As society has become more technologically mobile, bring your own device policies (BYOD) have become more popular with employees and employers. Professionals appreciate BYOD opportunities because it provides the convenience of using their own familiar device, access to the latest technology, work flexibility and/or work-life balance. Employers can benefit from BYOD's cost savings, potential increased productivity, and employee devices that supply the latest technologies. However, there are also disadvantages. A business's data security can be at risk and some professionals can't detach themselves from their devices, which leads them to feel like they're constantly on call. Do BYOD advantages outweigh the risks? Are employers advertising BYOD to attract talent? 

From January 2012 to June 2013, job ads that highlighted BYOD opportunities were on the rise, according to data from WANTED Analytics. However, since then, the number of job ads mentioning BYOD seems to have leveled off. In September, about 300 employers listed BYOD opportunities in their job ads. Employers that most commonly advertised BYOD policies include:

1. IBM
2. TrustWave
3. MobileIron
4. DELL
5. ExtraHop Networks
6. Computech Corporation
7. Cisco
8. Enid Public Schools
9. World Wide Technology

IBM listed BYOD as a perk more often than other companies. BYOD was offered mostly by businesses in the professional, scientific, and technical services sector, particularly in the computer systems design services industry. This tactic may be used by tech companies as a way to separate themselves from the pack and appeal to hard-to-fill tech talent. IBM was among the businesses with most demand for IT professionals. BYOD was most commonly advertised in the following job ads:

SOURCE: WANTED Analytics

BYOD was most frequently mentioned in Network and Computer Systems Administrator job ads. This and many of other jobs listed are all likely to be hard-to-fill according to our Hiring Scale. The Hiring Scale scores jobs on a range of 1 to 99, with 99 meaning hardest-to-fill. Most of the jobs listed above scored between a 72 and 93, suggesting very difficult recruiting conditions are likely. This supports the idea that employers may be listing BYOD in their job ad as a way to appeal to candidates for jobs that are hard-to-fill. 

Are you considering offering BYOD or other perks in your job ad? If you are currently doing so, is this effective in attracting talent?