5 Communication Trends for the Modern Workforce

Reaching your employees wherever they are in this new “normal” is an ongoing struggle for many employers. From communication channel options to messaging, the most modern workforce needs a different approach. With the shift to virtual meetings and social distancing, communication has never been more critical. But how do you know if your message is landing with employees? Whether your workforce is remote, on site, on the road, or a hybrid, here are the top five trends for connecting and communicating with your teams.

1. HR Mobile App for Employees: Meet them where they are.

In the stay-at-home-order era, people swapped corner offices for couches. As employees scattered across workspaces, communication became more challenging. With 96% of Americans owning a smart phone, reaching employees has never been easier or more important. You can connect with your teams via mobile device regardless of their access to a company email address and ensure they never miss an important announcement again. Gone are the days of people gathering around the water cooler in break rooms reading bulletin boards. Push out notifications and track readership - allowing you insights into exactly who is or isn’t getting the message – with a mobile app they can access anytime, anywhere.

2. Asynchronous Video Communication: Speak their language.

As the TikTok generation becomes the majority in the workforce, tailor messages using mediums they are comfortable with, such as video. By the end of the year, total video internet traffic will make up 79% of all internet traffic, which is a 63% jump in the last five years. Adapting to an asynchronous communication model can keep your teams comfortably engaged and informed. Cut through the noise and shortened attention spans with quick snackable sound bites. From executives to end users, recording recognition, performance reviews, leadership announcements, and general updates are a way to ensure your message gets heard. With video, you also have the option to add captions and check view metrics, ensuring you know who is not just receiving your messages but actually watching to the end.

3. Social Collaboration Tools: It’s not just what you say — it’s also how you say it.

Social collaboration tools, such as Community, enable teams to connect with each other and stay informed on the latest company news even while remote. You can push or schedule announcements directly to employees' mobile devices - with or without company email addresses - and you can track metrics and see who you are reaching. Another bonus of an integrated collaboration tool is the ability to measure sentiment (without monitoring activity). With newly disparate teams balancing more environmental stressors than ever, it can tough to gauge how your employees are truly feeling. Tools that help you measure based on trends in message boards and performance conversations can help you get ahead of engagement and productivity challenges like turnover. According to Paylocity’s client data, companies that report higher in employee engagement indicators like employee sentiment see a 15-20% lower attrition over time, and faster headcount growth by 20%-25%*.

4. Surveys and Peer-to-Peer Recognition: Feedback is the gift that keeps giving.

According to Gallup, employees that receive feedback have 9% lower turnover rates than those who received none. Giving regular continuous feedback and recognition can keep employees engaged while miles apart. Leveraging tools such as Journals is an effective and easy way to keep an accurate record and give vital feedback in real time. Peer-to-peer feedback and recognition is also critical to engagement and success. The leaderboard isn’t just motivation for Peloton users. Encourage a little healthy competition with employees to give each other virtual kudos whenever possible and gamify the experience. Gathering feedback on a macro-level will also help your employees feel heard. Send pulse surveys regularly to gather insights and adapt strategies accordingly.

5. Data Insights and People Analytics: Actions speak louder than words.

HR metrics or “people goals,” once considered ambiguous, are now the driving force and clearest indicator of organizational health. And it’s never been easier to get detailed usage metrics from an all-in-one integrated payroll and HR solution. Now, you can see the most active Community users, general tone and sentiment across your teams, and more, with the Modern Workforce Index. Dive into the data and see where the gaps are. Paylocity’s client data reveals that companies with higher workforce metrics like organizational health saw 2-3 times ROI savings, proving that automation saves them significant time and money.*

Transparency is critical in this day in age, and having a tool to measure utilization, engagement, sentiment, tone, organizational health, time, and cost savings can provide the clarity your leadership craves. In a convenient dashboard, the Modern Workforce Index helps you see all the key metrics in an easily digestible way and offers personalized recommendations to help you tailor your communication plans to maximize your results. These customized suggestions help HR professionals like you, capitalize on the time savings so you can spend more time developing strategies and driving engagement.

*results may vary