Empowering the deskless workforce: From the edge to the enterprise

A wake-up call from the frontline

Deskless workers make up the majority of the global workforce, yet they remain digitally underserved and emotionally disconnected. Despite their critical roles in keeping operations running, their needs and experiences are often unintentionally overlooked in digital transformation efforts.

Exhibit 1: Why deskless workers can’t be unseen, underserved, and under-equipped anymore

Source: HFS Research, 2025, Boston Consulting Group, Gallup

Deskless roles span industries, employment models, and generations. Millennial workers are experiencing rising levels of burnout, driven by the pressures of work and family life. Older workers, particularly baby boomers, have institutional knowledge but are increasingly at risk as they near retirement. Gen Z is entering the workforce with strong expectations around purpose, recognition, and values alignment. Addressing the needs of such a wide-ranging group requires more than generic tools or broad-brush policies (see Exhibit 1).

This report identifies the critical design levers for significantly enhancing deskless worker effectiveness. The insights are drawn from:

• A dual-perspective survey of 605 deskless workers and 102 enterprise leaders.
• An in-person HFS roundtable, supported by Birlasoft, convening a curated group of HR, technology, and operations leaders from manufacturing, life sciences, consumer goods, energy, and healthcare to explore actionable strategies and proven approaches for engaging deskless workers.

Three themes emerged clearly from the study:

• It’s about empowerment, not just access: Technology that isn’t embedded in real workflows or accessible in real time creates more friction than value.
• AI is about trust, not rollout: AI can be a powerful enabler of deskless worker success. However, to drive real adoption and trust, enterprises must actively address concerns around surveillance and job substitution.
• Culture should be ‘operationalized’: Recognition, fairness, and inclusion must move from slogans to metrics and behaviors.

The good news is that 68% of executives plan to increase investments in deskless worker initiatives over the next two years (see Exhibit 2). These investments can deliver transformative value with a renewed focus on usability, inclusion, and experience design.

Exhibit 2: From investment to impact—simplifying work for deskless employees

Sample: 605 Deskless Workers and 102 Executive Participants
Source: HFS Research, 2025

Ultimately, empowering deskless workers is not about re-architecting how work is fundamentally experienced and supported. It starts by putting their needs not at the edge but at the center of enterprise transformation.