Privacy the top concern for employees asked to BYOD

Do you ask your staff to bring their own device (BYOD) to the office for work purposes? If so, there's a good chance your employees are worried about a lack of privacy.

In fact, 84% employees admitted they lack trust in their employer's ability to manage their mobile security and privacy.

This new research by AdaptiveMobile and Ovum finds that among employees already using their own device for work purposes, just 30% preferred their employer to manage their corporate mobility service. They were more trusting of their mobile operator, with 42% happier if their device was managed by their operator.

Among employees who don't use their own devices at work, 44% said they desired to keep their work and personal life separate. About a quarter (24%) showed a general mistrust of their employer having any kind of control over their devices.

"Trust is the magic word when it comes to empowering employees to use their own devices in the workplace.  The mobile device is such an inherently personal part of our lives that people want to know that their details are safe," said Ciaran Bradley, Chief Product Officer of AdaptiveMobile.

ALSO READ: Say hello to #GenMobile

The survey of 5,000 employees across 19 countries defined BYOD behavior as "employees accessing corporate data on a personally owned smartphone or tablet – whether their employer knows about it or allows it or not."

The metric has risen from 56.8% in 2013 to 69.2% in 2014, with the increase being led by high-growth markets China, India and South Korea (close to 100%).

Besdies privacy, the BYOD discussion also links closely to a work-life balance - 49% of respondents stated that the ability to access company email outside official working hours is an imposition on their time.

"This shows that end-users are struggling to balance the emerging conflict between wanting flexible working practices yet also desiring a good home/life balance," said Bradley.

Image: Shutterstock