Pro Tips: 3 Ways To Crush Internal Comms for Frontline Employees

Something every internal comms (IC) professional knows for sure is that one size will never fit all when it comes to company communication and employee engagement.

Every workforce is dynamic and diverse, made up of people of all different demographics and backgrounds, doing different jobs, with different responsibilities and priorities. Add to the mix the fact that many workforces are also dispersed across multiple sites and sometimes multiple countries, and the need for a segmented approach to internal communication becomes clear.

Your comms and engagement strategy for a desk-based team that sits in an office two floors down from the CEO is never going to be the same as your strategy for a field-based team of drivers who spend their days on the road without access to a company device. And with ‘offline’ or ‘frontline’ employees like this now making up around 80% of the global workforce, having a solid strategy for frontline worker communication is a top priority for the majority of IC teams.

The Workvivo platform provides a comprehensive solution for frontline workers with a mobile-first approach that effectively connects every person in the company from any device. This has meant that many of our customers have undergone a complete transformation in terms of communication with their staff on the frontline after launching the platform. 

A rising tide lifts all boats, and we’re always in favor of sharing the wins. So… this blog post shares three tried-and-tested tips from three of our wonderful customers to help you supercharge your frontline worker communication! 

1. Take a mobile-first approach, like Mater Private Network

The Mater Private Network is a private hospital group with around 2,500 employees based between 10 different sites across Ireland and the UK.

The organization has a vision of being the best place to receive care, the best place to deliver care, and the best place to work. And with a hugely diverse team of both desk-based and frontline colleagues, finding a practical way to communicate with staff right across the network has always been a priority. 

Meaghan Tolan, Internal Communications Manager, explained how using a fully mobile-enabled platform has helped the organization to proactively connect both online and offline employees – “Workvivo offers us a way to connect with staff across different locations and shift patterns. It doesn’t matter if you’re desk-based or if you’re frontline - you can access it on your mobile, you can access it on a laptop. It works for everybody… it’s collaborative, and it connects us all.”  
 
Nikki Kane, Chief Operating Officer, added that ‘going mobile’ has completely changed the way that frontline staff receive communication, ultimately improving the culture across Mater Private. Employees can download the app on their phones and immediately access live company information and updates, as well as opportunities to connect. 

Nikki added – “There’s also less of a ‘formality’ about communications. We’ve moved away from a ‘bottom-up’ or ‘top-down’ approach to very much a collaborative community within the application.”   

Key takeaway 

Frontline workers often don’t have regular access to a computer or a work email address. But recent research shows that over 90% of US adults now own a smartphone. So taking a mobile-first approach and introducing a platform that can be easily accessed from personal mobile devices is an effective way to improve communication for frontline workers and increase engagement. 

2. Enable two-way communication, like Hickory’s Smokehouse

Hickory’s Smokehouse is a UK-based chain of family-friendly restaurants specializing in American-style barbeque. The organization employs around 3,000 people across its 20 different locations, and has ambitions to expand further over the coming years.

Amy Walsh, Senior Head of Operations, explained that two-way communication has been a core priority for Hickory’s Smokehouse from day one. Operating in the hospitality industry with a young and tech-savvy workforce amplifies employees’ expectations to have access to interactive and engaging workplace tech.

17.1 million Gen Z employees entered the global workforce last year, preferring to work for companies that leverage the latest tech and prioritize two-way engagement. They are digital natives, after all. Hickory’s Smokehouse found that Workvivo provided a great solution to connect the workforce and encourage frontline workers across the organization to begin proactively engaging with colleagues from other restaurants.  

John Welsh, Managing Director, told us – “It’s great to be able to see what our teams and team members are doing. We get to see live examples of everything from celebratory ‘birthday boards’ to some of the great things that they might be doing in the community. It means that people don’t go unnoticed. There are a lot of people doing a lot of good things at Hickory’s – Workvivo gives us an opportunity to shine a light on it, and to celebrate it.”

Key takeaway 

Today’s workforce thrives on two-way communication, interaction and engagement… all of which can be challenging to achieve for hard-to-reach frontline workers when you're reliant on traditional comms channels. Make two-way communication a priority by introducing the right technology, regularly inviting employee feedback, and promoting interaction through employee-led campaigns and initiatives.  

3. Ensure inclusivity and accessibility, like Evri

Evri is one of the largest parcel delivery companies in the UK, with more than 8,000 colleagues working between six hubs and 25 depots across the country.

With such a large and completely dispersed workforce, effective internal communication is critical for maintaining a smooth operation and ensuring over 720 million parcels are successfully delivered each year.

Rebecca Quayle, Internal Content and Channel Manager, told us that the introduction of Workvivo has created a centralized digital hub that brings everyone together. The biggest difference has been accessibility, with every colleague being able to easily log onto the platform.

For a workforce as diverse as Evri’s, accessibility also means taking proactive steps to make communications more inclusive and understandable for every team member.  

“My favorite Workvivo feature is the translation”, explained Sasha Law, Head of IC and Engagement. “We’ve done a massive piece of work at Evri to make our communications more inclusive and more accessible for colleagues.”

Craig Noonan, Director of Communications and Brand, added – “With a workforce where English isn’t always the first language, translations are really important for us to be able to share key messages and increase engagement across all our communities.”    

Key takeaway 

Think about the ways you can make your communications as inclusive and accessible as possible for your employees. This might mean practical things like introducing a platform that’s fully accessible for frontline workers, and translating key content into the main languages of your workforce. But it can also mean things like increasing your awareness of inclusive language, personalizing news feeds, and segmenting content publication times in line with shift patterns.  

If you’re feeling inspired to put some of these insights into practice, take a look at our free downloadable ‘Sample Internal Comms Plan for Frontline Workers’ from external consultant, Simon Rutter.

And if you’re interested in reading about more ways our customers have improved communication and engagement using the Workvivo platform, check out our customer spotlight stories.  

Our doors are always open and the kettle is always on, so say hello to the team if you’d like to schedule a free demo to see how Workvivo can improve frontline worker communication in your organization.