6 Reasons Why Critical Workers Are Being Left Behind

Don’t Forget About Your Critical Workers!

The majority of the issues that non-desk workers confront are caused by a lack of timely and accurate communication. Keeping an engaged and productive staff requires bridging this communication gap.

Do you realise that vital, non-deskbound employees account for 80% of all worldwide workers?

Despite the danger of Covid-19, they are the ones who keep our hospitals, transportation, telecommunications, retail, manufacturing, and construction functioning. It’s difficult to acknowledge, but since the outbreak, businesses have been focused on empowering the 20% of employees who are confined to their desks. They benefit from work-from-home options, flextime, and a variety of other perks and benefits. The true predicament of vital workers who are out and about every day doing the dirty work, on the other hand, is rarely brought to light.

Until now, that is.

6 Reasons Why Critical Workers Are Being Left Behind

Essential workers are at a far higher risk of contracting Covid-19 than white-collar individuals who work from home or in offices. RisePath has listed below the signs that they are struggling and in need of assistance.

1# Essential employees are dissatisfied with their jobs.

According to studies, over 60% of vital workers are dissatisfied with their working conditions. If given the opportunity, they will most likely quit for good. There’s nothing surprising about this. Companies have struggled to recruit and keep critical staff, owing to their lower salary, lack of benefits, and increased risk of infection. High turnover rates are common in industries where vital workers constitute the majority.

2# Essential employees don’t feel like they fit in.

Everything adds up. Due to a lack of timely communication and a significant wage and benefit disparity, 80% of critical workers believe they are not part of the group. Many of them also believe that their supervisors regard them as transient workers who can be replaced at any time. 

3# Critical employees do not have access to up-to-date information.

Are you aware that more than 80% of critical employees don’t have access to a business email address? Because the majority of important workers are on the field, in the shop, or on the factory floor, managers find it difficult to communicate with them on a timely basis. The majority of these critical employees do not have access to tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or the company’s intranet, owing to their employers’ failure to invest in delivering such technology to this segment of the workforce.

The following are some of the consequences of poor workplace communication:

• Employees who are critical to the company’s success are not aligned with the company’s strategy.
• Employees that are unable to connect with the company’s basic values are considered essential.
• Employees who are critical to the organization’s success do not have a voice.

4# Essential workers don’t have the same access to critical information as to their deskbound counterparts.

Employees face a significant barrier in getting critical information when they need it. This is especially true for critical workers with restricted access to information and technology. Essential workers on the frontlines, in contrast to typical office workers who have continual access to the internet and the company’s knowledgebase and intranet, spend an average of 1.8 hours more trying to locate a colleague or looking for specific internal information. This massive discrepancy in information access might have a negative influence on a critical worker’s morale and productivity.

5# Workers who are very necessary are voiceless.

This is a no-brainer. Because the majority of important workers are difficult to contact, they frequently feel ignored and powerless. More than 40% of essential workers believe they are unappreciated and unloved by their employers, and that their ideas are not heard.

6# Critical employees are disengaged and disconnected.

Most communication and engagement tools and methods are built for white-collar professionals at a desk, let’s face it. Low morale and productivity are common among companies that do not invest in engagement solutions for their frontline, desk less personnel.

Getting to the Root of the Problem: Closing the Communication Gap

Non-desk workers aren’t a new concept. The majority of the globe has operated in this manner for centuries, and we do not expect it to alter anytime soon. The truth is that the entire global economy needs key workers. The entire world will come to a standstill without store associates, subcontractors, truck drivers, healthcare providers, and so on.

Awesome Tips on How to Improve Your Communication Skills! 

When you examine the issues listed above thoroughly, you’ll notice that they all boil down to one thing: communication. Every employee benefits from good and timely communication, but critical employees benefit even more. Here are some suggestions for bridging the communication gap and increasing employee engagement:

Take advantage of mobile technology.

The way we work and live has been altered by mobile technology. People have become accustomed to using their mobile phones for nearly everything during the previous decade. Isn’t it also reasonable to use this technology in the workplace?

Text messaging is the most straightforward way to engage with your non-desk workers utilising mobile technologies. This is a powerful technique because it is quite probable that employees will see the message, which is not always the case with email.

Another successful technique to use mobile technology is to set up call-in numbers where key employees can listen to a pre-recorded message from their boss or manager.

Use smartphone apps that provide instant access to critical information.

Have you considered developing a smartphone app for your company’s intranet or knowledge base? Make them mobile-friendly, at the very least? Because of the “microlearning” notion, instant access to information is getting a lot of traction these days. Experts believe that information is most impactful when it is absorbed in short bursts by the end-user and when it is offered at a time when it is needed. When considering what messages to send to your important employees, keep this in mind.

Utilize mobile applications that allow users to modify information, curate information libraries, and have immediate access to essential information. Additionally, organisations that deploy employee applications report an increase of 23% in employee satisfaction and a 47% boost in internal interactions.

Print is not extinct.

Despite the fact that we live in a digital world, it’s crucial to realise that not every communication with your critical employees must be virtual. Don’t forget to use print to communicate your message! Mirror clings, break room posters, table tents, direct mail, and brochures are all options. People are constantly assaulted with digital messages. It can be a sight for sore eyes for your staff if you deliver your communication in print.

Issuing a corporate magazine or newsletter is another approach to engage your non-desk personnel through print. These print pieces instil a sense of pride in essential employees, especially when their contributions to the company’s success are highlighted.

Because print is so easy to spread among friends and family, the information you give must be carefully considered. It is not optimal to have sensitive company information. Consider items and materials that emphasise the company’s culture or an employee’s contribution as a starting point if you don’t know where to begin.

Empower your direct supervisors and managers.

Managers of your important workers play a critical role in disseminating information and keeping non-desk employees engaged and informed. Expect the challenges we’ve discussed above to get worse over time if your direct supervisors don’t have the training or tools to make this happen.

It is critical to train your supervisors and provide them with the required toolkits. The goal is to make them excellent communicators of information. Of course, getting information from the top to your most important employees isn’t easy. Keep in mind that not all managers are created equal. Some people are natural communicators, while others find it difficult. The communication styles of each management differ as well.

There’s also the matter of punctuality, consistency, and thoroughness to consider. The last thing you want is for some information to get mixed up in the translation. Consider establishing resources to make disseminating critical information as simple as feasible. Making this procedure easier for managers increase the message’s consistency across the business and the likelihood that it will be delivered correctly.

Obtain the support of upper management.

It is critical for essential employees to hear from the company’s leadership. Receiving no messages from the C-suite, on the other hand, demonstrates a lack of regard for the roles they perform in the organisation. It should always start at the top when it comes to appreciating and valuing critical employees.

We understand the importance of top-down communication. Bottom-up communication between the essential personnel and top leadership is also important. Non-desk workers want their voices to be heard in order to feel like they belong. Here are some ideas for how to go about it:

• Organizing regular town hall meetings
• Establishing focus groups
• Site visits or rounding
• Holding all staff meetings pertaining to your critical employees

Senior leadership’s visibility and approachability are critical for establishing two-way communication and engaging key employees.

Conclusion

Always keep in mind that your most important employees are at the forefront of your company. They are, in a way, your brand ambassadors, and how they perform will have a huge impact on the image and bottom line of your firm. In order to keep your key employees engaged, respected, and appreciated, effective two-way communication is necessary.