IN THEKeys to Keeping Today’s On-the-Go Workforce

Part 1 — Break Down: The Who, What and “Where Things Go Wrong”

In the LoopKeeping your hourly workforce connected isn’t always easy. Corporate initiatives and policies need to get from the top to the frontline, and employees need real-time reminders, updates and shout-outs to stay engaged and informed.

Trying to communicate everything by all-company memos and back-of-house message boards just doesn’t work. Today’s service-industry organization needs technology that can keep up with on-the-go employees and evolving business needs to get the right message to the right people at the right time.

Explore how better communication boosts brand, compliance, engagement and, ultimately, your bottom line in our four-part ‘In the Loop’ eBook. Stay synced with insight on the latest communication trends and actionable advice for service-industry executives, leaders and managers.

In ‘Part 1,’ we’re breaking down communication breakdowns — where most mishaps happen, who’s talking, what they’re saying and how they’re getting that message across (or failing miserably at it).

Break it on down now >>

Pt. 1 — Break Down: The Who, What and “Where Things Go Wrong” 2peopleMatter Institute

BReAK DoWn: WheRe thIngs go WRongCorporate-to-UnitGetting messages from the “corner office” to the back office often feels like a grown-up game of Telephone: by the time Corporate’s new HR policy gets around to each location, they’ve got eight different interpretations, six different forms and no way to know the difference. Inefficient communication at this level makes it nearly impossible to ensure company-wide consistency and compliance.

Unit-to-UnitUnit-level breakdowns involve miscommunication between managers, within a single location and/or across multiple locations. Poor communication among managers and units affects productivity, operational efficiency and overall workforce satisfaction.

Unit-to-FrontlineManager-employee and employee-employee interactions comprise this most fundamental level of hourly workforce communication, making it also the most susceptible to breakdowns. Unit-to-Frontline communication directly impacts retention, engagement and customer satisfaction.

So, who are the stakeholders in each of these areas, and what key messages are at-stake when communication breaks down?

Fast forward for the Break Down >>

Companies report managing employee feedback is 20% easier when using online methods. PMI

Inconsistent processes is the top challenge businesses seek to address with workforce management investments. Aberdeen

Incorporating electronic communication can reduce turnover rates by a third. PMI

Pt. 1 — Break Down: The Who, What and “Where Things Go Wrong” 3peopleMatter Institute

BReAK DoWn: Who — the execWHO this is The “Big Wig” responsible for managing the operations, finance, human resources, information technology, brand, marketing or other department for the entire organization. Positions include, but are not limited to, CEO, president, senior vice president, director and manager.

WHAT they’re sayingCorporate stakeholders want to make sure everyone in the company is on the same page, in regards to policies, goals, brand, culture, promotions and similar high-level initiatives important to overall business success. The Exec wants to get these messages out and ingrained quickly — from corporate to managers to frontline employees — and primarily pushes communication to the unit level, relying on managers to relay messages to employees.

WHY they careThe Exec is concerned about the overall success of department initiatives and how that contributes to overall success of the brand. For the best results, The Exec needs everyone working toward the same goals … and an efficient way to communicate and track those goals and progress.

Corporate stakeholders are aware how much noncompliance can cost in fines, penalties and brand damage — and how much a strong company culture matters in increasing happiness, loyalty and revenue.

“The Manager” >>

Pt. 1 — Break Down: The Who, What and “Where Things Go Wrong” 4peopleMatter Institute

Only 25% of companies collect and share workforce data across all locations.Aberdeen

One negative review costs a brand 30 potential customers.Convergys Corp.

Adopting online communication methods improves overall culture satisfaction by 7%.PMI

Businesses are most interested in investing in communication tools over all other workforce management solutions.PMI

BReAK DoWn: Who — the MAnAgeRWHO this is The “Shot-Caller” in charge of running day-to-day operations for one location, multiple locations or all locations within a certain area or region. The Manager can hold either an Assistant or General Manager position and is typically 30-50 years old with a family, high school diploma, 1-5 years of experience and a frontline position on his/her résumé.

WHAT they’re sayingThe Manager is responsible for all direct communication that informs, develops and engages hourly employees relating to hiring, training, scheduling and performance. Manager stakeholders share praise and feedback with hourly employees and best practices with other managers. The Manager also sends updates, to-dos, initiatives and announcements — coming down from corporate or up from the individual location — to keep everyone on the same page.

WHY they careThe Manager wants to exceed Corporate’s expectations and goals. By improving workplace communication, managers increase hourly employees’ satisfaction levels which, in turn, lead to lower turnover rates, better service and happier customers — who spend more, come back more often and tell more friends.

“The Employee” >>

Pt. 1 — Break Down: The Who, What and “Where Things Go Wrong” 5peopleMatter Institute

Companies that effectively set expectations and goals during onboarding report 86% more satisfied customers. Aberdeen

High-performing organizations are 43% more likely to have communicated their most important goals.Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council

Using an integrated solution to manage communication between people and systems can increase manager productivity 140%.Aberdeen

More than 80% of customers repeat business because of their experience.CustomerThink Corp.

BReAK DoWn: Who — the eMpLoyeeWHO this is The “Doer” who executes basic business functions at one or multiple units. Employee stakeholders directly impact customer experience and brand impressions through performance and interactions. Roles include front and back-of-house positions such as cashier, host, stocker, cook, sales associate, maintenance, clerk, front-desk worker and more. The Employee is usually an 18-40-year-old high-school graduate who owns a smartphone, uses social media, values technology and wants a career.

WHAT they’re sayingThe Employee wants to know the answers to three key questions: What do I need to do? When do I work? How am I doing? These stakeholders want convenient, self-service access to the latest hiring, training, schedule and performance information … preferably at their fingertips, 24/7. The Employee communicates directly with managers and coworkers to complete paperwork, trade shifts, hone skills, vent and more.

WHY they careThe Employee is invested in personal job survival and success. Frontline stakeholders want to make sure they have everything they need to do their jobs, keep their jobs … and then do their jobs better. They are more invested in, loyal to and productive at organizations that keep them in the loop with mobile communication and accessibility.

Page-down for the final Break Down >>

Pt. 1 — Break Down: The Who, What and “Where Things Go Wrong” 6peopleMatter Institute

Highly engaged employees outperform coworkers by 20-28%.Conference Board

The average Gen Y employee will change jobs 29 times.Suite 101

Employees who can manage schedules in real-time are 6x more satisfied than those who can’t.Aberdeen

Companies with efficient communication systems bring in 2x the revenue per employee.Bersin

BReAK DoWn: hoW It hAppensDespite technology adoption trends over the last decade, the majority of workplace communication means are still manual. Most methods involve paper-based processes or informal conversations and are inconvenient, inefficient and outdated for today’s hourly workforce organization. Communication also tends to be one-sided, with messages flowing down from corporate with limited input from other stakeholders.

The ExecMemo, all-company meeting, email, corporate blog, internal network, software system, fax, handbook, website, quarterly meeting, three-ring binder, video, outside consultant, snail mail

The ManagerBack-of-house board, Post-It note, email, text message, landline call, employee handbook, scheduled meeting, suggestion box, all-company meeting, quarterly meeting, informal conversation, another employee, conference call, annual company report, shift meeting, mobile phone call, internal network, software system

The EmployeeInformal conversation, specialized company form, back-of-house message board, Post-It Note, scratch paper, email, mobile phone call, text message, Twitter direct message, employee survey, shift meeting, Facebook post, handbook, scheduled meeting, Tweet, company meeting, another employee, Facebook message, internal network, software system

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1/3 of all paper forms are outdated before use.Environmental Paper Network

Nearly 7 out of 10 employees believe doubling the available info and apps on their mobile phones would make them more productive. Sybase

80% of organizations plan to increase social media for learning over the next 3 years.Pew Research

9 out of 10 companies value employee feedback, but more than half find managing it challenging.PMI

IN THESTAY

Up NextPart 2 — Closing the Loop: How to Get Corporate Initiatives Out,

Across and Ingrained from the Top to the Frontline

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