Communication could be the key to engagement in 2020

Even in ordinary circumstances, culture and engagement is renowned for being particularly challenging terrain for HR leaders to traverse. However, with the seismic change brought about by the pandemic in 2020, this is a more complex challenge than ever before.

With the meteoric rise of flexible and remote working, organizations must pivot their communication strategy in order to engage employees, maintain wellbeing and productivity, and ultimately influence company culture.

The direct impact of good communication

Communication is undoubtedly one of the key tenets of our existence, but to what extent does this translate to the modern working environment, and ultimately lead to greater engagement?

In short, communicating directly with every single employee allows for a feeling of connectedness among the workforce. With 65% of U.S. employees surveyed saying they would work from home full-time post-COVID if given the option, this could be crucial in terms of the overall success and productivity of the business.

In addition to feeling supported and cared for, a vigilant approach to communication can leave remote workers feeling more in-tune with the company’s purpose and initiatives, allowing them to become more engaged and productive.

But how should HR leaders approach this? Employee Communications & The Work-From-Anywhere Revolution, the latest report from Limeade, posits that no platform is better suited to such initiatives than mobile.

Needless to say, this is a tried and tested format that very much lends itself to remote working, allowing leaders to more effectively encourage listening, participation, collaboration, and overall corporate reach.

According to Employee Communications & The Work-From-Anywhere Revolution, here are some of the ways to facilitate communications in this new climate:

Build a digital culture to reach all employees

Digital communication can be erratic and disorganized. One of the core aims should be to replicate the office experience, and so a glaring lack of structure and routine can be detrimental for productivity and engagement.

To this end, optimizing your communication channels for mobile usage could be the answer. This will allow leaders to establish a consistent and effective stream of communication with all employees, and avoid leaving a portion of the workforce uninformed.

According to a Frost & Sullivan survey from 2016, 72% of all employees already use mobile devices for work. This, combined with the fact that the use of portable devices for work saves employees 58 minutes per day whilst increasing productivity by 34%, demonstrates that embracing technology is no longer optional.

Take a comprehensive approach

It’s important to consider that workplace communication spans far beyond a conventional, verbal approach. In order to effectively adapt to the changing times, organizations must adopt a more comprehensive outlook on communication.

For instance, in attempting to foster a culture of wellbeing, the company can turn its attention to a series of physical, emotional and financial activities to promote the cause.

To go a step further, this approach can expand into an internal ecosystem, whereby the company partners with wellbeing providers to deliver a higher quality experience.

Not only does this have the potential to foster improved communication and connection across the business, but it also addresses and strengthens engagement and the employee experience as a whole.

Connect your deskless employees to the broader organization

The aforementioned concept of an internal ‘ecosystem’ is one worth exploring more when it comes to communicating with remote employees.

To offset the stress and confusion of transitioning to a digital working environment, organizations should turn to a simple, secure and centralized communication hub for all company correspondence.

Not only does this function on an ease and convenience level, but it also allows employees to feel more grounded and connected to a home base.

The use cases of such an approach can include

• Surveys and polls for measuring employee satisfaction and wellbeing
• Sharing business news and updates to build employee trust and allow workers to feel more connected to the company vision
• Delivering relevant, personalized content to employees based on their particular interests.

How a mobile app can help to establish efficient communication with deskless workers

The power of mobile phone technology in the 21^st century is not to be underestimated. In one sense, this is a common piece of equipment that everyone has on their person at all times, but from another perspective, this is a powerful tool for organizations to harness.

Whether it’s a corporate announcement, a leadership message or an employee achievement story, this information can reach every worker instantaneously.

In leveraging this technology, organizations can obtain the ability and the agility to remove delays, and deliver fast, timely updates to every employee, allowing them to feel a greater sense of connectivity and engagement.

Limeade Well-Being is one such service with the capacity to offer these benefits. The features of the app include:

• A personalized benefits wallet
• Exercises and information for onboarding
• Office and business updates
• Content from service providers
• Annual leave balances
• Company policy information,
• Wellbeing programme updates
• New activities.

For more information on the importance of a revised communication strategy during an era of digital working, in addition to the potential benefits of adopting a company-wide mobile app, download Employee Communications & The Work-From-Anywhere Revolution here.

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HRD Connect Curators of the New Business Landscape. HRD Connect produces industry-recognized content for senior HR leaders. Through articles, case studies, Q&As, podcasts, events, and more, we offer truly progressive and cutting-edge insights designed to help people leaders address core HR challenges and add greater value to their business.

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