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Advice for Employers and Recruiters

Don’t Take That Job Unless You Can BYOD

William Frierson AvatarWilliam Frierson
September 4, 2014


Businesswoman sending a text message on mobile phone

Businesswoman sending a text message on mobile phone. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Not that long ago, we selected which jobs we wanted to apply for based on the type of work we would be asked to do, the salary, and where the office was located. These days, it’s becoming increasingly common for applicants to prefer jobs based on the employer’s bring your own device, or BYOD policy.

This is especially true for us millennials, who are typically defined as people who were born between 1982 and 2002. Surprisingly, 73 percent of people in our age group do not expect our employers to provide us with some type of mobile device in order for them to do our work. At the same time, over half of employers expect their workers to be easily accessible, even when they are not on the clock, according to RingCentral.

BYOD Today

Even though members of our generation—who are also sometimes referred to as Gen Ys don’t think our new bosses will just walk up and hand us the latest trending devices, like a brand new iPhone or HTC One M8, this doesn’t mean that we aren’t willing and able to provide our own. Almost 66 percent of millennials use some sort of personal device while we are at work, noted CIO. While older workers may be more than happy to learn to use personal devices, and the Gen X age group is tech savvy, we Gen Yers are both technologically brilliant and dependent. We not only know how to use our iPads, smartphones and other mobile devices, we are pretty much joined at the hip (or thumbs, in this case); we use our devices to get things done.

Allowing BYOD is Wise

In about two years, people from our millennial generation will comprise the largest section of the workforce. In order to attract as many tech-savvy professionals to their companies, business owners would be wise to adopt a BYOD plan that acknowledges and even respects our proclivity to text instead of talk. In addition, smart companies are allowing employees to BYOD because it’s a great way to bring in amazing technology that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford. For employers who are concerned that GenY employees will be tempted to play Candy Crush on our smartphones rather than work, a recent study by Cisco refutes this point. Cisco’s research found that employees who are allowed to BYOD are more productive—to the tune of 37 minutes per week. While this might not seem like a huge amount of time, it does add up to more projects being completed over the course of a year. By accepting the tech-loving Gen Yers for who we are and embracing a BYOD policy, company owners can not only save money, but have happier and more productive workers.

Ask About BYOD

While we certainly don’t want to update our Facebook status or check texts during a job interview, we can confidently ask about the BYOD policy. Just like our own parents might have inquired about company cars or if they should supply their own office supplies and clipboards, we should feel free to politely ask if our tablets and smartphones will be welcome in the workplace. If it comes down to two positions with equal pay and responsibilities with one company allowing BYOD, we can and should feel comfortable choosing the position that encourages us to bring our own electronic device to work.

Source: SocialMonsters

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