This article, co-authored with Adeeba Hussain first appeared on Influence, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, UK.
How to measure communications with frontline and non-desk workers.
Non-desk and frontline workers form the backbone of many industries, yet they often remain the most unappreciated and less engaged segments of the workforce. These workers, who are not tethered to a desk or office environment, include roles in retail, hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing and more. The 2018 Deskless Workforce report stated that 80% of the global workforce are non-desk or frontline workers. They interact directly with customers, operate crucial machinery and ensure the smooth functioning of daily operations.
Despite their critical roles, they are often the most unhappy and least trusting of leadership. According to the 2023 Deskless Report, 37% of frontline respondents said that fractured communication was very challenging to their day-to-day work.
Current communication practices and gaps
Many organisations attempt to engage their frontline non-desk workers but often fall short due to several key reasons:
- More than one in three frontline workers feel that the communications they receive are often irrelevant
- Many frontline workers lack access to traditional channels such as emails and intranet.
- Information is fractured, which can lead to inconsistencies and miscommunication.
Effective communication strategies
To effectively engage frontline non-desk workers, companies need to adopt tailored communication strategies:
- Since many workers use smartphones, companies should leverage mobile-friendly communication platforms such as apps and SMS. For example, deploying mobile apps that provide real-time updates, training materials, and feedback mechanisms can significantly improve engagement.
- Ensure that the content of communications is directly relevant eg operational updates, safety protocols, and recognition of individual and team achievements.
- Establish channels to provide feedback and share their ideas.
Case studies
The following research was gathered through interviews held with two internal communications professionals who work in-house for Yorkshire Housing, a housing association, and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. Both organisations have frontline and non-desk employees.
Both organisations are proactive in communicating with their frontline, non-desk employees through various channels (each method is not specific to one organisation).
How are frontline, and non-desk employees communicated to?
- An app for all employees, where communications are received in real-time by frontline, non-desk, and deskbound employees, via mobiles and laptops. Communication is tailored and segmented to each audience group deskless and deskbound.
- Company intranets.
- Weekly newsletters – both online and printed versions.
- Digital screens (TV screens in rest and break areas).
How is measurement conducted?
- Platform and channel metrics – open rates, how many views, and page-only views.
- Regular outreach conversations.
- Annual and pulse surveys.
- Colleague forums.
- Feedback via newsletters, online, hardcopy, verbal and, QR codes asking for views and suggestions.
- Listening – employee voice consultations.
The long-term vision is to measure the impact of the communication sent to frontline non-desk workers, to enable the organisations to deliver effective, continuously improved communication.
According to the IoIC 2024 Index, excellent internal communication helps increase retention rates for employees. An employee’s communication experience is impacted by the factor of whether they are deskbound or deskless. The report found those who spend most of their time in front of a laptop 63% rated their communication as excellent, whereas for those not connected only 55% rated communication as excellent.
The need for measuring communication effectiveness
Investing in measuring the effectiveness of communication directed at frontline workers is vital for several reasons:
- Measuring communication helps assess how engaged frontline workers are with the content they receive and, reveals gaps.
- By gauging communication metrics, organisations can tailor their strategies to better meet the needs of their frontline workers.
- Regularly measuring communication effectiveness allows organisations to continuously improve their strategies, making sure that frontline workers remain informed, engaged, and motivated.
Key takeaways
1. Frontline worker engagement is crucial to enhance customer experience, increase productivity, and reduce turnover.
2. A robust multiple-channel approach with content tailored to the different workers is key. Use the quantitative metrics from your online digital platforms to gather qualitative data to answer the why. The lack of accessible channels is a major obstacle to engaging frontline workers.
3. Regularly measuring communication effectiveness helps connect staff to the purpose, tailor strategies, and drive continuous improvement. Use line leaders to actively listen to deskless employees. Make use of the feedback to continuously improve communication, content, and storytelling.
4. Offer safe spaces for remote employees to have the opportunity to share their views on the communication they receive.
Non-desk and frontline workers play a pivotal role in many industries, and effective communication is essential to their engagement and satisfaction. By addressing current gaps and adopting tailored communication strategies, organisations can unlock the full potential of their frontline work. To communicate effectively, organisations are honour bound to continuously measure internal communication. This measurement is truly effective if all employee communication, including communication with non-desk and frontline workers, is measured at the same time.
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