those who work entirely remote rose from 15 to 20%. These trends are most prevalent in finance, insurance, and real estate, followed closely by transportation, manufacturing, and retail.

Teams are communicating increasingly via email, instant message, video and telephone conference, and less in-person. Even employees in a traditional office setting are more mobile than ever, often checking emails during their commute to and from work, and responding to queries after leaving the office. According to the 2016 Connected Enterprise Report, "of the average company's sales reps, marketing staff, and executives, 82-85% work away from their office ...