'Mobile rebels' hold IT departments to ransom over BYOD

Research shows companies are implementing BYOD policies in order to retain staff who would otherwise leave

Businesses are knuckling down on their plans to implement BYOD and flexible-working policies as more than a third of staff said they would consider leaving otherwise, according to new research.

The VMware-commissioned study, carried out by Vanson Bourne, surveyed 1,500 IT decision makers and 3,000 office workers across Europe on their attitudes towards BYOD and flexible working.

In the UK, some 70 per cent of IT decision makers said they have implemented or plan to implement a BYOD strategy, with almost a third of those respondents saying it was in order to attract and retain talent.

Some 39 per cent of UK staff said they would think about leaving their company if they were not allowed to use a mobile device for work, earning the title "mobile rebels".

Some 67 per cent of UK workers questioned said they do not feel their company provides them with enough mobile tools to be productive and efficient in their jobs, while almost half of IT decision makers do not think their departments can meet the mobile needs of their staff.

VMware's newly appointed chief technology officer for EMEA, Joe Baguley, said companies need to lead their staff on BYOD, not the other way around.

"This is evidence of an emerging class of mobile rebels with a real cause – a new wave of employees using mobile devices to their advantage: to work more effectively and drive innovation," he said.

"Many companies are playing catch-up to this trend; if workers are not provided with the mobile resources they require, many will take the initiative and drive change themselves. Savvy businesses are recognising this and are prioritising formal mobility strategies to harness the initiative of their workers and deliver competitive edge."