Most companies have policies in place that prohibit the use of smartphones while on the clock. However, for one company, that policy is changing, showing the world it’s a sign of the times!
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According to thenextweb.com, The New York Times is blocking its home page on all company computers for 1 week, so employees can get a sense of how the site looks and feels through a mobile device.
In an e-mail sent out to Times employees, the company said that more than half of their Web traffic is through mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets. So the company wants its employees to view the site through the eyes of a subscriber. Any employee who tries to access the home page through a company computer will be greeted with a message that tells the employee to view the site via their smartphone or tablet.
The Times made this push to get its employees aware of the importance mobile devices have on the medium. By having employees view the site through a mobile device, more of the staff will become aware of the problems that can arise from mobile-related content, like formatting issues and font size—as well as offer up ideas on how to make the website more user-friendly.
This move may be a great idea in terms of content discovery but could potentially become an HR nightmare if there are no further policies in place that would monitor the use of employee mobile devices. You should probably stay tuned. I smell another HRSBT related to this article coming real soon!