Hotlines are required for any publicly traded company and used by many brands. Yet the reality of these lines is simple: THEY DON'T GET USED.
In a culture where most communication is being typed on some form of keyboard, people are less likely to pick up the phone and call. We want fast, no contact communication -- especially with brands.
Yet phone hotlines do provide employees with a channel to anonymously report incidents which is a known & suggested practice for brand reputation, monitoring workplace culture, and to stay in tune with all employees. So how do you maximize such benefits while providing greater ease of use to employees?
Why you should ditch your call line:
1.) Depending on the service you choose, the call either goes to your HR department or a third party call center. If calls do go to your HR department then employees state they are hesitant to be honest because they fear voice recognition. If calls go to a third party, there is no guarantee that this person is informed on company policy and the caller places blind trust that the third-party will capture, record, and report with integrity.
2.) Documentation. When calls are taken, we rely on notes and memory to recall and transcribe. Given the nature of memory, it seems like a liability that could cause conflicts between an employee and a brand if ever taken to court.
3.) The more work it takes for an employee to report, the less likely they are to take action. Today the preferred communication channel is through text.
How a text-line solves for this problem
1.) Our system uses text messages to field reports from employees. No app-download is needed and even "non-smart" phones can also text in.
2.) All interactions are captured and stored on our cloud based system providing accountability and transparency on how cases are handled. Users can categorize incoming reports and add notes to provide valuable insights.
3.) We ensured anonymity by using Twilio, the same platform that Uber, Lyft, & Airbnb use with their customers. Employee numbers never come through our system and instead are assigned case numbers for HR. All this happens while still providing management with the opportunity to ask additional questions.
4.) Easier for HR. When dialogues happen through text, we reduce the time HR spends on the phone. Users can access our platform dashboard wherever they have wifi because our system is built to make your life easier.
As technology continues to shape our culture, VoiceSifter has responded by adapting a good idea into a better business solution. Prevent HR disasters from tarnishing your brand reputation, understand obstacles that keep employees from staying in order to improve retention, and provide your employees with a live feedback system to capture feedback .... even when you aren't asking for it. Ready to learn more about VoiceSifter? Request a demo today.
