For many manufacturers creating an organisational community can seem almost impossible. When you look at the barriers in place from locations and job roles to shift schedules, many frontline workers simply don’t get the opportunity to interact with one another enough to build rapport. Creating a sense of team spirit is certainly easier with one group of employees who work together daily, but how do manufacturing companies go about connecting the entire workforce?
We encourage managers to look at digital workforce solutions and consider team communication tools accessed via smartphones––an inclusive approach that unites the whole team. Until recently, the majority of company internal communication was conducted through ineffective methods such as noticeboards, emails, and in-person team meetings. These methods leave little room for dynamic discussion, questions, or for managers to measure how many employees received these communications.
Digital communications have expanded far beyond email and allow us to communicate across teams and locations in ways we have never been able to before. There are a number of digital communications platforms for manufacturing companies to choose from.Incorporating an employee app accessible via a smart device into your internal communication strategy provides the greatest reach and offers a number of benefits including:
- The ability to facilitate employee engagement
- Real-time information distribution
- Enable mobile team collaboration
- Serve as a centralised hub for HR services such as payroll and holiday request
- Secure one-to-one and group messaging
- A highly-visible, interactive solution for employee recognition and for team members to share successes
- Goal alignment by encouraging workforce feedback and discussion on company decisions and news
Providing your manufacturing workforce with access to these services at their convenience gives a greater chance of an organisational culture succeeding. Combining the latest in digital technology with your internal communications strategy helps achieve a true sense of community in the workplace––one that everyone can take ownership of and help drive forward.
