A quote from the Human Resources Today article How connection drives employee engagement:
“With the recent shift of many employees working remotely, the connection seems to be universally craved now more than ever before. Connection is, in fact, a basic human need, residing on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs just above physical safety. And yet, research shows that 40% of employees feel isolated at work, leading to lower employee engagement.”
What exactly is meant by connection in the workplace? The article gives an inspiring definition:
“(…) the feeling of being part of a community engaged in something bigger than any one person. There is a sense of belonging to the organization and the people around you. There is a deep sense not only of social camaraderie but of kinship, shared culture, values, customers, and mission.”
How can we realize this sense of connection in the contemporary business world, where desk-less workers constitute 80% of the global workforce?
New challenges ask for new tools. A growing number of companies use employee communication apps to connect with their workforce on their mobile devices.
There is another reason why mobile apps are ideal – if not indispensable – for connection with your employees, and that is they expect no less.
Smartphones are the appliance of choice in the modern world. Smartphone usage statistics suggest that an average person spends 2 hours and 51 minutes on their mobile device. Your employees have great experiences with the apps they love, and as an employer, you should try to give them that same experience.
Relying on an intranet for internal communication has become just as outdated as working in a horse-drawn carriage. And which company wants to be seen as a dinosaur by its employees?
A versatile employee app offers a wealth of features to communicate and connect with your employees wherever they work. Features that help increase engagement in a way no other means of communication can achieve.
Seven ways to boost employee engagement through a communication app
1. Make the lives of your employees more convenient.
Like you, your employees are very busy, and they are looking for easy ways to be efficient and get the best out of their job. Maximize the reach of your messages with an employee app that is easily distributed via App Store and Google Play for quick adoption. Push notifications allow for easy access to high priority updates and instant delivery of information.
2. Distribute personalized content.
Deliver personalized content experiences by tailoring your messages to your employees' specific needs. Subdivide individuals and share relevant messages in custom groups based on region, location, team, and role. Give your employees the freedom to view news, updates, and comments in their preferred language. Make them feel special.
3. Deliver a seamless experience
Tailor your employees' experience to the look and feel of your brand. Create a fully customizable environment that is familiar to your employees. Make each update, latest news, and polls an exceptional experience for your team.
4. Assess and optimize
Set up and share polls to collect feedback in live time. Ask your employees about the latest training session or how they enjoyed their onboarding. Be open to feedback, and remember to make it an enjoyable experience for everyone.
5. Get a performance overview
Monitor read acknowledgment and get an outline of how your content is performing. When you publish important updates, ask your employees to actively acknowledge that they have read your content, and gather information on what your employees enjoy the most.
6. Identify internal ambassadors.
Track down employees who contribute to your internal branding, reward excited users, and build upon community engagement.
7. Build upon competitiveness
People get motivated by seeing how their team performs next to another one. Gather analytics on how different teams or departments are engaging and share the winners publicly. You will be amazed at how excited people will get to outdo their peers.
Conclusion
Mobile apps offer a world of opportunities to connect with your workforce. They allow companies to inform, motivate, and monitor their staff with targeted content. And for employees, they provide the consumer-like experience they have come to expect. With its ease of use and many in-built features, a mobile app is the number one contemporary tool to boost employee engagement and performance.
For more information on building more lasting and loyal relationships with your employees, check out this research study!