5 Ways Employee Texting Benefits the Workplace

For many organizations, an effective communication strategy is essential to ensuring everyone is on the same page. If your company has a different approach to communication in place, you may be asking yourself, what is the benefit of communicating through text messages? Did you know that text messages have a remarkable 98% open rate, in contrast to emails with only 20%? Beyond just high open rates, 97% of text messages are read within 15 minutes, making them a powerful tool for sharing information instantly and directly. 

But how can a text messaging system truly benefit your business? Let’s explore some practical examples of how this technology can enhance workplace communication.

What is the Value of Employee Texting?

#1 Share Company News with Ease

Text messages are a great way to share any company news or information. Send a reminder that the office will be closed for an upcoming holiday or that the cleaning crew will be in at the end of the week. Another great way to share news is by acknowledging company milestones. If the sales team just met a considerable goal, announce it to the entire company so everyone can celebrate! At Transmission, unlimited text messaging is included with our kiosk!

#2 Seamlessly Manage On-Site Visitors 

For manufacturing facilities, auditors and inspectors can arrive unexpectedly at any time. Text messages are a handy way to inform your team that an important visitor has arrived on-site for an inspection. Furthermore, If someone from your company's headquarters comes for a visit, let your staff know so they can make sure they feel welcomed. Pro-Tip: Customers using both Transmission's Check-In Kiosk and FactoryTV can send text messages to the TV screens!

#3 Empower Employee Feedback

Surveying your employees is a great way to improve your company culture and empower employees to be heard. Employees will be more likely to fill out a survey link if they receive it over text rather than email since they can complete it on their own time. Gather feedback on what employees enjoy about their job and what areas could be improved. 

Not only is it a good idea to gather feedback from employees, but this is also a great way to gather feedback from visitors. Send visitors a text message after they check out of your facility and ask how their visit went. This is also a great way to ensure visitors feel important and cared for.

#4 Your Human Resources Department Will Thank You

One of the most extensive responsibilities of a human resources department is managing payroll and ensuring employees are aware of their benefits. Better communication about payroll will make your employees happier and make life easier for your HR team. Send reminders to the entire company about direct deposit delays due to a banking holiday or notify specific employees when payroll checks are sent or ready to be picked up. When it’s time for open enrollment, send a text reminding your employees, along with instructions on how to make changes to their employee benefit options. 

Your Human Resources department can also use text messaging to spread positivity by acknowledging employees. For example, remind everyone that today is Sam's birthday, and there’s cake in the breakroom! If your company has an employee of the month program or an employee spotlight, share the recognition of this employee with your team!

#5 Swiftly Address Emergencies and Weather Alerts

When bad weather strikes or emergencies arise, timely communication is paramount. Text messages ensure that crucial information reaches employees promptly, even before they arrive at work. In emergency situations, Transmission allows you to send pre-defined template messages instantly, providing guidance to both employees and visitors. Our system's capabilities also relieve receptionists from relying on cumbersome paper logbooks during emergencies.

Oftentimes, when we listen to the news and hear a forecast of bad weather conditions on the horizon, companies take a let’s play it by ear approach. If you’re giving your staff short notice that the office will be closed for the day due to weather conditions, it’s best to have a text messaging option. While most employees may not check their email before they get to work, a text message is less likely to go unnoticed therefore being a great way to send last-minute information. 

Although emergency notifications are not a feature that anyone wants to have to use, it’s a feature that can be a lifesaver when you need it most. In the event of an emergency, quickly send a text blast to all on-site employees with instructions on what to do. Here at Transmission, we understand that in an emergency scenario, time can be of the essence. This is why the Transmission system allows you to create and save template messages for different emergency scenarios. When an emergency occurs, quickly select its correlation template and send it to your employees and every currently checked-in visitor. The Transmission Check-In Kiosk grants you visibility into what visitors are on-site and need to be accounted for.

How Mass Texting Employees Works With Transmission

Transmission is a visitor management software with a robust texting platform built in! Through the Transmission platform, text messages can be sent immediately or scheduled to go out at a future date and time. Users also have the ability to craft a text and send it immediately or save the message as a template if it’s needed often. After creating a message, users are given the option to select who will receive the text, whether that’s currently checked-in visitors, an individual staff member, or an entire department. Transmission gives you the ability to add and remove names from the recipient list easily, so only the correct people receive the text notification.

Scheduling a message for the future can be a helpful way to remind your staff of an upcoming event or important notice. For example, schedule a text to all on-site staff for 8 AM Monday reminding everyone about the food truck that will be in the parking lot. Or schedule a text for the first Friday of every month to remind everyone about the mandatory safety meeting. Find yourself sending the same messages frequently? Create a template and never need to type that whole message out again.

Need advice on how to prepare for emergencies? Check out this blog to see how Transmission can help! Read More.