If a company wants to be competitive today, it must ensure that internal communication works well and that processes are carried out optimally. In many professions, it has long been a matter of course that employees regularly check their emails, write chat messages and do practically everything on the computer via the Internet. Especially for companies with many employees without a PC and desk, an employee app is the ideal means to support both goals. It enables the exchange between managers and the workforce and between employees. But what if someone doesn't have a computer or desk?
This is the reality for 80% of the workforce on this planet. They are the frontline employees in companies and organisations from manufacturing to retail to healthcare. If we look at their everyday lives, time seems to have stood still as it did 20 years ago: stacks of paper, notices, folders, and stamps as far as the eye can see. Employees are overloaded with administrative tasks and on their own. Only 10% of them use their company's digital tools.
This is because these were almost always made for PC work, which is fundamentally different from that on the frontline. The biggest differences in the commercial sector:
No desk
Language barriers
Coordination and collaboration offline
High fluctuation
Always on your feet
And because today's IT solutions are not made for these front liners, they have to rely on conventional methods: everything on paper, bulletin boards, analog, and in oral meetings. Your daily work is controlled by processes that have hardly developed for decades, from shift schedules and payslips to safety protocols and checklists for recurring tasks.
New challenges every day
In addition to the normal challenges, commercial employees and their superiors have to overcome various obstacles with these outdated methods. Extreme weather conditions, vacancies, new internal or legal regulations, and lack of work material make it difficult for your teams to perform at their best. And this burden easily leads to burnout or internal termination.
What an employee app needs to be able to do?
The requirements for an app for collaboration and communication always depend on the individual situation, and the selection can be difficult. Here are some of the most important features:
Instant notifications – Fast, centralised sharing of important and current news is essential.
Newsfeed – Internal public channels ensure transparency and increase employee retention.
Chats – direct communication between employees enable smooth collaboration.
Feedback, surveys – employee apps can improve the employee experience in many areas.
Search, filter function – Let's not forget the basics for a quick overview.
Why is an employee app worthwhile?
Here are the most important advantages in a nutshell:
Better internal communication;
Highest security;
Fast accessibility;
Increased employee retention;
More productivity.
These benefits can be found in FellowUp the collaboration tool for closed teams. Employees can log in in a few minutes using their mobile phones or computers, and use the app intuitively immediately.
Benefits of Employee Communication App
Not only employee communication applications are good for internal discussions, but they also have other uses. They bring value to the HR and IT departments and the rest of the business, enhancing the employee experience, boosting engagement, and raising overall productivity.
Apps designed specifically for internal interactions between employees produce a single, centralised communication channel that guarantees every employee can be contacted in real-time with the information they want. It also creates a digital news feed for the information traditionally communicated in an office via physical signs or by being handed down from management.
Employee communication apps make it simpler for workers to get the information they want, enabling them to make better decisions in a shorter amount of time, ultimately resulting in improved business outcomes.
Concluding remarks
Employee communication applications are not only good for internal discussions, but they also have other uses too. They bring value to the HR and IT departments and the rest of the business, enhancing the employee experience, boosting engagement, and raising overall productivity.