Finally, A Reason To Be On Your Phone At Work

Taking a mobile-first approach to communications is a critical strategy in 2022. According to a 2021 Pew Research study, around 15% of Americans exclusively use their smartphones to access the internet. Additionally, factors like limited access in rural areas of the United States and cost keep broadband internet service from being a feasible choice for many Americans who still need the internet for school or to conduct everyday business—leading them to use their mobile devices instead. With over 85% of the population in possession of a smartphone, making sure that your product or message is compatible with and targeted to mobile users is a no-brainer (Pew, 2021).  

An interesting part of a mobile-first strategy is playing out inside corporate America as well. Companies are using the same logic behind mobile-first branding or communications to bring a mobile-first approach to interacting with their employees—again a solid strategy especially considering that as the Boomer generation retires, business is being done by the younger generations— and those generations are more likely to be smartphone exclusive in their internet access (Pew, 2021).  

The logic is sound—if employees are already on their phones, why not provide workflow tools that can make their jobs even easier? What employee would not want the ease and convenience in something that is—quite honestly—in their hands a substantial portion of the workday.  

In an article by ServiceFirst for Forbes, Brian McConnell, ServiceNow’s SVP of employee workflow products, stated that “adding mobile to employee service delivery is a critical necessity for today’s top executives, who all need to hire and retain the best talent. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, companies are feeling the need to support the mobile requirements of their workforce more urgently than ever before” (Koyen, 2020).  

If on their phones is where people are, it follows that more and more employers are going to be taking a mobile-first approach to workflow, and this strategy will be key to employee retention in the future. “If leadership can’t provide that experience to employees,” McConnell says, “they’ll go find an employer who can” (Koyen, 2020).  

One of those forward-thinking employers is Walmart. In 2021, Walmart announced a program called Me@Walmart, a proprietary in-house mobile app for associates designed to simplify their daily work tasks. The app was created initially with employee scheduling as its core component. Employees can use the app to view their upcoming shifts, view and request time off, and clock in as soon as they arrive in the store. But the app expanded to include walkie-talkie functionality and a Siri-style voice activation feature and will soon include an augmented reality tool to increase inventory efficiency (Business Wire, 2021).  

In a press release from Walmart, Drew Holler, Walmart Senior Vice President, of the U.S. People Operations, and Kellie Romack, Vice President of Product and Associate Experience, said the following: “A great customer experience starts with a great associate experience, and our people will always be a competitive advantage. As we make enhancements for our customers, we are also rethinking how we can help our associates succeed in their roles today and deliver some of what they will need for the future. The right tools can be the difference between fast and frustrating” (Business Wire, 2021).  

The most impressive part of this new mobile-first strategy? To ensure that all their 740,000 employees could access this new program, they gave each employee a brand-new smartphone, protective case, and device protection plan—and the device is not just for work, it is for their own personal use as well. “Associates will only be able to access the app’s work features while they are on the clock, but they can also use the smartphone as their own personal device if they want, with all the features and privacy they are used to,” said Holler and Romack (Business Wire, 2021). (Walmart will not have access to any personal data.) 

Businesses would do well to mimic Walmart’s rollout, but not just to improve current employee workflow processes. It is also important to maintain a mobile-first strategy when it comes to recruiting new employees. Phillipe Racine with Stent has three ideas to help businesses create their own successful mobile-first approach to successfully reach potential employees.  

Millennials are becoming the largest workplace demographic and their digital attention span is short. Using recruitment tools that are quick and easy is important. According to the article, Americans make over one billion job searches each month—from their smartphones. “Embracing a mobile-first employer branding strategy is the first step to positioning yourself as an employer of choice for job-seekers,” says Racine (Racine, 2019).  

Their first suggestion for creating a successful mobile-first approach to recruiting new talent is to create a mobile job opportunity feature on their website (Racine, 2019).  Keep in mind that on a mobile device, quick and easy is king—that means streamlining all the things you require into short, easy-to-read pages that load quickly.  

Their second suggestion is to follow up the mobile with social (Racine, 2019). Just like human resources may stalk a potential employee’s social media feed as part of their selection process, job candidates are using a company’s social media accounts to gain perspective on the company. Keeping an active and engaging social media presence will enhance a potential employee’s view of the company and could be a deciding factor if they are choosing between two places of employment.  

Lastly, they suggest you track your mobile-first strategy's success and use the data you collect to polish and perfect your process (Racine, 2019). This is important even as millennials become the senior workforce, Gen Z becomes the largest demographic, and Generation Alpha begins to enter the workforce. Mobile-first strategies will have to be constantly reassessed to make sure they are appealing to the workforce demographic you are trying to reach.  

In conclusion, a day when most online tasks are completed on a hand-held mobile device is not far-fetched. Companies have to embrace a mobile-first strategy in all aspects of business, from marketing and communications to internal workplace functions. Because even at work, our mobile devices are rarely farther than arm’s distance away.  

References: 

Business Wire. (2021, June 3). “Walmart Unveils All-in-One Associate App, Me@Walmart, and Gives 740,000 Associates a New Samsung Smartphone.” [Press release].

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210603005399/en/ 

Koyen, J. (2020, April 16). "The World Is Going Mobile—Shouldn’t Work Do The Same?" Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/servicenow/2020/04/16/the-world-is-going-mobile-shouldnt-work-do-the-same/?sh=633245826900

Perrin, A. (2021, June 3). “Mobile Technology and Home Broadband 2021.” Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/06/03/mobile-technology-and-home-broadband-2021/ 

Racine, P. (2019, October 5). “3 Tips on Creating a Winning Mobile-First Employer Branding Strategy in 2019” Stent. https://stent.io/blog/3-tips-on-creating-a-winning-mobile-first-employer-branding-strategy-in-2019