The Top 5 Perks Mobile Employees Want

Mobile employees are in a very unique position. They are rarely if ever in the office with their co-workers and managers, they are often unsupervised and unmonitored in any way, and they are often very disciplined, hard workers. With remote work being a relatively new concept in the modern workforce, many hiring managers are unsure of how to incentivize great work from their current employees and tempt potential hires to fill positions. The reality of the matter is that mobile employees want certain perks which are not standard for in-office employees. They have different wants and needs than their stationary in-office counterparts and should be treated as such. With that being said, let’s take a look at the top ten perks which mobile employees want from their employers.

1. Premium Radio/Streaming Subscription

Services such as Spotify and Pandora offer streaming services which can be a great way to boost the mood of remote or mobile employees. For the field rep who is always on the go, having the right music to accompany them in the car can make the difference between a good and bad day. What’s even better about this perk for employers? That boosted mood will often translate into better customer service, and streaming services are relatively cheap compared to other perks, often costing as little as $9.99/month.

2. Snack/Coffee Reimbursement

Being on the go means there isn’t always time to grab a proper meal, and there is usually no fridge to put your lunch in. If there are many remote or mobile employees working within a relatively close proximity of each other, consider funding a lunch meet-up. Not only will employees appreciate the fact that their lunch is being provided by their employer, it gives employees  time to converse with coworkers who they otherwise have very little contact with. Helping out in a small way with the cost of food and drink is something that reps in the field will appreciate and is a perk which won’t break the bank.

3. Gas Supplement / Insurance Coverage

Gas can get expensive for employees who are on the road for the entire day. If it’s not possible to cover the entirety of the employee’s gas budget, consider supplementing their fuel consumption past a certain point. For example, an employer may offer $1 on every $2 of gas, or offer compensation based on the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Additionally, offering to pay the insurance costs associated with being on the road for most of the day can be helpful to employees who would otherwise have to shoulder these costs themselves. Transport-related expenses are usually not cheap, and so this perk may not always be an option for employers, but if at all feasible, employees will surely appreciate the gesture.

4. Mobile Device Coverage

A mobile employee’s smartphone or tablet is their office, communication, and personal assistant all-in-one. Ensuring that every mobile employee has a great smartphone or tablet with sufficient data and coverage should be a top priority for employers. In organizations that practice a BYOD policy, employers should cover the cost of data and insurance, but can let employees purchase their own device. If, however, employers want mobile employees to have a ‘work only’ phone, they can expect to shoulder the entire cost of the device and plan. Supplemented with a great software package, such as a Field Activity Management solution, managers can increase communication between reps in the field,  customer satisfaction, work quality, and more. A strong mobile device and software coupling is what makes a good mobile employee a great one.

5. Support

While this may not seem like a perk at first, and is certainly not something that would go down on paper, a strong support system can be incredibly reassuring for mobile employees in the field. Unexpected situations constantly arise when visiting clients or retailers, and mobile employees want to know that their manager has their back if they have difficulty resolving an issue. This means offering employees many different ways of communicating with managers and coworkers, providing feedback to employees, and if possible, going on the occasional ride-along with employees.

Choosing perks can be difficult for employers—they sometimes seem like a waste of money because their impact is rarely measured and management may feel like they are not seeing a return on their investment. At the end of the day however, an organization with happy employees will almost always perform to a higher standard than a group of disgruntled mobile workers. Keeping employees, customers, and management happy is possible, and may only require a small investment.