At the heart of any successful mobile operation there’s a great team of workers.
This is true for any type of business but it’s particularly so for mobile services where employees are spending so much of their time working remotely.
It means that managers have to depend on their actions and abilities to a much greater extent than with more conventional and static work structures.
So what exactly makes a great mobile worker and how can you identify those people with the talent and temperament to boost mobile workforce productivity and reduce your stress levels?
While the traits needed will obviously changing depending on the exact nature of the mobile working role, here’s a look at six core qualities of a mobile worker.
Essential qualities of a mobile worker:
- Self-motivation
- Great communication
- Self initiative
- Digital friendly
- Level-headed
- Experience
Self-motivation
Trying to monitor and motivate mobile workers is really hard when they’re spending so much time out on the road - the chances for team meetings or face-to-face chats are always going to be limited.
So an effective mobile worker needs self-motivation - the ability to push themselves to hit those deadlines and deliver a consistent quality of service. Without that kind of inner drive to do well, it’s very easy for mobile workers to adopt a ‘work-to-rule’ approach - doing only what’s absolutely necessary.
However, if you are having issues with employee motivation, here are 5 ways of motivating mobile workers.
Great communication
This doesn’t mean having any kind of flowery oratory skills - it simply means having the ability to quickly and accurately share information. And this is something which, increasingly, needs to be done using a range of different communication tools.
It could be a text, a phone call or job notes added to a digital workforce app. Whatever form it takes, communications need to be correct, clear and concise. For any kind of customer and client facing roles, they also needs to have good people skills.
Self initiative
A mobile worker must be able to operate without the need for constant supervision or micromanagement from above. They need to have the ability and confidence to make certain decisions for themselves.
But the ability to work independently needs to be balanced against the need to operate as part of a wider team and to be able to accept advice and instructions. The best mobile workers hit a sweet spot between the two.
Digital friendly
A mobile worker doesn’t need to be any kind of technical whizz but they do need to have an open attitude and engage with technology. They need to be willing to accept new ways of working and to embrace digital systems and tools.
While most employees are quick to adapt to new technology, it becomes a much tougher task when people are resistant to change. An effective mobile worker needs to be ready to handle the challenge of moving away from traditional ways of working.
Level-headed
Mobile working can be a tough gig - stressful and demanding. And there are inevitably going to be good days and bad; sometimes everything that can go wrong - will go wrong.
What’s important for a mobile worker is a steady temperament that’s able to deliver a consistent quality of service despite the daily peaks and troughs. It’s an ability to stay calm under pressure and to act rationally when things start to go pear shaped.
Experience
Mobile working doesn’t suit everyone and the only way people can find this out - is by doing the job. This is why previous experience is such a major advantage when recruiting field workers.
Employing people without prior experience and who find out ‘on the job’ that this form of work isn’t for them - is a costly process. It means increased staff dropout rates and lost productivity caused by having unhappy and demotivated workers.
To make the most of all these traits, requires an organisational structure that supports and encourages the corresponding attitudes and behaviours. It’s an area where mobile workforce management systems are making a big difference with less administration burden and more focus on getting the best out of teams.
