Should You Use Your Personal Phone for Work?

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Work issued mobile phones are becoming less common as companies are switching to greener and more tech savvy communication systems that depend on employees using their personal phone for work. VoIP systems are more cost effective, efficient and simple for businesses, but does using a personal phone for work benefit the employee too? 

Communicating at work

Communication is a, if not the most, important factor in business.The way companies communicate can determine how they are received by clients, customers and how successful interactions within the company are. Most employees can expect some kind of worked issued device when joining a new company; know as a COBO, which stands for company-owned, business only, which could be a second smartphone or an office landline with a personalised extension number. With a COBO, as implied in the name, the company provides a work phone to the employee, and that phone’s only use is work, whether that is calling clients, communicating with colleagues or emailing. Some businesses’, however, use BYOD as their communication method, which stands for bring your own device, which is a newer method used by companies; with this, employees are to use their personal phone for work-related purposes and are responsible for the maintenance of the device, as well as other things such as security. Trend Micro reported that, out of 13,000 remote workers, from 27 different countries, 39% currently use personal phones, or devices, for work-related purposes. 

Why Two Handsets? 

So, why was having two phones the norm? Up until recently, having a company issue a phone for their employee has been normal protocol and expected. If a company relies on their employees using a mobile phone for their work, why shouldn’t they pay for it? 

Although it is essential in our ever increasingly digital world to have constant access to work, having two smartphones seems wasteful, inconvenient and expensive. 

Business issued phones made much more sense when most people did not have their own phone, and so it was essential their work provided one. Nowadays, phones are much more accessible, as they are cheaper, simpler and pretty much indispensable, everyone has a personal one, so it seems uneconomical and lavish to have two. 

Using A Personal Number For Work 

However, a new issue arises here. If companies stop giving out work phones, will employees have to rely on their personal number for work? Using a personal phone for work is cost effective, efficient and cheaper for everyone involved but using a personal number is tricky. 

The first issue with using a personal number for work is the lack of privacy. It can feel uncomfortable to give out personal information, such as your number, to clients, customers and colleagues. Giving out your personal number means, not only that you are contactable 24 hours a day, but also that there is no division between work and personal, making it hard to preserve your privacy. 

A personal number, which would typically be an ‘07’ number could also come across as unprofessional as your official work number. Customers and clients may feel uneasy calling a mobile number instead of a landline number for professional services. 

The advantages of using a personal phone for work, however, are abundant. 

Firstly, being able to use your own phone for work means you have familiarity and control over it. With work issued phones, there may be limits and locks to how you can use the phone. Similarly, the phone could be a make and model that you don’t know how to use as well as your personal one. Using your own phones for all purposes, work and personal, allows employees to organise their digital lives in one place, upgrade when they want and customise the phone however they chose.

Cost is another huge benefit to employees using their personal phones, mainly for the employer. Instead of paying for a handset, contract and for upkeep, all the employer has to pay for is, in some cases, a second number and any particular apps they want the employee to use, such as a data secure app or tracking app. Also, if an employee is using their personal phone for work use, it is more likely they will take better care of it, have it on their person at all times and so be more available, when needed. 

Having a personal phone for work also fits the modern day reality of the ‘new normal’ that the pandemic has left us grappling with. Many of us are now adjusting to remote or hybrid working, meaning you cannot use your office desk phone, as perhaps done before, but also are reliant on up to date and reliable technology to be able to work from anywhere. Using a personal phone for work means just that, allowing you to continue to work and stay connected to customers, clients and colleagues no matter where and how you are working. 

Second Work Number On Personal Phone 

The best of both worlds, perhaps, is the solution of having a work number on your personal phone. Keep the advantages of using your personal phone but maintain professionalism and privacy by having a second number, a work number, on that phone. 

Many businesses are switching to this method of communication in order to adapt to the digital transformation and keep their employees, and customers, happy. VoIP systems are a great communication solution for businesses, big and small, as they give employees a wireless number on their personal phone. The advantages that the features of VoIP systems over traditional phone lines are endless for businesses: 

  • Call forwarding 
  • Auto-Receptionist
  • Call Recording
  • Extensions
  • Conferencing 
  • Customisable voicemail
  • Data tracking 

And more! A VoIP system, like Devyce, only enhances a company’s communication, at the same time saving money and time.

Having a work number on a personal phone is also ideal for an employee. They can continue to use their personal phone, while maintaining their privacy and work life balance. Devyce has a customisable ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature, so that employees with a work number on their personal phone can set clear boundaries and send work calls to voicemail when on personal time.

It has also been reported that using your personal phone for work, with a second number, can relieve stress. By differentiating between work and personal calls, on one phone, people have found their work more manageable and have been able to stop constantly checking on two phones for calls or texts.

Learn more about VoIP systems here: https://devyce.com/2022/01/26/how-voip-systems-work-and-how-it-will-improve-your-small-business/

Get a work number on your personal phone, for yourself or your whole team, here: https://devyce.com/pricing/


Sources

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/using-personal-phone-for-work

 

https://medium.com/predict/its-time-to-stop-carrying-separate-smartphones-a40f25304711

 

https://www.techradar.com/news/stop-using-your-personal-phone-for-work-stuff

 

https://www.howtogeek.com/359944/the-best-way-to-get-a-phone-number-for-your-small-business/

 

https://ergobility.com/blog/work-from-home-tips-maintain-separate-phone-number

 

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