Sluggish productivity growth and employee engagement over the past decade may lead decision-makers to lament the state of U.S. workplaces. Data from Gallup’s “State of the Global Workplace: 2023” has revealed that U.S. engagement sits at a meager 31%, with nearly 50% of workers looking to leave their current positions to work elsewhere.  

Yet, the outlook brightens when these figures are considered alongside other nations. Despite global challenges, the U.S. economy continues to outperform growth estimates. On the other hand, the EU economy is now only 65% the size of America, down from 90% just ten years ago. Many factors are feeding into these complex statistics but, when it comes to employee engagement across European nations, it falls drastically below their American counterparts — a reality that will undoubtedly have a considerable impact on the bottom line. 

A Look Across the Pond 

Let’s take the U.K., for example, where, in recent months, the Chancellor of the Exchequer released his Autumn Statement. The plan laid out by the government aims almost entirely at boosting productivity growth, which has been essentially stagnant since the 2008 financial crisis. While the nation’s government focuses on invigorating future economic growth through business investment, U.K. businesses face another glaring issue. According to the same Gallup report, U.K. employee engagement is just 10% — less than a third of the U.S. figure.  

Why should U.S. businesses care? Well, while some nations are performing better than others, improvements can be made across the board in engaging employees — especially when it comes to the deskless workforce. Simply put, engaged employees are happier, more productive, and less likely to leave. That means that tackling the engagement issue could have an enormously positive impact on productivity growth. With such a dire outlook, however, leaders must go beyond minor managerial adjustments and consider how to cater to the particular motivations of their workers. Armed with this understanding, the way forward is to invest in the means to successfully communicate and engage with them. 

Identifying Communication Gaps in Today’s Workplace 

When many consider “improved engagement” or “better communication” with employees, their minds immediately go to increasing how many workers read emails, engage with an employee-facing intranet, or participate in some other tech-facilitated solution aimed at knowledge workers. In theory, these means of engagement are suitable for deskless workers – which make up 80% of the global workforce, according to Forbes, and that includes workers in warehouses and distribution facilities. And yet, deskless workers are often ignored when it comes to both tech investment and communications. For businesses, this means an opportunity to better engage and interact with an entire section of the workforce, with enormous potential for productivity gains with only modest investments.  

While knowledge-worker technology stacks are relatively mature and possibly oversaturated, the potential for frontline worker technology is significant by comparison. The market for software and hardware tailored to deskless workers is still in its infancy, with ample opportunity for innovation. As more attention and investment flows into this area, we can expect major advancements. Equipping this vital 80% of the workforce with the right digital tools has the potential to drive gains in efficiency, quality, safety, and employee engagement on a massive scale. 

Studies have shown that, despite occupying most of the workforce, deskless employees receive around 1% of total software investment. As a result, in search of communication channels, clarity, and organization, a majority (53%) of these workers end up turning to unofficial communication channels such as WhatsApp for their workplace communications. This absence of use of centralized channels can create or exacerbate division, open the door to misinformation, and make these individuals feel separated from their company — damaging the chances of retention and individual success.  

Improving Engagement With Technology Solutions 

When it comes to engaging those workers who are notoriously ignored, there are a few elements to consider.  

How are businesses communicating with deskless workers? Aside from the obvious suggestion of increasing contact and conversation with them, there is no shortage of technological solutions for midsize and larger organizations. Many are opting to communicate with their deskless workforce with screens. Whether in common areas, in the warehouse or on the assembly line, engaging content delivered through digital signage not only ensures information is communicated to workers, but also gives control to central decision-makers over what information is displayed and when.  

Other organizations are using products like wearables, mobile apps, software, and more. While different offerings will have pros and cons, plenty of solutions exist. The question is which of them is best suited to the individual workforce in question.  

What information is being communicated? Again, the applications for technology solutions designed to engage deskless workers are endless. Information communicated can include dashboards containing important information like measuring targets, announcements highlighting opportunities for job progression, health and safety information to keep workers safe, scoreboards that spotlight employees who are excelling, or even ensuring important information is communicated, such as deadlines for filing taxes or renewing health insurance.  

Where/when is the ideal place and time to communicate information? While this will be, in some parts, dependent on the technology adopted, the crucial thing to remember is to meet employees where they are. If the ultimate aim is to genuinely bolster communication and improve the lives of deskless workers, communication channels should be molded around them and their schedules. If it is a chore for them to learn about their own company, the failure in many cases is not theirs, but the decision-makers who are not communicating in a way that works for them. 

The Impact of Investing in Deskless Worker Communication 

Often, the simplest communications can have the most impact. The benefits of, for example, displaying safety information or healthcare coverage deadlines don’t need explanation. What is equally important, however, is that deskless workers get their fair share of investment, consideration, and attention.  

Without deskless workers, most organizations couldn’t function. It is therefore in the best interests of employers to do what they can to make them feel engaged with their organization. If they do, the benefits are far from one-sided. By all indicators, engaged workers are more productive, safe, and ultimately, 21% more profitable. Teams who score in the top 20% in engagement realize a 41% reduction in absenteeism and 59% less turnover.  

While there are far more factors at play in the productivity discussion than simply employee engagement, it is undoubtedly an essential part of the puzzle. Many organizations are missing a trick in reaching out to their deskless workforce, who could be vital in boosting future growth.  

Luke Hubbard is CTO and co-founder of ScreenCloud.