The Internet and digital technologies have made it possible for employees to work remotely. The global mobile workforce is forecasted to increase from 1.32 billion in 2014 to 1.75 billion in 2020 according to a Mobile Workforce Forecast Report by analytics and data researchers Strategy Analytics. This growth rate translates for 37.4% of the global workforce in 2014, to 42.0% in 2020 as highlighted in the report summary by author Gina Luk.
"Globalization will continue to drive the growth of mobile office workers in all regions as executives, consultants, sales & field professionals, and other mobile professionals of multinational corporations proliferate. Mobile devices that are better designed to meet the needs of mobile workers of all types and at reasonable price points will enable a greater number of workers to become mobile.”
From the perspective of HR Service Delivery, giving these remote workers access to the HR Portal is key, because of the many and diverse capabilities the Portal offers.
“We know that employee self-service is important. It allows for improved efficiencies and better use of HR resources. It enables greater accuracy and helps to reduce costs. Self-service improves the employee experience, giving employees the information they need when they need it – and in the manner they wish to receive it," says Jeff Cohen, President of HR Data Firm CIC Plus in ‘Four Ways to Engage Your Employees to Drive Self-Service Success'
Mr. Cohen continues, "Given the benefits, it’s no surprise that companies everywhere, big and small, are using some form of employee self-service," but goes on to say that firms are seeing varying levels of success due to factors including increased compliance demands resulting in ever-changing requirements, limited IT resources and budgets, and changing business needs. He suggests the following four-point roadmap for firms looking to successfully implement employee self-service:
- Understand the changing workforce - millennials make up the largest generation of workers and are adopters of new technology
- Use the proper enabling technology - employee self-service solutions should be informative, efficient and offer on-demand accessibility
- Know that change management is critical - "don't give employees the wheel without the right instruction and training"
- Foster change with effective & well-advertised employee communications - Employees can’t make the transition to a self-service function if they’re not aware of it. And they won’t buy into it unless they understand the motivation for the change
As the number of number of mobile workers continues to grow, so too will the number of organizations providing employees with remote access to the HR Portal. Making this technology an integral part of employees’ everyday mobile lives will help build a more productive, and self sufficient, workforce.
If you're wondering whether your company needs HR self service portal software, why not have a read about our portal software?
