December 31, 2021

Improving Your Deskless Workers’ Employee Experience

Sam Caucci

Deskless worker

Did you know that over 80 percent of the global workforce is made up of deskless workers? Even though they form the backbone of our economy, deskless workers are typically undervalued and don’t enjoy the many benefits that in-office workers do. There is a lot you can do to keep deskless workers informed, connected and engaged. 

Make Information Easy to Find

Being able to locate the relevant information is an important concern, and not only for deskless employees. Reports show that employees can spend upwards of 1.8 hours per day searching and gathering relevant information. On a weekly basis, that averages to 9.3 hours per week spent looking for internal information or looking for colleagues who can help with specific tasks. 

By making people, information and news easy to find on your intranet, your employees will be able to find the resources they need to help them be more productive. But for this to translate to benefiting the deskless workforce, your intranet needs to be accessible on-the-go through mobile devices. 

Give Deskless Workers a Voice

Since deskless workers can be more difficult to reach compared to their in-office counterparts, they can often feel voiceless. Therefore, many deskless workers feel as if their opinions and ideas are not fully heard nor respected. You can give deskless workers a voice by enabling two-way communication from their very own smartphones. 

Provide the Latest Safety Information

Deskless employees can be at a greater risk for work-related injuries compared to office employees. With information changing in the blink of an eye, frontline employees need access to critical information that could keep them safe during these uncertain times. Being able to post this information to your network can ensure that employees stay on top of information regarding their health and safety. You can also make safety and security information part of their required reading, where employees need to acknowledge that they have read a specific policy or page. 

Give Them Greater Flexibility

Being able to effectively schedule deskless employees has been an ongoing struggle for many employers, and it can also act as a point of contention for employees. This is because scheduling not only has an impact on how efficiently an organization will run but will also impact how people will feel about their work.

Being able to give flexibility, especially at a large scale, is key. Unfortunately, 40% of employers admit to a lack of adaptability and flexibility in their work schedules. Life can be unpredictable at the best of times. By being able to offer more autonomy to your deskless workers’ schedule – whether it be through modifiable calendars, standardized shift swapping or time off requests – employers can create a better employee experience and be more aware of staffing issues before they occur. 

Use Push Notifications

Push notifications allow you to send instant information at the push of a button. This ensures that all deskless employees can get the message instantly. With push notifications you can cut through the noise and get your employees’ immediate attention, even during an emergency. 

Broadcast alerts are meant to be relevant and not overwhelming, so be careful not to abuse this feature, otherwise it could end up getting ignored. These notifications are about giving communications professionals an easy, efficient way to send all of your employees alerts about important news and events. 

Research shows that only 56% of deskless workers in the United States feel connected and engaged with their employers. And even more shocking is that 84% of deskless employees say that they don’t receive enough direct communication from upper management, and only 10% feel strongly connected with their companies. 

While these statistics may be alarming, the solution to these issues is not too difficult. By being able to use technology to your advantage to keep your employees engaged, connected and well-informed, this will no longer be the case. 

By investing in mobile technology, you will be giving your frontline employees a platform to connect and collaborate with their colleagues and overcome any feelings of disconnection. Improving your employees’ experience is not just about getting new technology, it is also a realization about listening to all employees, no matter who they are or what their job is. 

Level Up Your Team With 1Huddle

1Huddle can help you and your team stay ahead of the learning curve. We offer cloud-based employee gamification software. You can customize your content for a seamless experience and all of your employees will be able to access their training anywhere, anytime and at the push of a button. You can use our game platform to measure their performance and make key decisions on where you should take your gamification strategy next. 

Do you want to learn more about how 1Huddle can help you level up your own workforce? Talk to us today.

Sam Caucci, Founder & CEO at 1Huddle

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