Strategies for achieving connection and alignment across a frontline workforce

The frontline engagement imperative 

In an increasingly complex world, characterized by hyper-distributed organizations, shifting workforce demographics, and the pressure of AI advancements, it’s critical to establish connection and alignment with frontline employees. According to research from Gartner, 86% of hourly employees say it’s important for their organization to see them as a person not just an employee, and only 33% feel it is easy to find an organization that sees them this way.

The message is coming in loud and clear: our frontline workers want to feel connected and aligned with the business they work for, and this sentiment will only grow as workplace demographics shift further toward younger generations. By 2025, Millennials will make up 75% of the US workforce and according to research by Deloitte, 76% of millennials believe that a company’s sense of purpose is a key factor for attractive employers.

The impact of a disconnected frontline workforce

Disconnection among employees isn't just a morale killer—it's a velocity drain. When team members feel isolated, their engagement plummets. According to Gallup’s State of the Workplace report, 85% of employees are not engaged or actively disengaged at work. The same report found that this lack of engagement costs the global economy $8.8T.

When communication breaks down, so does productivity. Misalignment and communication barriers lead to more errors and slower workflows. This inefficiency costs time and money, hampering overall performance.

Disconnected employees are also more likely to leave. High attrition rates are costly—both in terms of recruitment expenses and lost knowledge. Gartner reports that 79% of HR leaders agree frontline worker attrition negatively impacts their business.

To combat disconnection, leading enterprises are becoming laser-focused on fostering a culture of inclusivity and continuous communication. Providing the right tools for engagement and alignment can turn the tide, making employees feel valued and part of the larger mission.

5 strategies for boosting frontline employee engagement

You may be considering enterprise social platforms as part of your strategy to engage the frontline with the head office. These tools mimic real-world communication methods, making them intuitive for employees to use. Integrating social tools into a wider employee experience platform enhances the value of social by putting it in context. Instead of just connecting employees, social can be used more strategically to drive outcomes like innovation and productivity. This approach turns effective communication into a pillar of organizational velocity.

As 'disconnected' employees, the frontline is not typically tied to devices, making a mobile-first strategy paramount. By understanding and addressing the specific needs of your frontline workers, you can make social tools more accessible and engaging. This approach helps break down silos by ensuring all employees, regardless of location, have access to the same information and communication channels, fostering a unified organizational culture.

If you’re looking to include a mobile app with access to social communities, knowledge, and direct messaging, start by focusing on the practical benefits. Highlight everyday needs like accessing timesheets, booking annual leave, managing shifts, and viewing open vacancies. When employees see how these tools can simplify their daily tasks, they’ll be more likely to embrace the app and engage with its broader features. This reduces organizational lethargy by streamlining processes and making it easier for employees to manage their work efficiently.

When National Grid adopted a branded app for their award-winning intranet, they saw a 500% increase in engagement from the frontline. But many organizations struggle to encourage disconnected employees to post or engage with content on enterprise social platforms.

You may have already carried out campaigns to educate users about the channels but still found engagement remains limited. Here are 5 strategies to boost frontline employee engagement with social:

1. Leadership involvement

Employees want to hear from leaders. In vast organizations, direct communication from leadership isn't always feasible, but enterprise social platforms provide a direct link. When your teams see an engaged leadership team, it sets the tone for the wider organization and drives engagement by fostering a sense of inclusion and transparency.

Capturing examples of leaders who naturally use enterprise social and showcasing their activity can highlight the platform's value. This visibility encourages participation and demonstrates the importance of the platform. To further drive engagement, implement internal marketing tactics like the '3,2,1' strategy, which promotes liking three posts a week, commenting twice, and sharing once. This simple yet effective approach helps maintain a consistent leadership presence, which in turn motivates employees to engage more actively.

2. Digital signage

Digital signage is an effective tool for prompting your frontline audience to engage with important comms on their mobile app. A platform that seamlessly integrates with a built-for-purpose digital signage solution makes it easy to harmonize channels.

Use QR codes to encourage employees to download the app or to drive engagement with specific campaigns or content items. Think of digital signage like an advertising board for your most exciting updates, giving employees an extra nudge to see what’s happening on the app.

3. Employee recognition

Recognize and celebrate employees' achievements through social. Creating special badges, such as social influencer badges, can motivate employees to participate more actively.

With digital employee recognition software, colleagues no longer have to wait for award ceremonies to be recognized; praise can be given at any time, from anyone across the business. For luxury hotel and resort brand, Kerzner International, this was a game changer for driving a high-performing service culture:

4. Ideation

Boost engagement by making frontline workers feel heard. Unily’s out-of-the-box ideation portal gives employees a platform to surface innovative ideas, no matter their location or role in the business. This portal allows frontline workers to submit and vote on suggestions, and contribute to discussions, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. By empowering frontline employees to share their insights and suggestions, organizations can tap into the valuable perspectives of those closest to customers and services.

5. User-generated content

Create a sense of community and belonging among employees with front-end publishing, allowing your frontline to upload photos and videos directly from their phones. This encourages employees to share their stories and experiences, building a more authentic and relatable workplace. When frontline workers can easily contribute content, it fosters a more inclusive environment that not only enhances engagement but also strengthens the connection between employees, creating a vibrant community within the organization.

The necessity for robust communication and alignment

Aligning employees with the company’s mission and values isn’t just nice to have—it’s crucial for success. Frontline workers are particularly critical due to their proximity to customers and services. If they don’t understand and embrace the company’s mission and values, it directly impacts customer experience. When frontline employees are aligned and engaged, they are better equipped to deliver exceptional service, ultimately reflecting positively on the organization.

Effective communication can’t wait. Real-time channels are essential to keep everyone informed and engaged. Instant updates and feedback loops ensure that no one is left in the dark, fostering a dynamic and responsive work environment.

Consistency in messaging is vital. It ensures that everyone, from the CEO to frontline workers, is on the same page. This unified approach prevents misunderstandings and keeps the organization moving in the same direction.

Sure, we all have Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook at our fingertips, so adopting a social tool for your frontline should be easy, right?

Unfortunately, simply throwing a new social tool at your employees doesn’t address the deeper issues of a disconnected frontline workforce. To unlock true value from a socially-enabled comms tool, a strategic approach is critical.

Social platforms launched without careful consideration can quickly fall flat and become unwieldy. These types of failed projects usually stem from one of two issues: lack of governance and poor integration. When siloed, ungoverned social communities lack the depth to integrate with all your other digital tools, it is detrimental to building thriving, governed communities.

Instead, investing in an employee experience platform that embeds social interactions into a cohesive digital ecosystem, can wield greater organizational velocity. It ensures consistent messaging, robust compliance, and enhanced security, ensuring that all communications are secure and aligned with organizational policies.

For organizations with lower digital maturity, or who are interested 'lightweight' rollouts, we see companies lean heavily into a social-first approach to their EX platform, which can be a great starting point.

Enterprise social tools mirror familiar consumer experiences, making them easy to adopt and immediately impactful in areas like innovation, collaboration, knowledge sharing, and culture transformation. As time goes on and employees develop an affinity to the platform, more sophisticated capabilities can be introduced. However, it's vital to choose solutions that are capable of evolving over time, with enterprise-grade governance and integration capabilities considered key markers of a scalable platform.

How to bridge the gap with your employee experience platform

Make it personal

With Unily, you can cater to individual employee preferences using the industry's most sophisticated framework, powered by limitless employee data. Every feature is designed to enhance personalization and engagement.

We now have cutting-edge tools to bridge communication and engagement gaps. While digital signage remains key, the shift towards mobile apps for frontline workers is transforming how we optimize efficiency, safety, and connectivity. These employee apps offer personalized experiences, ensuring that frontline workers have access to the tools and information they need most.

Targeted homepages and role-specific search experiences make it simpler for the frontline to find the information they need quickly.

Unily’s AI-powered platform offers a ‘Netflix-like’ experience, delivering tailored content based on individual preferences and engagement patterns. This makes the experience feel personal and relevant to each employee, significantly boosting engagement.

Cutting down the noise of multiple systems and apps is crucial

Unified communication channels create a ‘single pane of glass,’ integrating various tools into one seamless experience. This ensures that frontline workers can easily access everything they need in one place, enhancing efficiency and focus. Whether it’s Slack, Microsoft Teams, Viva Engage, or another preferred channel, Unily’s platform allows you to disseminate messages across the channels employees are most comfortable with. This flexibility ensures communication is effective and reaches employees at the optimal time for engagement.

Knowledge sharing and innovation

Sentiment analytics provide valuable insights into employee moods and engagement levels. These insights empower leaders to make data-driven decisions, improving communication strategies, and addressing issues promptly. This ensures your platform evolves with the workforce's needs.

Unily’s platform supports rich media, including videos, podcasts, and even custom radio stations, like the one created by a well-known postal service for their drivers. These options not only enhance engagement but also provide various ways for employees to consume information, catering to different learning styles and preferences.

Embedding social tools within your employee experience platform ensures social interactions are a natural part of daily workflows. Employees can engage in real-time discussions, share insights, and collaborate more effectively.

Unily’s capabilities extend further, offering governed knowledge and employee-driven content to fuel collaborative innovation. With enterprise search across all content—both native and integrated—employees can quickly find what they need. The platform differentiates between formal, social, and knowledge-based content, allowing users to follow favorite authors and topics, and engage with leadership in real time. Posting enriched content, including videos and photos, and asking questions with verified answers, makes the platform dynamic and engaging. Emojis, GIFs, and reactions enhance the social experience, while public and private communities, scalable permissions, and automated content governance ensure robust compliance and security.

Power organizational velocity with a market-leading employee experience platform

In an era of uncertainty and volatility, most large companies struggle to shape-shift their global workforce to meet what’s next. Organizational lethargy, functional silos, and languishing employee engagement create a velocity drain that holds them back, with lasting negative business consequences.

Unily is a True Enterprise EX Platform designed to eliminate velocity drains so enterprises can execute sharper pivots, increase decision-making speed, and reduce operational friction to stay one step ahead. The Unily platform was born to handle complexity, with unmatched enterprise strength and scale.

The world's most iconic organizations use Unily to supercharge connection and culture and unleash performance gains through deeper alignment, engagement, and empowerment of hyper-distributed employees and teams. Highly extensible, interoperable, and infused with governed AI, Unily’s platform elevates the performance of all your people while simplifying your IT landscape, so you can do more with less.

To see how Unily could power organizational velocity at your enterprise, get started with a demo today.