This blog post was updated on August 27, 2024.
Effective internal communication is crucial for any organization, but it becomes even more vital when dealing with deskless employees. These are the employees who work outside the traditional office setting, such as frontline workers, field service technicians, retail staff, and healthcare professionals. Despite their crucial roles, deskless employees often face significant challenges when it comes to receiving timely and relevant information from their employers.
One of the primary obstacles in communicating with deskless employees is their physical separation from the central office and their lack of access to traditional communication channels like email or intranet. Additionally, their work environments can be dynamic and fast-paced, making it difficult to stay informed and engaged with company updates and initiatives.
This article aims to provide practical and creative internal communication ideas specifically tailored for deskless employees. By implementing these strategies, organizations can bridge the communication gap, improve employee engagement, foster a stronger company culture, and ultimately drive better business outcomes.
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Understanding deskless employees
Deskless employees are a vital part of the workforce, often overlooked when it comes to internal communication strategies. These employees do not have a dedicated desk or workstation and are typically mobile or on-site workers, such as field service technicians, retail associates, healthcare professionals, delivery personnel, and manufacturing line workers.
One of the primary challenges in communicating with deskless employees is their lack of consistent access to traditional communication channels like email or intranet portals. They are constantly on the move, working in different locations, and may not have regular access to computers or corporate networks. This makes it difficult to keep them informed, engaged, and aligned with company updates, policies, and initiatives.
Additionally, deskless employees often face unique communication needs based on their job roles and work environments. For example, frontline retail associates may require real-time updates on promotions, inventory levels, and customer service protocols, while field service technicians might need access to technical manuals, safety guidelines, and job scheduling information.
Effective communication with deskless employees is crucial for several reasons:
1. Employee engagement: Keeping deskless employees informed and involved in company matters can foster a sense of belonging and boost morale, leading to higher engagement and productivity.
2. Operational efficiency: Clear and timely communication ensures that deskless employees have the information they need to perform their jobs effectively, reducing errors, improving customer service, and enhancing overall operational efficiency.
3. Compliance and safety: Communicating important policies, procedures, and safety protocols is essential for maintaining compliance and ensuring the well-being of deskless employees, especially in industries with strict regulations or hazardous working conditions.
4. Company culture: Effective communication helps reinforce company values, culture, and branding, creating a sense of unity and shared purpose among all employees, regardless of their location or job role.
To address these unique challenges and needs, organizations must adopt tailored communication strategies specifically designed for deskless employees. These strategies should leverage mobile-friendly technologies, visual communication methods, and interactive platforms to ensure that important information reaches deskless employees in a timely and engaging manner.
13 Internal communication ideas for deskless teams
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1. Mobile-friendly communication tools
With the increasing prevalence of smartphones, leveraging mobile-friendly communication tools ensures that deskless employees can access important updates and information anytime, anywhere.
Examples of mobile communication tools that can be beneficial for deskless employees include:
1. Employee apps: Customized employee apps can be developed to cater to the specific needs of deskless employees, offering features like shift scheduling, task management, training modules, and communication channels.
2. Messaging apps: Apps like WhatsApp, Slack, or Microsoft Teams can facilitate instant communication, group chats, and file sharing, making it easier for deskless employees to stay connected and collaborate.
3. Push notifications: Mobile push notifications can be used to send important updates, reminders, or alerts directly to employees' devices, ensuring that critical information is received promptly.
4. Mobile-optimized intranets: A mobile-friendly intranet or employee portal can provide deskless employees with easy access to company news, policies, schedules, and other important resources from their mobile devices.
2. Video messages and updates
Utilizing video messages can capture the attention of deskless employees more effectively, delivering messages in a more engaging and relatable manner.
When it comes to creating effective video content for deskless employees, there are several tips to keep in mind:
📹 Keep it concise: Deskless employees often have limited time and attention spans, so it's crucial to keep videos short and focused. Aim for videos that are no longer than 2-3 minutes, and ensure that the key messages are conveyed clearly and concisely.
📹 Prioritize quality: While professional-grade equipment is not always necessary, it's important to ensure that videos are of high quality in terms of lighting, audio, and visual appeal. Poor production quality can detract from the message and undermine the credibility of the content.
📹 Incorporate visuals and graphics: Enhance the video's visual appeal and clarity by incorporating relevant graphics, animations, or on-screen text. This can help reinforce key points and make the content more engaging and memorable.
📹 Encourage interaction: Whenever possible, encourage deskless employees to interact with the video content. This could involve prompting them to leave comments, share their thoughts, or participate in discussions related to the video's topic.
📹 Optimize for mobile: Since deskless employees often rely on mobile devices, it's crucial to ensure that videos are optimized for mobile viewing. This includes using responsive design, vertical video formats, and considering data usage limitations.
📹 Leverage storytelling: Effective videos often incorporate elements of storytelling, using narratives, real-life examples, or employee testimonials to make the content more relatable and engaging.
📹 Promote and repurpose: Once a video is created, promote it through various channels to maximize its reach and impact. Additionally, consider repurposing the content into other formats, such as written summaries, social media posts, or podcasts, to cater to different preferences and consumption habits.
3. Interactive employee newsletters
Creating interactive employee newsletters is an effective way to engage deskless workers and ensure important information reaches them. Traditional, static newsletters can often feel impersonal and one-way, leading to low engagement and retention of information. By incorporating interactive elements, you can transform your newsletters into dynamic, two-way communication channels that encourage participation and foster a sense of community.
Here are two easy ways to get you started:
✔️ Include interactive quizzes, polls or surveys. These elements not only help gauge employee sentiment and gather valuable feedback but also encourage active participation and make the content more memorable.
✔️ Incorporate multimedia elements. Think video, animations, infographics, clickable links or QR codes that direct employees to additional resources.
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4. Employee recognition programs
Deskless employees are often the unsung heroes of an organization, working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure smooth operations and excellent customer service. However, due to their remote or mobile nature, they can easily feel disconnected from the company culture and overlooked for their contributions.
Implementing an effective employee recognition program is crucial for boosting morale, fostering a sense of belonging, and retaining top talent among this segment of the workforce.
Here are some quick ways to recognize your deskless employees:
- Peer-to-peer recognition initiatives
- Points-based recognition system
- Celebrating milestones and achievements together
- Personal gestures
5. Digital signage and noticeboards
Digital signage and noticeboards areuseful for sharing real-time updates and important information with deskless employees. These visual displays can be strategically placed in high-traffic areas, break rooms, or workspaces where deskless employees congregate, ensuring that critical messages are visible and accessible.
Using digital signage allows for instant updates and the ability to share dynamic content, such as news, announcements, safety reminders, or recognition of employee achievements. This real-time communication ensures that deskless employees are kept informed and engaged, even if they don't have regular access to email or other digital channels.
6. Virtual town halls and Q&A sessions
Virtual town halls and Q&A sessions are powerful tools for fostering engagement and open communication with deskless employees. These digital events offer a convenient and accessible platform for employees to connect with leadership, ask questions, and receive real-time updates and information.
Tips to organize effective Q&A sessions
❓ Promote the event: Utilize various communication channels to promote the virtual town hall and Q&A session well in advance, ensuring maximum participation.
❓ Gather questions beforehand: Encourage employees to submit questions beforehand, allowing you to prepare comprehensive answers and streamline the Q&A process.
❓ Moderate questions: Assign a moderator to review and prioritize questions, ensuring the most relevant and pressing concerns are addressed.
❓ Provide clear instructions: Clearly communicate the process for asking questions during the live event, whether through a chat function, raising hands virtually, or other methods.
❓ Follow up: After the event, share a recording or transcript of the Q&A session, and follow up on any unanswered questions or action items.
7. Use gamification in your internal communications
Gamification is the application of game-like elements, such as points, badges, leaderboards, and rewards, to non-game contexts. When applied to internal communications, gamification can be a powerful tool to boost engagement, motivation, and participation among deskless employees.
By tapping into the natural human desire for competition, achievement, and recognition, gamification strategies can transform routine or mundane tasks into enjoyable and rewarding experiences. This approach can incentivize deskless employees to actively engage with company communications, training materials, and initiatives.
Here are a few unique gamification strategies to get you started:
- Implement a points-based system, where employees earn points for completing specific actions or tasks related to internal communications;
- Incorporate badges or achievements for specific milestones or accomplishments;
- Gamify your employee recognition programs, so that employees can earn points or badges for demonstrating desired behaviors or achieving performance goals;
- Integrate gamification elements into your internal communication platforms or mobile apps to make the experience more engaging and interactive.
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8. Leverage peer-to-peer communication platforms
Encouraging peer-to-peer communication among deskless employees can foster a sense of community, facilitate knowledge sharing, and improve overall engagement. By providing platforms that enable direct communication between colleagues, organizations can empower their deskless workforce to collaborate, exchange ideas, and support one another.
There are a few tools that can help you get started:
- Employee apps with instant messaging functionality. Employee apps allow deskless employees to connect, chat, and share updates or files in real-time, regardless of their physical location.
- Internal social networks or employee communities. These networks encourage employees to share updates, ask questions, and engage in discussions, fostering a sense of belonging and collaboration.
- Dedicated peer-to-peer recognition platforms. This is where employees can publicly acknowledge and appreciate their colleagues' efforts, fostering a positive and supportive work culture.
Learn more about the best internal communication tools for deskless workers.
9. Storytelling and employee spotlights
Storytelling can help humanize your internal communications and foster a deeper connection with your deskless employees. By sharing relatable stories and experiences, you can make your messaging more engaging, memorable, and impactful.
One effective way to leverage storytelling is through employee spotlights.
Employee spotlights are short profiles that highlight the achievements, experiences, or personal stories of individual employees. Employee spotlights not only recognize and celebrate your team members but also help create a sense of community and shared identity within your organization.
When creating employee spotlights, consider featuring individuals from different departments, roles, or locations to showcase the diversity of your workforce. You can highlight their career journeys, unique challenges they've overcome, or interesting hobbies and passions outside of work. These personal stories can help deskless employees feel more connected to the company and their colleagues, even if they don't interact with them directly.
Additionally, you can use employee spotlights to reinforce your company's values, culture, and mission. By sharing stories that exemplify these principles, you can inspire and motivate your deskless employees to embody those values in their daily work.
Some ideas for engaging employee spotlights include:
- Short video interviews or profiles
- Q&A-style written features
- Photo essays or visual stories
- Employee-contributed blog posts or articles
- Social media takeovers or live Q&A sessions
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10. Feedback mechanisms and surveys
Gathering feedback from deskless employees is crucial for understanding their needs, concerns, and perspectives. By actively seeking input, organizations can identify areas for improvement, address issues promptly, and foster a culture of open communication. Feedback mechanisms and surveys provide a structured way to collect valuable insights from this often-overlooked workforce segment.
Here are a few ways to start gathering feedback from your deskless employees today:
- User-friendly feedback tools (such as mobile apps, dedicated hotlines, or web-based platforms).
- Mobile-friendly surveys on topics like job satisfaction, workplace conditions, training needs, and more.
- Regular pulse surveys or shorter, more frequent check-ins to provide real-time insights into employee sentiment.
11. Training and development programs
Providing accessible and engaging training opportunities is crucial for keeping deskless employees informed, skilled, and motivated. Traditional classroom-based training may not be feasible or convenient for this workforce segment.
Explore alternative methods to deliver training content effectively:
- Leverage mobile learning platforms or apps that allow employees to access training modules on their smartphones or tablets. This ensures training is available anytime, anywhere, fitting seamlessly into their schedules.
- Create bite-sized, microlearning content to enable deskless employees to consume information in short bursts during breaks or downtime.
- Develop interactive video-based training courses. Videos can be engaging, visually appealing, and easily digestible.
Regardless of the delivery method, effective training programs for deskless employees should prioritize:
✔️ Accessibility: Ensure training materials are easily accessible on various devices and platforms, catering to the mobile nature of deskless work.
✔️ Relevance: Tailor content to the specific roles, responsibilities, and challenges faced by deskless employees, making it directly applicable to their day-to-day tasks.
✔️ Engagement: Incorporate interactive elements, gamification, or multimedia to maintain interest and promote active learning.
✔️ Flexibility: Offer self-paced or on-demand training options to accommodate varying schedules and work environments.
✔️ Continuous improvement: Regularly update and refresh training content to reflect changes in processes, regulations, or best practices.
Get more actionable tips to develop an effective e-learning program for your deskless workforce.
12. Social media and internal social networks
Leveraging social media platforms can be an effective way to improve communication with deskless employees. These platforms are already widely used and familiar to many, making them an accessible and engaging communication channel.
Companies can opt for one of two strategies:
- Create dedicated internal social media groups or pages specifically for deskless employees, fostering a sense of community and facilitating real-time updates, discussions, and knowledge sharing.
and/or
- Implement internal social networks tailored to their workforce. These allow deskless employees to connect, collaborate, and stay informed about company news, updates, and initiatives.
13. Visual and infographic content
Visuals and infographics can help effectively convey complex information to deskless employees in an engaging and easy-to-understand manner. By presenting data, processes, or instructions through visuals, you can break down barriers and ensure that your message resonates with your audience.
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