We’ve changed the way we communicate with our workforce. Tech has come to the forefront, and companies have embraced it. Employee engagement is now a vital requirement of our technical portfolio, and digital tools are reaching out beyond the office to connect with remote workers.
But now we’re demanding more from our technology too. There’s been a shift from quantity to quality. It means we’re spending more time on channels that support our employee engagement strategy, and dropping those that don’t. We’re starting to refine our technology choices. Only the best will do.
Recent research reveals that over a third of companies feel their current channels don’t deliver what they need. They are beginning to reassess the technology they have in place.
Are current channels effectively reaching the homeworkers? Are those business-critical communications being received and understood?
Traditional channels such as emails and intranets are proving less effective in the face of current challenges, while employee engagement apps are coming forward as the clear winners. It’s time to explore these new options.
The benefits of employee engagement
Why is employee engagement important? Research shows time and time again that companies with engaged employees are the clear winners. Along with promoting retention and fostering customer loyalty, high engagement levels also boosts profits. A survey by Willis Towers Watson revealed that companies with high employee engagement have three times higher profits than those with low employee engagement. Quite simply, engaged employees build better, stronger, more resilient businesses.
The employee engagement app
One of the key employee engagement trends to emerge is the adoption of the employee engagement mobile app. As a one-stop solution, it’s an attractive proposition. After all, an app is a kind of ‘super channel’ connecting people in a variety of ways, from chatting to videos, intranet to email.
Let’s take a look at how it performs against other channels in the latest research from AJG:
Channel |
Use |
Effectiveness |
| Intranet | 75% | 58% |
| Employee Portal | 70% | 66% |
| Employee App | 25% | 72% |
| Podcasts | 13% | 38% |
| Artificial Intelligence (AI) | 9% | 53% |
| Extranet | 8% | 56% |
The stats show that intranets and employee portals are still the most commonly used channels and are even more prevalent in organisations with 500+ people. However, levels of satisfaction with intranets are relatively low at just 58%. And, critically, when respondents were asked to rate the functionalities, they were critical of analytics, integration with other systems and social functionalities.
However, the employee engagement app delivers a much better level of satisfaction. It is the highest-scoring of all the employee engagement tools. The research reveals that 55% of those who use an app have more than one: 28% said they have two, 14% have three… and an impressive 13% say they have even more! Employee engagement apps get the highest score when it comes to effectiveness.
Choosing the best employee engagement apps
However, before you commit to investing in an employee engagement app, it is important to select the right one for your business. When you’re assessing mobile apps for employee engagement, you need to ask the right questions to make sure it’s going to really deliver.
We’ve drawn up three crucial questions that cut to the heart of the matter. If you can answer ‘yes’ to these three questions, you can be sure you’ve found a successful solution.
Question #1
Does it reach every single employee?
This is a decisive question that is fundamental to the success of your employee engagement app. One of the key issues facing internal communication with remote workers is the efficiency of their home technology provision. Do they have the right hardware and software in place to connect to your channels? This is particularly crucial in times of challenge and change. Precisely when you need to maximise reach, you may find that employees are falling out of the loop due to tech issues. In fact, home technology issues are emerging as one of the primary barriers to employee engagement initiatives.
This is where mobile apps for employee engagement will come to the rescue. A robust app will connect with employees by allowing them to use their favourite means of communication, whichever hardware or software platform they prefer. The ability to choose your own channel is at the heart of every employee engagement model. When you personalise your approach by offering communication channels to match individual preferences, you’re opening the door to maximise employee engagement and motivation.
By providing an app that links to an employee engagement platform, employees can use their own smart devices to access company communications. Simply by allowing employees to use their own devices, and choose their own channels, you’ll be cutting through many levels of resistance. According to a Forbes study, 49% of employees say they’re more productive when using their devices. The fact is, people tend to avoid communication if forced to do so on a device they’re not comfortable with. By letting them choose their own channels, you’ll expand your reach almost effortlessly.
This is especially important when it comes to instant communications. A good employee engagement app will offer push notifications and in-app acknowledgement requests. This means you’ll know exactly who has received and read the message, and who hasn’t. If you have a remote workforce, this is when you’ll really appreciate the improved reach and connectivity of a robust app.
The bottom line: Opt for an employee engagement mobile app that works seamlessly across all platforms and devices. This will allow employees to choose their own communication channel. As a result, you’ll find it easy to reach and connect with every employee, even the hard-to-reach.
Question #2
Does it build a bond with your employees?
There’s a big difference between informing and engaging. Rather than simply firing out information and commands, you should be aiming to prompt your employees to take action. Your aim is to open up a free-flowing channel of communication, which encourages participation, feedback and response, as well as imparting information. Participation is one of the key drivers of employee engagement. Ultimately, you’re looking for apps for employee engagement that encourage staff to get involved and take action.
The best employee engagement apps will ensure your messages are both received and understood. Look for an app that offers an array of modules to promote participation and feedback. These can include social spaces where colleagues share information to communication hubs, innovation platforms and news channels to encourage company-wide participation. When you’re exploring how to engage employees, look out for these modules:
News and updates
A good news module will offer dynamic news pages which encourage interaction. By allowing employees to subscribe to news channels, share videos and use popular social tools such as likes and comments, you’ll be tapping into a powerful source of engagement.
Company conversations
A conversation module offers a social space where employees can meet, chat and share. Company-wide discussions will engage staff in the bigger picture and keep your business vision front-of-mind, whereas team discussions will help to focus the dialogue and build team spirit. The key is to get them talking.
Innovation
An innovation module will enable employees to propose ideas and suggestions that address business challenges. Why is this important? It promotes a company ethos of innovation and improvement. It’s also a platform for the employee voice. When staff feel their ideas have been heard and acted upon, employee engagement levels take a meteoric rise.
Recognition
Look for an app that includes a recognition module. As one of the employee engagement best practices, public recognition creates a positive culture of appreciation. A recognition module will encourage peer-to-peer, departmental and company-wide recognition, helping to promote company values and build a sense of belonging.
The bottom line: You’re looking for employee engagement apps that encourage employees to get involved. Choose an app offering modules that open up a dynamic two-way communication channel, inviting feedback and participation.
Question #3
Does it measure engagement levels?
It’s vital to measure the impact your messages are having on your audience. Have your communications been read? Have they been understood and acted upon? And, crucially, have they boosted engagement? You need the ability to compare how teams and divisions are interacting and track engagement levels. Only then will you be able to act on the information you’ve gathered and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Does the employee engagement app provide the tools to monitor participation and improve engagement? It should offer built-in reporting and real-time dashboards to help you keep your finger on the pulse of your organisation. Look out for these modules to help track your engagement levels:
Onboarding
The launch of your app is a crucial time that needs careful monitoring. Less engaged employees are unlikely to take on new software without additional encouragement. This is why it’s vital to monitor the success of your roll-out as the app launches across the company. The best apps for employee engagement keep track of onboarding rates to help you stay on top of the game.
Innovation
An innovation module is a great way to assess how actively engaged your employees actually are. By allowing engaged staff to contribute to the success of the business, you are both boosting and tracking engagement levels. The module will enable you to capture ideas and follow them through to implementation.
Feedback
A feedback module will make sure you’re really listening to what your employees have to say. It will offer ad-hoc polls to gauge opinions, preferences and points of view, along with employee engagement surveys to help you keep track of staff happiness and motivation. You should be able to easily download the results for offline analysis and collation.
Pulse
This will help you monitor the ongoing health of your organisation. Look for an app that will let you schedule regular check-ups of engagement levels and help you monitor your eNPS score. You should be able to choose how frequently to monitor the company’s pulse and keep track of your employee engagement score as it changes over time.
The bottom line: Unless you’re measuring the success of your app’s impact, you’re just shooting in the dark. Choose an employee engagement app that offers built-in reporting and scheduled feedback to ensure you always have the full picture.
The rise of the employee engagement mobile app
The role and purpose of internal communications have changed dramatically over the last few years. In this new landscape, we need to reassess the channels we’re using and decide whether they’re really delivering on our needs. It’s vital to manage our channels effectively and ensure they fit for purpose.
Thanks to its flexibility, reach, and transparency, the employee engagement app is emerging as the clear winner. If you’re looking for a solution that delivers on all levels, this could be the channel for you.
