Communication tools in the workplace today have come a long way from the era of faxes and dial-up internet. The communication tools we have access to are so advanced, they come with a whole new vernacular: nowadays, everyone is pinging, jumping on calls, and WFH-ing.
But for organizations with large, deskless workforces, common workplace communication tools might not be as successful as they are for other types of organizations. That’s because teams that are large and deskless come with their own particular needs, and in many cases, many of the common communication tools simply fall short, leaving employees feeling disengaged and distanced from their team.
When choosing employee communication tools for your large, deskless workforce, it’s important to know the most common ways they might miss the mark, and what features really make a difference IRL to your organization. Here’s why employee communication tools matter, and the most common pitfalls to look out for.
Why Do Employee Communication Tools Matter?
Employee communication tools are a major factor in the way teams not only speak to one another: they’re also hugely influential in the way teams work, and how productive they are. Particularly in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, which led to big shifts in the way the world works, employee communication tools are an integral part of the efficacy and cohesiveness of the workforce.
Of course, the pandemic accelerated and normalized remote work trends, with recent figures showing that more than half of Americans still have the opportunity to work from home at least one day a week. This also changed the landscape of employee communication tools, with researchers finding that the pandemic boosted the adoption of tech tools related to working from home. Today, the use of employee communication tools is incredibly widespread. And while in-person organizations rely on employee communication tools, these tools might even be more critical for large, deskless workforces.
Deskless Teams and Disengagement
The unfortunate reality is that deskless teams (especially large ones) are at fairly large risk of employee disengagement. That’s because these teams might be located all around the region, country, or even world, they don’t spend time at a central office or desk with a computer, and they might lack some of the standard communication setups that in-person teams have (like a company email address, for example).
If someone is working outside of an office setting without a desk or computer, the only way to keep them engaged, informed, and integrated is with effective employee communication tools that are tailored to their needs. Without them, it’s all-too-easy for these teams to become disengaged.
When employees are disengaged, it can lead to a wide array of problems, for both the individuals and organizations. Firstly, employee disengagement can be incredibly expensive. Surveys have found that disengagement costs employers an estimated $500 billion in the US annually, and that 51% of employees feel disconnected from, or unstimulated by, their work and are more likely to avoid going to the office. Not only that, but 86% of respondents of another survey cites poor communication as the main reason for company failures.
It’s clear that when communication is lacking, teams and their organizations suffer.
On the other hand, well-connected and communicative teams simply work better. Research from McKinsey found that well-connected teams can boost their productivity by up to 25%. Plus, almost 100% of workers say their work efficacy is impacted by communication on a daily basis.
5 Ways Communication Tools Fall Short
While employee communication tools can be powerful for keeping organizations cohesive and employees engaged, these tools are not all created equal. For example, standard employee communication tools might work well for your typical team: one that’s mostly in-office, or at least located in the same area, and who sees each other on a regular basis.
These employees are used to logging in, checking their company-issued email, and are well-versed in the standard suite of communication tools.
But for large, complex organizations (especially those which are deskless), it’s another story entirely. Without tailored communication tools which genuinely engage, interest, and provide useful HR services for your team, they’re going to be spending more time doing who-knows-what and drifting off, instead of feeling like an engaged and appreciated member of your team.
Plus, they’re far more likely to miss key messages and alerts, and neglect to take advantage of their most useful perks and benefits.
With that in mind, here are five ways standard workplace communication tools can fall short.
- They’re not suitable for employees unaccustomed to communication tools
Have you ever had a parent (or even grandparent, yikes) add you on Facebook or Instagram? If you have, then you know what it’s like when someone who isn’t used to a certain piece of tech decides to try it out just because “everyone” is doing it.
For deskless employees at large organizations, they simply might not be accustomed to certain types of communication tools, particularly if the tools are complex, desktop-centric, non-intuitive, and not-user friendly. They don’t need to use most of the features, and don’t understand how to use the rest.
Moral of the story: if you simply sign deskless employees up for the standard array of communication tools and hope they check in, you might find a lukewarm response and (mostly) radio silence.
- They’re not mobile-first
Many workplace communication tools are designed for the desktop, and it’s where they’re at their peak performance. When it comes to the mobile versions of these tools, they might indeed exist, but they might not be really ideal.
Notifications might be missed, interfaces might be confusing or missing elements, or certain aspects of the tool might only be accessible on the desktop version. This can be challenging for a deskless workforce, which might only have access to the mobile version of a tool.
These employees need to be able to not only navigate the mobile version of a communication tool, but actually enjoy it, and genuinely utilize its features.
- They’re not customizable by organization
Most workplace communication tools today are one-size-fits-all.
The communication tool stays as-is for every organization, regardless of which features your team actually uses.
Ultimately, this means your team members will have to comb through tabs and features they don’t use before they get to the good stuff, and the features they need most might be buried.
- Your team might miss key messages
Sure, communication tools in the workplace are meant for communication. But with a large, deskless workforce, it can be tough to actually ensure messages are being received, read, and understood.
Getting messages to the right people when they’re deskless can be downright challenging, especially if they don’t have a company email address. Sending out mass texts isn’t efficient, so what’s an organization to do to get a hold of their team members?
The truth is that certain solutions are better suited for large, deskless teams than others.
For example, when your organization uses Refresh, you’re able to really take control of your messaging. You can tailor your reach to geographies, behavioral groups, and individuals with intelligent tools, and use our powerful dashboard fissures to manage your messages with ease.
- They don’t genuinely engage employees
Most workplace communication tools are focused on one function: maybe they’re designed for video messaging, or sending instant messages, for example.
But your large, deskless workforce needs so much more than that. Aside from messaging and standard communication, they need to access information about their health plan, track their wellness reimbursements, fill out important surveys with ease, and keep track of employee perks and discounts.
And think about it: these extra perks and HR programs are designed to stimulate employee engagement, and are genuinely good at keeping employees happy.
Those are typically the core reasons why they’re implemented in the first place, and studies tell us that workers who like their perks and benefits are 4x more likely to be happy at work. But if employees aren’t able to access their benefits or perks, or don’t know about them in the first place, how effective are they really going to be?
When large, deskless organizations use communication tools that have HR features which are actually crucial to their employees, they’re bound to see more engagement.
Your Deskless Team Deserves a Communication Tool They’ll Actually Use
Your large, deskless organization isn’t like others. Your employees aren’t spending all day at a desk, plugged in and online. And that’s what makes your organization the powerhouse that it is.
But your deskless team still needs a world-class communication solution, one that acts as an asset to your organization, and is actually used by your team.
We’re Refresh, a comprehensive platform for the modern enterprise, that’s unlike any other.
Our integrated offering allows you to completely tailor your HR programs, and we combine live services with functional digital modules, covering everything from universal scheduling to rewards and perks.
Interested in seeing how Refresh will transform the way your team works? Schedule a demo with us today.