Why Non-Desk Companies Must Have A Chat App

Small business is often called the backbone of America. And that’s not wrong. But we want to take it a step further and say that the deskless employee is actually the backbone of America. They work out on the floor and construction sites, in restaurants and hotels, and drive trucks.

And it’s not only in America: In fact, the majority of the world’s workforce doesn’t have a desk. They makeup 80% of the workforce, or a 2.7 billion-person strong portion of the global working population, and are instrumental to a company’s success and customer satisfaction.

And they work in the most important industries too, such as construction, manufacturing, cleaning, security, home care, logistics, hospitality, retail, non-profit, and so on. Now, all those industries, and the people behind them, are actually running the economy, and they are truly irreplaceable.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, and the massive unemployment that is projected to take America back to the great depression levels in 2020, the non-desk, or mobile workforce, is becoming a new norm in many other new industries as well, where traditionally everyone was commuting to the office, but now they are working from home. So non-desk employees are the actual backbone of the modern economy and they play a vital part in almost any business

But nonetheless, in reality — a large majority of these deskless employees feel under-appreciated, forgotten, and receive only a sliver of communication from management and higher-ups.
Recent research shows that just 56% of deskless workers in the United States feel connected and engaged with their employers, and job dissatisfaction could drive many younger deskless workers to seek more fulfilling positions elsewhere. A shocking 84% of deskless workers say they don’t get enough direct communication from top management, and only 10% feel strongly connected to their companies.

And that’s exactly what you don’t want. If you have deskless employees who feel like they aren’t being recognized, your company is faced with failing profitability and productivity. Because if your employees don’t feel valued, they will care less, work worse, and eventually churn at some point.

Why is it so hard for companies to communicate and involve every employee? When it comes to the deskless employee, they’re just not as connected as the rest of the staff. In fact, 85% of deskless employees say that the communication they receive on the job isn’t enough. Why is that? 

• They’re away from the office and are usually on the road.
• They rarely visit the company office, if at all.
• Have limited or no access to a computer.
• No corporate email.
• Very difficult to connect or communicate with peers.
• It’s difficult to track their performance.
• Company News and updates aren’t easily accessible.
• They aren’t as engaged as everyone else.
• Cannot access vital documents or information on-the-go.

Here’s the thing, if you’re sending out emails, making phone calls, and adding information to bulletin boards – you’re using outdated methods to reach your deskless employees. If you are seriously committed to building an effective internal communication strategy — make sure to download our dedicated free eBook! 

So what’s the answer? It’s simple, really. Everyone has a mobile phone so use it! Get a team chat app and you can easily reach your non-desk employees in a snap. Today, more and more companies have already made the switch and are seeing incredible results. The market is already there and it’s time you caught up!

How A Team Chat App Can Help Your Business

With all of the above in mind, it’s simply a no-brainer that a team chat app is the best and most efficient solution to communicate with your non-desk employees. Emails, phone calls, and text messages are messy – and you know it. It’s just not an efficient way to manage your business, and more than likely, your employees are craving a better alternative in their day-to-day work routine.

Below we share some of the most critical reasons that a team chat app can help your business:

• Fewer Phone Calls: The number of phone calls goes down which keeps everyone productive and on track to get the job done.
• Data Security: No need to write anything down, all data is stored and you can access it any time. 
• Real-time Updates: Employees don’t need to wait until the next email or meeting to get vital company news, instead, they’ll get updates straight to their phone. (You can also enable comments and like capabilities to save valuable time if you don’t want everyone to be floored with a million notifications).
• Share Files, Pictures, and Videos: Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. And it also takes a lot less time to deliver the message.  Send information the way that best engages your employees. This also makes it easier for your team to find and collaborate on projects in a single space on any device.
• Robust Reporting: The best chat app for the deskless workforce will allow you to gather data and create dynamic reports that are easy to read. Whenever you need a report, it’s that easy to get direct access so you can effectively prepare for the next meeting.
• Organized Groups: Most chat apps for the deskless workforce allow you to organize conversations into groups or channels. And you can create as many as you need, divide them up by departments, office locations, seniority levels, and more. You can even have a general group so your entire deskless workforce can chat about anything and everything. Additionally, there are private messages that you can send directly to a single colleague.
• Reach Gen Z and Millenial Employees: If your staff is younger or you’re looking to bring in more young adults, using a team chat app is perfect – after all, they do check their phone 150 times a day! But even if you deal with a multigenerational workforce, you need to find a solution that fits everyone. Most baby boomers have experience using a smartphone, but good luck trying to make a millennial use a fax machine.

We could rattle off a dozen more reasons of how a team chat app can help your business, and then probably another dozen on top of that! But for now, we think you get the point. However, it’s vital that you know what to look for in a team chat app as not all are made equal. We aren’t just talking about price (that’s a big factor but shouldn’t be the only factor in your decision), you must look at the whole picture. Below we share what you should look for in a team chat app so you can make the best decision for your business and your employees.

What Should You Look For In A Team Chat App?

With all the options out there, how do you really know which team chat app is the right one for you? Which one can help you do all of the above and more?

Our answer is simple – Connecteam is a true all-in-one solution that was specially built for the deskless workforce. So when it comes to reaching your most valued employees, look no further.

Connecteam Is the Best Communication Solution for Your Deskless Employees

Connecteam is so simple to use that even your less tech-savvy employees can get started in seconds. 

It was designed particularly with deskless employees in mind, so non-desk companies don’t even need to train anyone on how to use the team chat app — just download the app and share the company number, that’s it.

Seamless and transparent communication on every company level:

Send private or group updates, or company-wide updates, with an option to comment, like, and send attachments. 

It can be as formal as a new policy notice, or as fun as a happy-hour discussion — you’re in full control.

Each user’s profile has certain rules and parameters so you can create custom groups by profession, branch, seniority, data access, and more. Keep track of who actually opened your messages too and send reminders for those who didn’t.

In just a click, share images, videos, files, and even, GPS locations. All of this can be done in real-time!

Create media libraries and courses to train existing employees on new policies or rules, or onboard new employees remotely, by creating custom training programs, checklists, workflows, and more.

Finally, you don’t have to manually add and remove work contacts, instead, everything is available on the app. Quickly search for the relevant employee by name, department, location, and job role. 

Send surveys after a meeting or event – you don’t need to wait until an annual review, surveys can be issued daily, weekly, or monthly to increase engagement. And you can enable a suggestion box that’s always accessible so your employees can always share their ideas with you. 

With a simple tap, you can set recurring daily reminders, task-completion checklists, read-and-sign or fill-in digital forms, and store it all within the app, or share with accounting.

Connecteam makes it so media is never saved on an employee’s device and also conversations cannot be shared outside the app. 

Also, as soon as someone leaves the company, they lose access to contacts and company data, reducing the risk of data leaks and unwanted interactions.

Also, as an admin, you are always in control and might moderate or delete inappropriate messages or discussions.

Yes, that’s right, we not only offer a 14-days free trial with unlimited access to all features, but you can also start a free-for-life plan and stay with it, or upgrade to one of the more advanced plans starting from just $29/month!

Connecteam is the only team chat app that offers fixed monthly plans so you can focus on the big picture.