Great user experience is the most important part of successful Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy adoption. It's simple: the easier it is to understand your policy, the more likely people are going to follow it.
What is a BYOD Policy and Why is it Important?
BYOD solutions are crucial in today's hybrid workplace.
The rapid adoption of lightweight laptops, iPads, and smartphones has changed the way we communicate and collaborate. And today, consumer devices are often more advanced than the equipment IT departments can deploy.
IT departments face an uphill battle to keep up with the latest technology trends. So, up-to-date BYOD solutions are essential. But if you haven’t updated your policy for a year or more, it’s unlikely to reflect the current state of your business.
Follow our free BYOD policy template to get the most out of your program.
BYOD Policy Template
An effective BYOD policy is made up of multiple components. And while you should tweak yours to suit your specific needs, our BYOD policy template covers all the most important areas to help you get started.
Acceptable Use
Define acceptable business and personal use so every employee knows how to use their devices responsibly. This should include a list of restricted websites, apps, and activities, as well as any zero-tolerance policies you might have in place.
Devices and Support
Create a list of acceptable devices. Explain if and how you'll support them throughout their lifecycle.
Reimbursement
Explain the reimbursement process so everyone knows how and when they can make a claim. For example, will you reimburse a percentage of the cost of the device? Or provide an employee allowance? It's also helpful to define what you won't cover.
Security
Clearly define your enterprise's BYOD security policies. This should include best practices for creating strong passwords, limitations on downloading and installing apps, and what to do in the event of a security breach.
Risk, Liability, and Disclaimers
Clarify your employees' responsibilities for protecting corporate data on their personal devices. Include your rights to take appropriate disciplinary action should someone breach these policies.
How to Deliver a BYOD Policy
1. Make Compliance Clear
Like any corporate document, your BYOD policy may contain legalese or jargon your employees aren’t fluent in. This makes it harder for them to understand and comply.
The best way to avoid this is to simplify your policy. Outline your employees' responsibilities and how you'll support them. You should also explain why compliance is important. People are more likely to comply if they understand how their actions impact your enterprise.
2. Provide Support
Policies aren't just about telling people what they can't do. They also act as a guide to support employees.
When it comes to technology, everyone expects a certain level of support. Tech issues are the bane of modern life. Who doesn't feel frustrated when they can't do their job because their device is acting up?
Your BYOD policy should include information on where end-users can turn if they have a problem.
3. Define Work & Personal Use
Security is important, but your BYOD policy shouldn't violate an employee’s right to privacy. It should make it clear you have no access to information like their location or the websites they visit.
Effective Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) plays a critical role in helping enterprises separate work and play.
UEM gives you greater control over workplace systems, such as smartphones and other devices that make up your tech stack. Combining all of these controls into a single system makes it more convenient for administrators to use and oversee, making them safer.
An effective UEM solution provides a safe space on employee devices where you can remotely monitor corporate data and usage. For example, if the phone goes missing, you can still control what happens to the data.
Not only does this protect your business, it doesn't interfere with the employee.
4. Make Reimbursement Easy
BYOD reimbursement can be a sore point for employers and employees alike. Some organizations offer it, some don’t. In some locations, such as California, it's a legal requirement.
Employees love reimbursement, but the practicalities can be a nightmare. Having employees take time out of their day to complete expense reports is as wasteful as having your accounts department process them.
Making reimbursement more intuitive for employees increases adoption rates and compliance. A solution like our Direct2Carrier Payments™ service streamlines the process of reimbursing your employees.
5. Keep Acceptable Use Standards Relevant
Although giving employees a measure of privacy goes a long way towards improved policy adoption, you must also ensure that everyone understands what is and is not acceptable when using a device.
For example:
- International use
- SMS/texting
- Camera use
- Device sharing
- Software restrictions
The best way to futureproof your BYOD policy is to keep it broad. At least initially. You can then audit your policy regularly to ensure your provisions for acceptable use are still relevant.
The Secret to an Effective BYOD Policy
And there you have it. Our BYOD policy template and BYOD solutions will help you create a clear, accessible, and user-friendly policy that anyone can follow.
To learn more about how to turn these tips into a practical application, download our guide to writing your enterprise BYOD policy.
Topics: BYOD
