If your employees want to use iPhones and Macs, you really should let them. That's the main message today coming from a Vanson Bourne survey commissioned by Jamf.

Employee choice remains an HR issue

The international survey asked 2,000 employees and 500 IT decision-makers how they felt about employee choice and the future of work. It found that as many as nine in 10 employees (89%) would take a pay cut to use their choice of device -and suggests that for many, the desire to have that choice may prompt them to seek work elsewhere.

Staff retention post-pandemic is critical. Microsoft recently warned that more than 40% of employees are considering leaving their jobs. In this context, anything that makes it easier to recruit or keep good people should be a key consideration. The Vanson Bourne data suggests choice schemes may help.

The survey also found 70% of respondents said they would be more likely to join a company given technology choice, while 75% are more likely to stay with a company that offers such choice.

An earlier Dice 2021 report confirmed these trends.

Apple grows in the enterprise

Apple's bid for enterprise IT remains solid, as when given that choice, 62% of employees would opt for Apple, the research said. This likely reflects the company's consistently high customer-satisfaction ratings.

"Employee experience is impacted by the technology they use more than ever before," said Jamf CEO Dean Hager. "Giving employees the choice of what technology they work on has incredible value, not only to workers, but to their organizations as well. Establishing a choice program with the right technology partners can help employers attract and retain talent, while boosting employee creativity and productivity."

The survey considered the platform experiences of Apple and non-Apple devices. It claims Apple users had a better experience with their chosen platform, reporting improvements in productivity (87%), self-sufficiency (87%), and creativity (86%) when using them. Two-thirds (66%) of respondents said that being forced to use a device that they did not choose would negatively impact their perception of the organization.

These trends seem to have caused Apple to become more aggressive in its bid for business from within the enterprise.

Reliable tech for remote teams

Looking to 2022, 62% of employees now expect to work from home and from the office, and just under half (47%) expect that to be how they work into 2025. The need to provide remote support for these teams stretched many early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

MDM solutions such as those from Jamf can help, but it is interesting how Apple's reputation for reliability supports the effort:

• More than half (55%) the IT decision-makers surveyed reported fewer issues managing Apple compared to non-Apple devices.
• Most (58%) described Apple devices as easier to secure, compared to 42% who felt the same about non-Apple devices.

This very much reflects a recent Apple-sponsored survey that claimed you'll save hundreds of dollars deploying Macs across a business in comparison to PCs.

Of course, enterprise leaders must understand that technology deployment is not merely a matter of throwing equipment at people. For best results, consideration must also extend to software compatibility, security protocols and cultural fit.

Emerging solutions for digital community

A sense of community is one of the biggest challenges to deliver in a hybrid/remote environment, which is where solutions such as Teamflow can help. Irish non-profit Grow Remote has created local hubs where remote employees can meet other remote workers to find some sense of community, while some Silicon Valley firms encourage staff to speak with others from beyond their team in virtual coffee chats. While it may be challenging, serendipity through random connection remains possible.

A copy of the Jamf-sponsored report is available here.

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