Communication is crucial to business success. While HR, management, and ownership often communicate to a business's benefit, directly connecting employees to owners or even HR can be forgotten in the shuffle of a busy workday. Yet building that specific feedback loop is both simple and an opportunity for positive results. Even in an organization with employees at different physical locations, the need for a feedback loop remains. It might be even more critical with distance because engaged employees stay with their jobs longer and a feeling of isolation leads to disengagement.
Yes, the benefits of internal business communication are well-known. A bit more mysterious is the question of how to engage employees through consistent communication. Thankfully, electronic messaging is the dominant language of business today, and almost every employee carries a smartphone.
Take the mystery out of building a feedback loop through that Occam's razor problem-solving principle:
Supercharge your organization's feedback loop by texting.
Why Texting Works
The logic behind SMS boils down to a few simple concepts.
First: texting helps keep employees informed.
Too often, we hear about the issue of employees feeling left in the dark. Sure, the most recent announcement about payroll or the annual health benefits election went out in an email. Still, that medium is over-saturated, and company-wide emails take a backseat to messages about job-specific tasks and delivering for customers.
Support your feedback loop with simple text messages pointing employees toward important information. Your texts will stand out and have a higher percentage of being read (some research points to a 98% open rate for SMS).
Second: texting creates a two-way dialogue.
Nobody wants to share their feedback in a voicemail; it’s like speaking into a dead-end alley. Texting allows for real-time response to an employee feedback.
Then, a real conversation can begin.
How to Implement Texting in Your Feedback Loop
Choose a Software Solution
This sounds easy, but we often get blocked on that first step, especially for a task that feels larger in scope. Of course, we believe VoiceSifter's employee communication texting tool is excellent, but see what else is out there.
Then, as Mark Twain said, "The secret of getting ahead is getting started."
Stick With It
Use that software solution and build on the communication process. Iterate based on feedback to improve it. Maybe sending company update texts on Friday works better than on Monday? Or shorter surveys on employee satisfaction work better in a text?
Ask your employees and find out.
Text From the Very Beginning
You want to make sure that even prospective hires can opt-in to receive your SMS messages. Then, text these potential hires about interview information or the next steps. If you get that opt-in, perhaps try texting when recruiting for a role.
New information comes fast and furious at a new hire, so utilizing a simple feedback method during onboarding helps divide that process into smaller, manageable segments.
Go For It
Once texting becomes a custom, you'll see more engagement and happier staff. Consider starting with HR and letting employees know that the door for communication is always open…
And right at their fingertips.
