Firstup, the pioneer of the intelligent communication platform for the workforce, has officially published the results of its Deskless Communication Survey, which studied the challenges organizations face in effectively reaching deskless employees and how gaps in communication can have business-critical implications.
You see, despite deskless workers making up more than 80% of the global workforce, there remains an unresolved communication gap.
In that regard, Firstup would go on to survey a total 1,000 U.S. adults who are currently working in deskless roles. The results discovered that most of these workers feel disconnected from their organizations due to ineffective communication methods.
Talk about the results on a slightly deeper level, we begin from how frontline workers are largely unable to access critical information. Here, an estimated one-third (32%) of all respondents said their organization is less effective at communicating with them compared to office-based employees. On the other hand, one in four workers revealed they do not know where to find critical information, and a separate contingent of 22% said there are too many places to look.
Next up, Firstup’s report discovered that organizations are often sending frontline workers poorly-timed, irrelevant information. The same was made evident by more than half (53%) respondents who said company-wide updates are only somewhat relevant to their roles, with 21% considering them as entirely irrelevant. If not the problem of relevance, 39% of deskless employees reported that messages often arrive at inconvenient times.
Moving on, the survey in question also found organizations to be too reliant on email. It reached upon this conclusion after learning that almost 69% of organizations rely primarily on email. Even with that being the case, well over half (54%) of deskless workers reported having limited email access.
On top of that, 32% respondents claimed they feel too busy to engage with company updates, which are frequently overlooked as non-urgent when delivered via email.
Another detail worth a mention is rooted in the prospect of communication barriers impacting employee engagement. Here, 24% of respondents revealed that ineffective communication leaves them feeling disconnected from company culture, and on the flipside, a majority (61%) deemed receiving more timely and relevant updates as something which can significantly improve their work performance.
“There’s still a fundamental gap in how organizations connect deskless workers with information they need when they need it” said Nicole Alvino, CEO of Firstup. “This disconnect erodes trust, then performance and productivity. As AI transforms the workplace, organizations face a critical choice: modernize communication.
Alongside uncovering the ground reality, Firstup’s report also brings forth a set of best practices for bridging communication gaps and enhancing employee engagement.
These practices begin from leveraging mobile-friendly communication channels. As deskless workers are often on the go and need access to information during specific periods, over half (51%) of deskless employees are said to prefer mobile methods like text messages or push notifications.
The next major step a company can take is positioning managers as chief communicators. We get to say so because 42% of deskless employees prefer updates directly from their managers. Hence, by equipping the said personnel with tools to deliver updates, companies can significantly enhance their employee engagement.
Another practice companies can adopt relates to using intelligent delivery. Assuming they embrace the given step, organizations can address the need of those deskless employees who feel their organization is less effective at reaching them compared to office-based colleagues.
“Without the ability to deliver timely, relevant, and personalized communication to deskless workers, critical training, upskilling opportunities and wellness initiatives will be missed,” said Alvino. “Organizations that prioritize intelligent communication will build more resilient, capable, and future-ready teams ready to capitalize on the AI age and overcome whatever challenges tomorrow brings.”
Founded in 2010, Firstup’s rise up the ranks stems from helping Comms, HR, and EX leaders to reach every employee and improve engagement with personalized omnichannel campaigns and real-time engagement data. The company’s excellence in what it does can be understood once you consider esteemed brands like Tesco, Providence, ADM, Ford, Colgate-Palmolive and Swissport use Firstup to connect millions of employees worldwide.
