At many companies, internal communications is complicated by the fact that not all employees sit behind a desk working on computers. Some may be the face of the company at retail locations, stocking shelves and interacting with customers. Others might work at manufacturing plants in assembly lines or in warehouses. Others might spend a lot of their working time on the road.
So as an internal communications professional, how can you do frontline employee communications well, ensuring that workers at every level of the organization have the messaging they need to do their jobs well while feeling connected and engaged? Fortunately, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. At Tryane, we understand the importance of frontline employee communications because we are focused on helping you make the most of your internal communication efforts. Here, we’ll cover some examples of what great frontline employee communications looks like, giving you tried-and-proven ways to support frontline staff through effective messaging.
Use Phone-Based Apps
Employees who are on the go, as opposed to sitting in front of a computer for eight or more hours a day, are likely to miss internal messaging simply because they do not have time to check email or company intranet. That’s why choosing a communication method that is mobile-friendly and easy to access on the go matters here. Fortunately, many formerly desktop-centric applications now have mobile-friendly counterparts. Consider Yammer, an enterprise social media solution that can be easily accessed from any internet-connected device or smartphone.
Microsoft, the maker of Yammer, deployed Yammer to thousands of frontline employees who did not have corporate email accounts. These workers are distributed globally and grouped by their geographic location and roles. That meant that internal communications professionals could send quick, easy-to-access messages that were specifically targeted to different frontline employee groups.
Meanwhile, furniture giant IKEA put Microsoft Teams in the hands of its frontline workers. The company used Teams, which can also be accessed via a mobile app, to connect workers in their stores and warehouses, facilitate communication between employees and strengthen the company culture. The shift scheduling tool within the app also allows employees to easily and quickly pull up their schedules on the go.
Because frontline employees may lack access to a computer during work hours, using applications like Teams and Yammer that can be accessed via mobile devices can help companies with messaging such as
1. Performance Boosting
Did you know that employees who feel heard tend to perform better at work? Because of the nature of frontline work, these employees may feel like their voices aren’t being heard or don’t matter. Yet, they may have valuable ideas to share and knowledge to pass on to less seasoned workers. Getting frontline workers on a digital workspace like Teams means they can connect with each other across the organization to collaborate and share information.
2. Top-Level Messaging
Employees who are on the front lines of businesses often feel disconnected from members of the leadership team. Yet, enterprise communication apps available on mobile devices present a great opportunity to deliver messaging from the top all the way down that helps employees feel like they are all part of the same team, and ensure that important business goals and decisions are understood across the entire organization.
3. Crisis Communications
When frontline employees need information about a developing crisis, they need it fast, and they need it in a way that is easily digestible so it makes sense to employees who may be multi-tasking or otherwise frazzled. Being able to deliver information with clarity and in a timely manner helps frontline employees understand what is expected of them during crises to ensure smooth business continuity and personnel safety at all times.
Measure Effectiveness
Internal communications is often something that corporate communications professionals do on gut instinct. But when it comes to communicating with frontline employees, many of the rules that apply to communicating with those who are office-based should go out the window. Short-burst messages that get people excited and engaging with the content and one another are critical, but equally important is measuring your frontline employee communications.
That’s where Tryane comes in. Tryane gives you the ability to understand how employees are using mobile communications apps like Yammer, including those who use those apps on their mobile devices, to help them make the most out of such tools. Get a clear understanding of
- How employees are communicating with each other on Yammer
- What groups of employees are making the best use of the mobile communication apps and why
- What kind of messaging is most effective for creating engagement
- Who is most active on Yammer
- What people on the front lines, who are interacting with customers on a daily basis, are saying internally about the organization.
Ensuring frontline employees are on the receiving end of robust internal communications can help ensure compliance with important rules and regulations, understanding of business objectives and the role they play in meeting those, and keep employees feeling like part of the team.
Frontline employees are responsible for the experience consumers have when they interact with a company’s brand. Companies with staff who are more engaged with and connected to their organizations tend to have higher rates of customer loyalty than their competitors. A better customer experience and customer loyalty lead to a healthier bottom line.
With such insights, you can get a deep sense of how well your frontline employee communications are working and find new ways to engage employees who are not physically in an office. That way, when you have something to say, you know that everyone who needs to to will hear it. Contact Tryane today to learn how we can help you make the best use of Yammer.