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Communication in the workplace has changed drastically over the last decade — most notably, in the previous few years, thanks to the pandemic.
During the pandemic, the world learned that frontline workers are the backbone of our economy as we watched them leave jobs en masse. Now we know that if organizations want to succeed, they need to improve interpersonal communication for all employees, not just those who occupy a desk.
Despite making up 80% of the global workforce, frontline employees have consistently been excluded from company-wide communication. But, thanks to an influx of much-needed HR technology, things are changing.
While many HR professionals have embraced technology post-pandemic, it is still wildly overlooked by others. But, when used appropriately, HR technology can improve interpersonal communication in the workplace.
What Is Interpersonal Communication?
Interpersonal communication is an exchange of information between people. It's an effective way to share ideas, feelings, and intent and is a big part of everyday life.
This interactive exchange of information can be verbal — the actual words used — and non-verbal — cues like body language, tone of voice, gestures, and facial expressions.
In business, interpersonal communication plays a vital role in the success of your business, as a healthy relationship with employees will help your company thrive.
Some types of interpersonal relationships used in business can look like this
- Internal communication with employees
- Communication between employees
- Offering employees opportunities to provide feedback
As many businesses have adopted a hybrid or work-from-home schedule with office employees, and frontline workers are typically dispersed or do shift work, face-to-face communication is rarely the norm.
However, as technology has advanced from talking on the phone to sending emails and texts, interpersonal communication has evolved from an interactive experience to a sending and receiving of information.
Embracing Technology for HR Professionals
According to Grammarly, approximately $1.2 trillion is lost every year in the U.S thanks to poor communication in the workplace. With the pressure to develop and implement more effective communication strategies, HR professionals are turning to technology for help.
Frontline workers, in particular, are often disconnected from their office-based cohorts. And depending on their role, many are even isolated from their coworkers, HR department, and manager or supervisor for extended periods.
Technology is making it easier for HR professionals to keep in touch with all of their employees, regardless of their geographical location, proximity to head office, or work shift — night shift workers included!
A texting tool like goHappy can reach an entire team of employees in seconds. In contrast, HR may have previously overlooked an important message because it was simply too cumbersome to disseminate or not deemed relevant to the entire team.
However, most technology is automated and will simplify sending messages to the team rather than adding one more task to HR's plate.
And since employees have made it clear they want better communication, embracing technology is critical to business success. The following are several ways technology is helping to provide more effective interpersonal communication in the workplace.
Better Employee Retention
63% of the U.S workforce admit to wanting to quit their job because of stress brought on by poor communication.
With the current labor shortage, most businesses can't afford to lose workers. The good news is when employees feel empowered with the information they need to perform their job, they are more likely to stick around!
With technology, HR teams can go beyond simply offering basic job information. Businesses can use tech tools to improve processes like onboarding, training, and talent management, and increase the likelihood that a new employee will remain with your company.
HR teams can use a texting tool, for example, to send out regular messages such as:
- Welcoming new employees to the team
- Happy birthday wishes
- Work anniversaries
- Links to training manuals
And team messages like:
- Employee of the month
- Updated safety measures
- How to access and set up company benefits
- Organizational wins
- Last-minute shift changes,
And more!
Regular communication via text message can improve the employee experience, reduce stress, and improve retention rates.
Increase Employee Engagement
Far too often, communication only occurs between frontline workers and management when something is wrong. This isn't a great strategy if your goal is to improve employee engagement.
Employees, especially those on the frontline, crave connection and belonging. Using technology to communicate with staff who work outside the office environment will help to improve company culture as it will strengthen their sense of belonging.
Sending regular messages to your frontline employees will show them you care and are making an effort to include them. And thanks to communication tools like goHappy, it's now easier than ever to regularly stay in touch with workers.
A more positive and rewarding work environment, encouraged by communication, leads to more satisfied workers and higher levels of engagement.
Higher Levels of Productivity
Developing more productive employees comes down to communication. According to a McKinsey report, better interpersonal communication can raise productivity by as much as 25%.
Whether your business is large or small, a 25% boost in productivity is a massive uptick in business.
With practical communication tools like goHappy, you can stand out to your employees and industry peers as a leader. When frontline workers no longer feel like they are an afterthought but valued team members, they'll want to work harder to help your company achieve its goals.
Utilize tools like goHappy to keep in regular contact with employees and scale your business thanks to more productive workers.
Technology is the Forefront of Interpersonal Communication
As you can see, there are many benefits to utilizing HR technology in the workplace. Frontline employees have made it clear they want to be included in regular company-wide conversations and feel like a part of the bigger team despite their often remote roles.
It can also help to grow your business through more engaged, productive, and happier workers.
A texting tool is an excellent option to help your organization improve its interpersonal communication.
The simplicity of sending out text messages ensures all employees are considered and included, as 97% of Americans have cell phones, and many do not have access to email or the ability to download a mobile app.
It's easy to use, and any HR department can quickly get set up and send text messages almost immediately. Many businesses already rely on goHappy to help them maintain regular contact with frontline workers.
Find out how goHappy can help your company utilize available technology to make all employees feel like part of the team, reach your company goals, and grow your business.
Schedule your free demo with a team member now!
