Software can target needs of ‘deskless workers’ in nonprofit sector

• Published date: 01 October 2020
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/nba.30853
• Date: 01 October 2020

OCTOBER 2020 NONPROFIT BUSINESS ADVISOR

5

© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC • All rights reserved

DOI: 10.1002/nba

Industry News

Software can target needs of ‘deskless workers’

in nonprot sector

Although the private sector has embraced technol-

ogy and the broader concept of digital transforma-

tion in the workplace, the nonprot sector has been

slow to do so. For a variety of reasons— including

an aversion to spending too heavily on technology

when many funders expect most of their money to

go directly to programming—nonprots have limit-

ed investments in their hardware and software, even

though data show that such investments can make a

big difference in employee productivity.

In fact, new research from software company

Skedulo shows that nonprots could benet greatly

from certain digital technologies that address the

unique needs of nonprot employees, many of whom

work outside a traditional ofce environment — so-

called deskless workers. Nonprot Business Advisor

recently spoke with Matt Fairhurst, Skedulo’s CEO,

about the company’s research and how the charitable

sector can make use of productivity software target-

ing this slice of its workforce.

Q: The research your rm has conducted focuses on

“deskless” workers. What types of workers/positions

does that encompass within the nonprot eld?

A: Deskless workers are dened as remote or front-

line workers who don’t work in a traditional ofce set-

ting. This growing segment of individuals represents

the majority of workers in nonprot organizations,

particularly those in the eld, including disaster relief

aids, child care workers, food service professionals,

animal shelter volunteers, mobile phlebotomists,

home care and hospice professionals, remote medical

staff, trainers, educators, park and museum guides,

event volunteers, etc.

Q: For the typical small nonprot, what percentage

of staff would fall into that category? How about large

nonprots?

A: In smaller nonprots where ofce and admin-

istrative support is lightest, deskless workers can

represent 80–90% of the workforce. Larger nonprots

are more balanced, but deskless workers still make

up the majority of the workforce, typically 55–-65%.

Q: What is the current state of technology for desk-

less nonprot staff? What types of software do they

have at their disposal?

A: Nonprot organizations are generally viewed as

late adopters of technology, so oftentimes their basic

tools have been handed down over the years. Most

organizations have the fundamentals including email,

calendaring, a customer relationship management

system, and basic word-processing and spreadsheet

capabilities, using tools such as Microsoft Ofce or

recently, Google Suite.

Q: On the other hand, what tech are they lacking?

And why are they lacking it?

A: There are three tech areas eluding many non-

prots today: The rst is security. Most cost-con-

scious nonprots invest only in the basics, skipping

comprehensive security solutions that fully protect

systems and networks from being compromised,

such as encryption, virus protection, and authenti-

cation capabilities like multi-factor authentication. A

more obvious and recent hole in a typical nonprot

technology stack is videoconferencing/video-chat

software such as Zoom. Nonprots have simply been

late to this digital transformation party. Lastly, most

nonprots have yet to invest in sophisticated schedul-

ing capabilities that allow organizations to optimize

the services they provide, ensuring that volunteers,

clinicians, and specialists are automatically matched

with the right job at the right time. These dynamic

systems were rst introduced in larger nonprots

such as the American Red Cross, but they are now

becoming more common across nonprots large and

small world-wide.

Q: How would new software/tech platforms help

nonprots in pursuing their missions?

A: A typical mission for nonprots involves impact,

giving back, and actually making the world a better

place. Software like that offered by Skedulo, which

serves the deskless workforce improves nonprot

productivity and the effectiveness and availability of

their staff, thus, improving operations and helping

optimize the bottom line. Also, a more available and

productive staff means more time spent fundraising.

Q: Is there any data on return on investment? What

is the cost compared to dollar value of improved

productivity?

(See SOFTWARE on page 8)