Impeding communication gaps between head office and frontline/deskless workers will continue to grow, and be a massive barrier to equality of employee experience (EX), if not addressed properly.
Despite the fact that a staggering 80% of the global workforce today is deskless, internal communication strategies to date have predominantly focused on engaging desk-bound employees. This group has regular access to traditional technologies that the 'digitally detached' and frontline workforce typically goes without; such as email, collaborative work applications, intranet and social media.
While many deskless workers use email, they may not have access to their devices or accounts on the job; and may be unable to catch up on important company announcements until after-hours and away from the workplace. This creates a massive disconnect between the executive team, the desk-bound employee, and their deskless counterparts.
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If this wasn't enough, leadership also often deploys an "ivory tower" means of communications that only touts corporate propaganda and isn't tailored to the nuanced audiences and various departments, roles, and geographies that span a business. In fact, a 2021 survey found that while 86% of leaders say they're sending meaningful communications to their workers, 59% of workers say the communications they receive aren't useful. All of these factors create a perfect storm for a disengaged and toxic workplace — and clearly, there's a lot of work to do.
Considering the worker strife, economic headwinds, and an empowered labor force demanding more from their employers in 2022 — corporations need to demonstrate that they hear, value, and support both deskless and desk-based employees equally more than ever before.
Looking ahead, those that carefully curate their communication landscapes that meet their employees where they are and with the information they need, delivered via fit-for-purpose, 'frontline-first' channels and processes; will more effectively bridge that gap between all parties and find the most success down the line.
Mark McDermott, CEO and co-founder of ScreenCloud
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